Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano admits Argentina's scratchy World Cup campaign affected his form earlier this season.

On top of the club's fluctuating fortunes, it looked for a long while as though Mascherano's Argentina would not make the World Cup finals.

The Argie captain revealed: "I spoke to Rafa Benitez a lot about that situation. The pressure with Argentina to put them in the World Cup was worse.

"Here you have a little bit more time to do the right things.

"We know we have to keep winning if we want to be in the top four but we have a game every week.

"In Argentina, I would go for two games then have three or four months to wait for the next one to put it right."