Disappearing Draws and the New Sense of Premier League Adventure

Rafael Benitez is to blame for many things, if you listen to Sir Alex Ferguson at least. And you can add this season's refreshingly adventurous trend in the Premier League to the list.

For most of his time at Anfield, Benitez has given the impression he cherishes a grisly performance and a fiercely-contested point more than winning itself. It seemed there was honour in not losing, rather than risking all on victory.

Such an approach was out of character for someone schooled at Real Madrid, where the virtues of victory - and, more importantly, victory with style - would have been instilled in him. Perhaps we are now seeing the real Rafa, a manager with a sense of adventure whose approach is being copied by others.

Liverpool drew 11 games last season, seven of them at Anfield including damaging stalemates with Stoke, Fulham, West Ham and Hull. And, when they look at the four points that separated them from champions Manchester United, those missed opportunities must burn like a blast furnace for Benitez.

The statistics provide a constant reminder to Benitez that, although he lost fewer games than Ferguson, the number of draws cost him the ultimate prize.

Which is why he seems to have accepted his team's defensive frailties this season and decided that, no matter how many goals they concede, Fernando Torres and his attacking colleagues will score more.

Benitez himself claims there is no philosophical shift in his team's approach. "I said the other day, we're not changing anything," said Benitez after Saturday's 6-1 win over Hull ensured Liverpool their best goalscoring start to a league season since 1895.

"We have players with quality, players who go forward. Maybe, we have more accuracy this year than last year. We have had more shots on target this year than last so we are scoring more goals. But the system is more or less the same."

That system - two holding midfielders, Torres alone up front, three midfielders in between with licence to attack at will - may be the same but there is little doubt that, whatever the reasons, Liverpool appear to be playing with more confidence, more belief - hence, the increase in shots and goals and, perhaps, hence the Premiership in general seeming altogether more positive this season.

And it is a welcome trend. After two seasons where draws accounted for at least 25 per cent of the results in the Premier League , there have been only four this term.

The main reason for the welcome development? It's the fact that draws are simply no good if you want to win a title and equally useless if you have ambitions to stay in the Premier League.

Manchester United drew only six games last season, a figure comfortably exceeded by the relegated teams Newcastle United, West Bromwich Albion and Middlesbrough

The reason for the new trend away from sharing the points can also be attributed to increasing chasm that separates the top and bottom of the table.

Manchester City, Sunderland and Tottenham are three teams signficantly improved by their summer purchases. They expect, with justification, to turn last season's stalemates into successes.

Down at the bottom end of the table, the fear factor will again dictate events to some extend. But, with fewer chances to collect draws against superior oppositions, expect them to take a lesson from Benitez.

He now knows there is a far greater rewards in being bold than being willing to share.