Rafael Benitez again chose to leave out Robbie Keane and Liverpool duly went on to blow their chance of joining Manchester United at the summit of the Premier League. The Dubliner was only introduced after Mido had cancelled out Yossi Benayoun's opener, remarkably replacing Steven Gerrard almost 20 minutes after Benitez had withdrawn the exhausted Fernando Torres. The logic behind this substitution was completely beyond me. Gerrard is the only player at Liverpool who shows a modicum of continuity and in the past he has single handedly saved Liverpool from some rather dodgy results. So what does Rafa do, he takes him off. Amazing!
Both Albert Riera and Dirk Kuyt were preferred as substitutes to the £20m signing from Tottenham as Liverpool sought without success to build on their lead. Instead, debutant Mido equalised from the penalty spot with eight minutes left. It leaves Liverpool two points adrift of United, treading water in the title race and Keane's future open to question.
Benitez insists he wants to keep the player but, with the feeling at Anfield that he will not play if Gerrard and Torres are fit, he will no doubt be wondering what point there is in staying if he is not even the Spaniard's natural replacement.....it's all going tits up for The Pool, as I forecast it would several months ago.....Back To Home Page...
