It was Billy Connolly who once joked that Ally Macleod thought tactics were a new kind of peppermint. And amusing though that might have been, it expressed a British suspicion that tactics somehow meant over-thinking the game. Some will say the game is all about having good players and that the manager only has so much control. Of course, you can’t legislate for everything that’s going to happen on the pitch. But, when Brendan Rodgers turns around a season by simply deploying players in different areas of the pitch, even the most hardened sceptic ought to be able to see just how important tactics are and that tweaking your system can be a game-changer. Brendan Rodgers addresses his players as they prepare for the Manchester United clash at Anfield . The Liverpool manager was under pressure earlier in the season after a poor start to the campaign . The Liverpool manager was on the back foot in December. His team were conceding goals, they could not score and they didn’t look anything like the side they had been the previous season. People were even suggesting he might be sacked. What a bold and clever move to go to three at back and push the wing-backs on. Ironically, he first did it at Old Trafford in December — and his reward was a 3-0 defeat. But they have not lost in the Premier League and FA Cup since then and even on that day you could see they were on to something. They had six one-on-one opportunities and should not have lost the game. It is a shrewd system. I played it with England when we won Le Tournoi in France in 1997, when I had Paul Merson and Paul Scholes behind Ian Wright and two holding midfield players behind them. Those two in the pocket — the Merson/Scholes pairing in my team or two of Adam Lallana, Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling for Liverpool — have the freedom to get wide, to move in front of wing-backs or to go inside into positions that threaten in the box. Lallana and Coutinho have done it particularly well. That system has turned their results around. Liverpool manager Rodgers talks to midfielder Adam Lallana at training ahead of the visit of United . Rodgers issues instructions to his players before a training session at Melwood on Friday . Glenn Hoddle played three at the back when he was England manager . The shock factor: why Liverpool’s 3-4-3 works... The key is that no one else plays it. I watched the 2-2 draw against Arsenal in December and although Liverpool equalised in the last minute, it was clear that Arsenal didn’t have a clue how to play the system. Liverpool had 63 per cent of the possession. And I doubt that’s ever happened to a team of Arsene Wenger’s playing with 11 men. Liverpool can push the front three up to press the opposition high up the pitch. The wing-backs don’t have to get back and cover as much as a full-back does, so they can be right in behind and the side has five, six or even seven pressing up top. It has restored the energy to Liverpool’s game, enabled them to pin teams back and to dominate possession. Suddenly, they looked like the 2013-14 side. If you need to defend, you can drop deep and have a back five, so the system has flexibility. But Liverpool usually deploy it in a positive fashion and the way in which it uses space to ensure that everyone has an option means it is incredibly hard to play against. Martin Skrtel heads the equaliser in injury time during the 2-2 draw with Arsenal back in December . Arsene Wenger tries to organise his Arsenal side as they relinquished 63 per cent possession to Liverpool . ... but Louis van Gaal’s back three doesn’t work . Louis van Gaal has used a back three several times in his career — in his Ajax team that won the Champions League, at Barcelona and very successfully in the World Cup with Holland. But at Manchester United he hasn’t been able to deploy it with the success that Rodgers has at Liverpool. The key for me is that your back three need to be able to accept the ball and move it even under pressure. Liverpool are prepared to give their defenders the ball under pressure and they’ve been comfortable with that. That’s why Emre Can, initially signed as a midfielder, has been so important. His technique on the ball gives them a safety valve in possession at the back. United, with the likes of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Jonny Evans, have not succeeded because they are not comfortable in possession under pressure. Therefore the system hasn’t proved to be an attacking springboard and can slow down their game. Rodgers has deployed Emre Can, originally signed as a midfielder, as one of the back three . Louis van Gaal has also used three at the back with United but has not enjoyed success like Rodgers . The likes of Chris Smalling (above) and Jonny Evans are not accomplished enough on the ball . United have hit on a system to match Rodgers . Sunday’s match against Tottenham saw United produce an impressive performance when they looked to be back to where they should be for the first time this season. Admittedly Spurs were poor. After their best results earlier in the season — the 3-0 win over Liverpool, the 2-1 win at Arsenal or the 2-1 win at Southampton — they will have come away thinking: ‘How did we do that? Without David de Gea we would have been struggling!’ But after the Tottenham game, for the first time in a long time, they would have come off knowing that they dominated the game and that they had deserved their victory. That’s why I believe Van Gaal will stick with this format for a while, although it might need a tweak at Anfield. It looks very similar to the Ajax system of the early Nineties. Marouane Fellaini produced a smart finish to open the scoring against Tottenham last weekend . Carrick showed no hesitation in celebrating against his former club after finding the net last Sunday . They played one holding player against Tottenham — and having Michael Carrick back in that role really makes a difference — with Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini as the inside right and left. Juan Mata and Ashley Young played so wide it reminded me of Finidi George and Marc Overmars in Van Gaal’s Ajax days. And I can see Angel Di Maria doing that job as his confidence returns. Mata had to stay wide, which is not his natural game, but that gave space to inside forwards. Spurs could not deal with that and Felliani killed them off. They’ll try to do that against Liverpool’s wingbacks and pin them back. But United must ensure an extra player drops in deep alongside Carrick, especially in that opening 20 minutes. I would not want to get stretched. At the right time you can press with three players in attacking positions through Wayne Rooney, Herrera and Fellaini. But initially I would drop players deep and tell Rooney to save his energy for the times when United have the ball. Ashley Young and Juan Mata played so wide against Tottenham just like Marc Overmars and Finidi George did for Ajax under Van Gaal . But it’s Liverpool who now have the momentum . Liverpool’s win at Swansea on Monday was so important. If they had not won, they would have needed a win on Saturday to stay in touch. Now they can use this game as a springboard to the top four. Win and they’re in the driving seat. They have the momentum at the right time; their confidence is sky high. They are in the FA Cup with a replay at Blackburn to overcome. Suddenly the season looks like it could have the potential to match last year. Certainly a trophy and top-four finish was unthinkable when these teams last met. Not so now, largely thanks to Rodgers’s tactical rethink. On Sunday at the Nou Camp we have the privilege of watching two of the very best when Barca take on Real Madrid and Lionel Messi comes up against Cristiano Ronaldo. But what we saw on Wednesday night against Manchester City has confirmed my opinion that at his very best, Messi is the better player. His feet are so quick and his ability to manipulate the ball at speed is up there with Diego Maradona. What I would say is that, though Messi is better when both are at their best, if they’re in a relatively unsatisfactory run of form, then Cristiano Ronaldo is the better player. In those periods he gives you more than sheer skill. He still contributes in other areas, with his athleticism and strength. But for me, Messi is a better player. Lionel Messi has been in superb form for Barcelona since the turn of the year . Messi put in a man of the match display against Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday . Messi trains on Saturday ahead of Sunday's crunch Clasico against Real Madrid . Cristiano Ronaldo's form has dipped, compared to his own high standards since winning the Ballon d'Or . The greatest? Of the players I’ve seen and played against it’s Maradona. His ability to take players on with the ball seemingly stuck to his feet as he weaved around him was sublime. Only Messi really has come close to that. He was better than Messi at free-kicks. Maradona and Michel Platini and Zico were probably the best at free-kicks and all ahead of Messi in that particular discipline. But people who haven’t seen Maradona play should check out the DVDs and watch him on YouTube. Can you imagine Maradona today, on these pristine pitches, with the lighter, more malleable footballs, protected from the hard men by the much tougher rules of the game and in an era in which man-to-man marking has fallen out of fashion? I would love to see that. My word, what a sight that would be.
Liverpool play Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday in top-four clash . Brendan Rodgers' side are just two points behind United in fifth place . Liverpool haven't lost in the league since United beat them in December . Rodgers switched to three at the back and has transformed the season .