THE time is now for the managers of the Premiership's traditional Big Four to make the money count.

Make-or-break time is January and this is when the shrewd manager can make a coup and turn a season around or lose the plot totally.

What can we expect from the men at the helm of Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal this time around was the question posed.

'Liverpool are the team on a high right now and it has been a long time since they reached the peak and stayed on top till season's end.

'What we can expect Rafael Benitez to do is try to keep himself fit after his major operation so that he can make the most of a splendid campaign so far.

'The most important thing they have to do is keep injury-free and ensure they remain consistent.

'Every season, they always dropped points when it mattered and they seemed to have the luck with Fernando Torres also coming back from injury at the right time,' Tohari said.

Problem

From the League leaders, to the marauding Blues from London - Chelsea.

'Luiz Felipe Scolari is not the same as Arsene Wenger or Alex Ferguson in the sense that he doesn't seem to play mind games.

'His biggest problem would be to try to play Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka together,' said Tohari.

Drogba was reported as saying: 'I still don't understand why managers are afraid to partner Nicolas and me.

'I fear I am only being considered as a strong centre-forward able to play alone up front with fast players on the wings.

'But I can also adapt. All we want is to play together. Not one in the middle and the other on the left.

'We do it for the team, but I don't know how long it's going to work because they are not our natural positions.'

Now can Scolari make it work at Stamford Bridge?

'For me, I don't see why they cannot play together. A lot of partnerships are based on one big target man and then the fast skilful runner off-the-ball which is what Drogba and Anelka are,' said Tohari.

What can we expect from the mind-games maestro himself, Sir Alex Ferguson?

'Man United have nothing much to do but play how they always do.

'They have the players for the job and in terms of performance we can expect Sir Alex to start his mind-games around February.

'I don't think they need to change very much and we can expect them to keep Liverpool and Benitez on their toes,' said Tohari.

Arsene Wenger and his young injury-hit and injury-prone fledglings are next. What does the wily Frenchmen need to do to keep the Gunners within touching distance of the other three?

'They have no money and so all the wishes in the world will not matter.

'All Wenger can do is try to play his mind games and hope that the rest fall for it, although I would say they are too far behind to compete,' said Tohari.

Fourth-placed Arsenal are 10 points behind leaders Liverpool and three points behind third-placed Man United who have two games in hand.

We can only wait with bated breath.