Utrecht 0-0 Liverpool: Angry Torres epitomises tough night for Reds

The face of Fernando Torres told the story, even before the striker stalked down the tunnel immediately on the final whistle of this grim contest.

He exchanged terse comments with the Liverpool physio, pointed briefly to his knee and, a face like thunder headed straight for the sanctuary of the dressing room after another difficult night for his side.

Utrecht is a city of contradictions, and here last night the English side lived up to that notion, as they produced a stubborn display to at least take a valuable point on their travels, while at the same time again suggesting all is far from well within their team.

This non-descript Dutch town is surrounded by some grim industrial landscape, but harbours a sophisticated heart, and so it is with Liverpool, who produced a grey mechanical performance of their own, interspersed with the odd flash of something much more classy.

But while the sense of crisis that has gripped Anfield in the past 10 days was not extended last night, little was done to disperse it, as the performance of Torres indicated.

This was supposed to be the game when he announced his return to full fitness and form, the ideal contest against willing but ultimately limited opponents that would allow his confidence to be restored.

At least Utrecht lived up to their part of the bargain, even if the striker didn't. Liverpool entered this game in the knowledge that Utrecht were dangerous opponents, given their earlier exploits in this competition, but it is hard to reconcile their vibrant performance in hammering four past Celtic with this disjointed display.

Quite simply, the Dutch side were no great shakes...but the shocking truth was that for much of the contest Liverpool were even worse. And given the strength of the side they fielded, that is worrying in the extreme for the English club.

Both sides seemed to excel in giving the ball away, which wasn't a pretty sight. When they did manage to contrive to find a team-mate, often by accident, chances arrived, but there seemed no one on the pitch with the confidence to convert them - and that damning generalisation includes Fernando Torres.

The striker was pitched into the action from the start, with his manager looking to provide some much needed inspiration via, perhaps, a goal or two against slightly less physical opponents the Premiership provides.

All good in theory, but the fault lay in the practice, where Torres seemed destined not to find the net no matter how close to it he found himself in promising positions.

Twice, just after the interval, he produced the movement to create space and time as he bore down on goal, and twice you felt his must score, given his pedigree.

But the first time he blazed over the bar from just outside the penalty area, and then, when Dirk Kuyt's clever ball found him in front of goal in the six yard box, he was too hesitant and too timid, his shot hitting the sprawling Dutch keeper Vorm when at the top of his game the Spaniard would have lifted over him.

You can understand why Hodgson feels his star striker is just a goal away from blazing back into form, because he looks sharp and interested. But the final product isn't yet there, and the longer the drought goes on, the more worrying it gets.

The same sentiment applies to the team in general, because this performance was far from the level that the manager envisaged when he took over, and far from what he wants.

In his defence, he took the Liverpool job knowing the problems at the club, because he believed in the history and legend of the name. But he can be forgiven to thinking he's been slipped a poisoned chalice, because the problems clearly run deep.

There is not too much fight in this side at present, and certainly no belief, as evidenced in gifting a third goal to United and two to Sunderland at the weekend, as well as that horrendous display against Northampton about which the little is said the better.

It is hard to pinpoint exactly why they struggled so badly for so long last night, but it doesn't help that their central midfield is so similarly plodding, both Lucas and Christian Poulsen too limited and unadventurous in their outlook.

Liverpool do, of course, have quality and vision in their side, but last night it was edged out to the fringes, with Joe Cole, who still had a reasonable game, and Raul Meireles too often marginalised on the flanks.

The Reds would surely be more productive if one of them was allowed to get on the ball in the centre of the park, with Kuyt fillin the space on the flanks thanks to his tireless running.

In their defence there were other chances for Liverpool, but not enough of them, and none were executed with any certainty. Meireles shot at the keeper when well placed, Kuyt passed when well placed to shoot, and Torres again mis-controlled when bearing down on the keeper.

On balance, Utrecht had the better opportunities, but they too lacked confident firepower when it mattered, and were also presented with a Liverpool keeper who is beginning to rediscover his formidable best form.

Pepe Reina made one outstanding save at the feet of Dries Mertens, and the Spaniard twice made important interceptions from dangerous Tim Cornelisse crosses, with the Dutchman also heading over when well placed.

Utrecht did find the net when Jan Wuytens converted yet another corner, but the goal was disallowed for a push, and his fellow defender Alje Schut turned the ball over the bar from close range to emphasise the consistency of opportunity for the home side.

The fact that Dutch side so often got through to see the whites of Reina's eyes was the most worrying, especially late on when Jacob Mulenga ran through after a mix up between Kelly and Carragher, only for the forward to shoot wide of an open goal.

But under the circumstances Liverpool will settle for the important away point that puts them in a strong position in their group, even if they will consider that this competition, at this stage, really should be beneath a side of their pedigree.

*******

Utrecht: Vorm 6; Cornelisse 7, Wuytens 6, Schut 6, Nesu 6; Duplan 6, Silberbauer 7, Lensky 6 (Nijholt 82, 5), Mertens 7; van Wolfswinkel 6, Mulenga 5.

Liverpool: Reina 7; Johnson 5, Carragher 6, Skrtel 6, Kelly 7; Meireles 5, Lucas 5, Poulsen 6, Cole 7 (Maxi 81, 5); Kuyt 6; Torres 6.

Hero: Pepe Reina showed some of the form that made him the world's best keeper, and he spared his side's blushes on several occasions.

Villain: Jacob Mulenga was gifted the easiest of opportunities late on after a mistake from Kelly, but somehow shot wide with the goal at his mercy.