Is Liverpool failing to get fourth a disaster? Not when put into perspective

By Richard Buxton in Liverpool Fans Blog

Published 16:54 14/04/10

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Little over half an hour after his players had been booed off by supporters, Rafael Benitez sat in the Anfield press room to face a grilling from headline-hungry journalists.

Although the Liverpool manager refused to rise to the bait when probed about his 'guarantee' of a fourth place finish, the deep sigh before he answered questions was very reflective of the rollercoaster he and his side have endured season.

That groan summed up the Spaniard’s frustrations and the same noises could be heard emanating from the stands as the hosts failed to take maximum points off a resilient Fulham side, to push Champions League qualification further out of their reach.

Eyebrows were raised by Benitez’s team selections with Lucas Leiva and Dirk Kuyt, who became heroes for a night against Benfica four days previously, dropped to the bench; in keeping with the manager’s fabled rotation policy.

But the biggest blow of all came courtesy of Fernando Torres' absence after suffering a fresh knee injury. Of all the players who have graced the Anfield treatment table, the striker has had more than his fair share of rough luck and was sorely missed in attack.

It was a relatively predictable game as the season’s end nears, but credit has to be given to Roy Hodgson for all he has accomplished with Fulham and for coming away from Anfield with another point - as he did last term.

For all his redeeming qualities, it was painstakingly obvious that David Ngog cannot fill the void left by Torres' absence whilst Alberto Aquilani, another player who has been on the sidelines more times than off, showed promise despite also failing to find the net.

Many Kopites wrote the Italian off as a crock after he was sidelined for the first four months of the campaign but he has demonstrated in recent appearances the quality he will bring to the side if he remains with the club beyond the summer.

One issue the manager would not be drawn on was the prospect of Daniel Agger remaining at left-back, despite fulfilling his duties far better than Emiliano Insua or the injury-prone Fabio Aurelio. The Dane’s future at the club, Benitez said, is not as a full-back but, based on his stint there, it would not be a bad move.

The game, however, was overshadowed by the whirlwind of publicity generated by the imminent departure of owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks but, with the 21st anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster upon us, losing the battle for fourth place paled in significance.

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