HOW fitting. On the day when strange things traditionally occur, it was perhaps to be expected that Liverpool’s nightmare season would take another desperate twist.
But as he sifts through the ruins of this latest, self-inflicted setback – not even Fulham’s most blinkered supporter would suggest their 3-1 win was achieved without help – the thought of what lurks around the corner will frighten Rafa Benitez more than anything.
This, without question, has been the most traumatic five-week period Benitez has endured during his time as Liverpool manager and a sequence of six defeats in seven games is testing the patience of this amiable soul, not to mention players and supporters.
He has, of course, been in tight corners before but, when the pressure has been at its most intense and the stakes have been at their highest, Benitez has found ways of escaping impending calamities that would have made Harry Houdini proud.
With that in mind, it would be foolish to say losing on the banks of the River Thames means Liverpool are incapable of salvaging the remainder of this campaign, as Benitez is a man who knows the art of escapology inside out.
Trouble is, though, on this occasion he finds himself having to extricate Liverpool from a increasingly deepening hole without the props he requires most of all; no wonder, then, he sported a haunted look as he left Craven Cottage on Saturday evening.
Had Benitez been facing a clear week, with just a Premier League fixture next Saturday to prepare for, he would, possibly, have been in brighter spirits. Time, as everyone knows, is the greatest healer.
Five uninterrupted days would have given the medical room at Melwood – which is currently bursting at the seams – a chance to clear and provided Benitez with solace that the next team he sent out would, in all likelihood, be infused with important, senior names.
Yet time is something Benitez does not have; tomorrow morning Liverpool fly out to Lyon for a Champions League encounter they dare not lose but, at this juncture, few people – if any – will give them a chance of winning.
It is not hard to see why. Based purely on the shambolic 45 minutes they served up in the second half against Fulham, you would question what Liverpool were doing in Europe’s most prestigious competition in the first place.
Minus so many important performers – Liverpool were without a complete starting line-up here – they looked woefully limited, desperately lacking in class, naïve in their decision making and heavily reliant on a striker who was clearly not fit.
While Pepe Reina and Jamie Carragher tried to coax and cajole from the back, and Javier Mascherano buzzed and scampered around all afternoon, the Reds simply did not have the quality to turn their overwhelming possession into clear cut chances.
Had they done so, this contest would have been over inside 20 minutes; passing the ball, easily and pleasingly, they kept getting into good positions around Fulham’s penalty area but failed to give Fernando Torres the openings he craved.
Such a frustration. It was evident from the first exchanges that Torres was not at a physical peak, his movement was limited and prevented him showing the blistering change of pace that terrifies defenders and electrifies Liverpool’s supporters.
Even operating at a level way below his best, however, Torres’ mere presence on the pitch still had Aaron Hughes and Brede Hangeland quivering, petrified he would snaffle even the slightest opening.
Their fears proved well founded. Torres had no right to score when a high ball bounced off Andriy Voronin’s head into his path on the edge of the area but the manner in which he thrashed home his 10th goal of the season took the breath away.
So why, if he was causing such problems, did Benitez take him off? Why, when this tussle was delicately poised, did the manager give Fulham an unexpected lift by taking the man who, more than anyone, was going to win it for Liverpool?
Benitez has often been criticised with having a pre-occupation with future events and there have been occasions when gambles with personnel have backfired spectacularly but the truth, in this instance, is that he had no option.
Allowing Torres to stay on the field for an extra 30 minutes, you see, would have led to one of two things happening – either he would have done significant damage to his already tender adductor muscle or he would have been flattened by a Fulham defender.
Four times in the first half he was the victim of crude challenges, each one leaving onlookers wincing, four times referee Lee Mason did nothing; if anything, it was a surprise Benitez actually allowed Torres to get as far as the hour mark.
If that decision means he can play in Lyon on Wednesday, Benitez will be vindicated as without Torres, and without Steven Gerrard, Liverpool have all the threat and bite of a bulldog minus its teeth.
Should Torres be consigned to the stands in Stade Gerland and if Liverpool can’t score any goals, they won’t make the knockout stages. It’s that simple and alarming.
Liverpool had enough possession to win three or four matches, never mind this one, but just weren’t up to the task; pressing the self-destruct button to let Bobby Zamora and Erik Nevland pilfer breakaway goals and losing Philipp Degen and Carragher to harsh red cards, Clint Dempsey eventually putting this wounded animal out of its misery.
It was a dreadful way to end a chaotic afternoon, but the fear gripping everyone of a Red faith now is that this bleak situation is poised to become even worse, with Lyon waiting to move in for the kill.
To avoid that doomsday scenario unfolding, Benitez needs to perform his most daring escape to date and hope some of those walking wounded will climb off their sickbeds. If they don’t and he doesn’t, this nightmare will become much worse.
FULHAM (4-4-2): Schwarzer; Pantsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky; Baird, Dempsey, Greening (Etuhu 86), Duff (Gera 46); Kamara (Nevland 46), Zamora.
LIVERPOOL (4-2-3-1): Reina; Degen, Carragher, Kyrgiakos, Insua; Lucas, Mascherano; Kuyt (Ayala 85), Voronin, Benayoun (Ecclestone 78); Torres (Babel 63).
GOALS: Zamora (24), Torres (42), Nevland (73), Dempsey (87).
BOOKINGS: Baird (54).
SENT-OFF: Degen (79), Carragher (82).
ATTENDANCE: 25,700.
REFEREE: Lee Mason.
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