Fernando Torres clearly believes in backing up his words with deeds.
As another depression threatened to engulf Rafa Benitez and Anfield, the Spanish striker - who has so publicly stood by his manager amid the sniper fire of Liverpool's political war - came up with his best performance for the club.
Two goals and two assists from Torres took the pressure off Benitez after the home defeat by Manchester United and Carling Cup exit at Chelsea that will have further damaged the manager's standing in the eyes of owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
Torres has now hit 14 goals since his £26.5million arrival from Atletico Madrid and must have the best chance of anyone in the past dozen years to equal Robbie Fowler's 30-strike haul.
More importantly for now, he kept leaders Arsenal at least within sight, even if Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp swore blind that his team had shot themselves in the foot.
Redknapp said: "Our defending was terrible, very poor. Liverpool will do that to you when you play as we did."
Yet Redknapp will surely privately acknowledge that Torres delivered a world-class display, helping set up the first two for his club and finishing the job with a clinical double.
Benitez, while trying to stress this was a team response to the disappointments of the last few days, still had to admit: "Torres was really important to us.
"We got a little nervous after Portsmouth scored and we needed a goal to finish it. Fernando did that for us and all the way through he showed great mentality, just as he showed his ability and his pace."
The best away run in the Premier League had effectively come to a shuddering halt by the 16th minute. Portsmouth had won six on the trot on the road and were the last thing Benitez and his players needed after a hugely disappointing week.
In Sulley Muntari Pompey had a strapping midfield attacker determined to use his first performance in front of the Kop as a means of proving to the Spaniard that he should be a summer target.
Nico Kranjcar and Pedro Mendes were there to help, with Papa Bouba Diop adding his physical presence while up front was Benjani, on fire all season.
But while Benjani would, in the 57th minute, show how dangerous he can be, Liverpool always had too much of a start in a game they knew must finish with three points.
Torres did the damage from the start, a series of high-paced incursions creating panic within the Pompey rearguard.
His first foray down the right resulted in a shot from Harry Kewell that flew just wide.
Torres then took the fight to his opponents on the other side and this time there was no escape.
He cut inside Sylvain Distin and, while the French defender did block the run, the ball rebounded to Harry Kewell, who crossed instantly for Yossi Benayoun to volley home.
Torres moved back to the other flank to help his side double their advantage.
Javier Mascherano showed the kind of stifling characteristics that makes his permanent signing so important to Benitez as he blocked an attempted through ball from Muntari.
Dirk Kuyt took possession, slipping the ball to Torres and as Sol Campbell challenged, the ball ricocheted off his shin and cannoned into the net off Distin.
Campbell, who last week bemoaned the crowd abuse he faces, was left screaming at himself in frustration.
Had Liverpool pressed home their advantage at that point it might have got embarrassing for Redknapp but the home side dropped a gear, the atmosphere went flat and the Portsmouth boss regrouped at the break.
Lauren replaced injured Glen Johnson, Kanu took over from John Utaka to play alongside Benjani and suddenly Liverpool had a fight on their hands.
Kanu's pass into the box was perfection and Benjani delivered in style, controlling with his right foot and drilling home with his left.
But if Liverpool rocked a little, Torres was there to steady them in some style.
Ten minutes after Benjani's ninth goal of the season, Torres collected his 13th as Mascherano showed good vision to send the ball into the box and once again, as Redknapp would later admit, Portsmouth were "all over the show".
David James and Distin made a mess of trying to deal with the danger and Torres skipped forward to bullet his shot low past goalkeeper and defender.
Torres hadn't finished either, clipping a volley beyond James, set up by Gerrard's clever flick.
Redknapp bemoaned the frozen pitch that prevented organisational work in the two days before what his side's toughest test on their travels so far.
His team were a disappointment, for sure. But Torres also happened to underline why he cost Liverpool so much.
In fact, yesterday he looked priceless. Especially to Benitez.
STAT ATTACK
STORY OF THE GAME
LIV'POOL PORTSM'TH
60% POSSESSION 40%
5 SHOTS ON TARGET 2
7 SHOTS OFF TARGET 6
3 CORNERS 1
14 FOULS CONCEDED 14
5 OFFSIDES 2
1 YELLOW CARDS 2
0 RED CARDS 0
HOW THEY RATED
LIVERPOOL
Reina 6, Arbeloa 7, Carragher 6, Hyypia 5, Riise 5, Benayoun 6 (Babel 6), Gerrard 6, Mascherano 7, Kewell 6 (Aurelio 5), Kuyt 6, TORRES 9 (Lucas 5).
Manager Benitez 7
PORTSMOUTH
James 5, Johnson 5 (Lauren 6), Campbell 5, Distin 5, Hreidarsson 5, Utaka 4 (Kanu 6), Bouba Diop 5, Mendes 5, Muntari 5 (Taylor 5), Kranjcar 5, Benjani 6.
Manager Redknapp 4
Referee M Riley 6
NEXT 4PREM FIXTURES
LIVERPOOL
DERBY (A), MAN CITY (A), WIGAN (H), MIDDLESBRO (A)
PORTSMOUTH
ARSENAL (H), MIDDLESBRO (H), READING (A), SUND'LAND (A)
HEAD TO HEAD
Steven Gerrard v PAPA BOUBA DIOP
Portsmouth's giant Senegalese midfielder found himself running down blind alleys, which allowed the Anfield captain plenty of time and space to guide his team to victory from the middle.
Man of the MATCH
FERNANDO TORRES
The Spanish striker was head and shoulders above everyone else on the field - and not just because he' is tall. The two-goal forward simply oozed class.
DID YOU KNOW?
Portsmouth"s last win at Anfield was 2-0 in August 1951. That season they finished fourth while Liverpool ended 11th, lower than Charlton, Blackpool, Newcastle and Preston.