 IF SUNDAY'S defeat at Stamford
Bridge seemed to confirm that the destination is still some way off, last night's evidence
raises a question mark over whether the journey has even begun.
 This defeat suggests Liverpool's blip is more a decline,
one that is gradually dismantling the pillars of progress that this campaign was widely
seen as having provided.
A 90 minutes that can safely classed as their most dispiriting since another two
London teams, Fulham and Crystal Palace, ensured those three days of inglorious misery
back in October.
The four months since had almost turned that capital punishment into a surreal
memory. A period that saw win upon record-breaking win piled up with a miserliness - and,
for a time, a few goals - that saw the word 'revival' emerge as an almost permanent suffix
to the club's name.
Well, perhaps after the recent steps forward, here is the step back.
That, at least, is the optimistic verdict on a night that offered up shuddering
confirmation as to the sizeable job that Rafael Benitez still has to perform.
Not that the Spaniard did not know that already, of course.
But as this marathon of a season drags into its eighth month, perhaps now the
problems are becoming increasingly difficult to paper over.
A solitary point from 12 now, and one goal in the last four games, and suddenly
it's not upwards Liverpool are looking, it's over their shoulder.
With one of their two games in hand, the chance has been missed to stretch their
one-point lead over Tottenham, while Arsenal - who have played the same number of games -
loom just four points behind.
From being distant pretenders to the crown, Liverpool are now embroiled in a battle
for Champions League qualification. The job now, surely, is to refocus on this lesser
ambition and quickly arrest the slump.
Dispiriting, then, but also undeserving. For while Charlton's opportunism was
admirable, Benitez will ponder for many a day just how his side managed to turn dominance
into defeat in such a disbelievingly rapid fashion.
Then again, it might not take that long. For again it was the small details - a
rush of blood from Jerzy Dudek, a loss of concentration for the second goal. And, yet
again, there were the details of an altogether heftier size - the woeful lack of a threat
up front.
It was the issue of the strike-force that had dominated most of the pre-match talk.
Robbie Fowler, who had been excused from the Chelsea defeat in order to catch up on
some training, was included on the substitutes' bench this time and there were starting
roles for all three of his under-performing strike colleagues.
Djibril Cisse took up a right-sided berth while Fernando Morientes took up a
position just behind Peter Crouch; it was an uncharacteristically attacking line-up from
Benitez, although judging from the still-deafening roars that greeted Fowler's name when
it was read out over the Tannoy, there was no doubt who the fans' choice was..
The onus was clearly on the starting three to justify their inclusion, however, and
inside the opening 15 minutes all three were handed an opportunity. |
First Cisse, having broken through
the Addicks midfield, had a sight of goal but dragged his long effort well wide of Thomas
Myhre's goal.
Then Morientes met Steve Finnan's centre first time, dispatching the ball cleanly
towards goal but unfortunately for the Spaniard, straight down the goalkeeper's throat.
Crouch was less accomplished with his control, chesting down Harry Kewell's
radar-like cross but almost fresh-airing the follow-up shot.
Liverpool did have the majority of possession for the opening half, but they were
doing precious little with it.
Too often the final ball was sub-standard, and while a nervous and confidence-low
Athletic were patently there for the taking, the visitors again did a good impression of a
team seriously lacking an individual to take advantage.
Cue, after barely half an hour, the 'There's Only One Robbie Fowler' chant.
Even excellent positions, such as when Cisse broke free of the lumbering Jonathan
Spector six minutes before the break, came to nothing. All the Frenchman had to do was
feed a straightforward centre to the looming Crouch, but his ball was far too short for
the England international and was comfortably cleared.
Cisse's subsequent gesture of frustration suggested he knew only too well that a
good chance had gone begging.
And as is becoming something of a recurring theme, Liverpool's failure to turn
possession into points appeared to feed their opponents with confidence.
But even in saying that, the double whammy that winded Benitez's men in four
minutes prior to the interval presented an extraordinary misrepresentation of the
first-half's pattern of play.
Charlton had barely encroached into Dudek's penalty area when Radostin Kishishev's
chip found Darren Bent, and perhaps it was the Polish international's surprise at being
called into action that prompted his rash knee-slide towards the Addicks frontman.
Although his actual contact was minimal, perhaps just catching Bent's trailing leg,
it was his overall momentum that felled the striker and referee Alan Warriner pointed to
the spot.
Jamie Carragher led an incensed reaction from the visitors, winning a booking for
his protestations, but in truth it was the irresponsibility of Dudek that was to blame.
For a moment there were worries that he might even become Liverpool's second
red-carded goalkeeper in four days - leaving Benitez with an almighty problem for the next
couple of matches - but Warriner sensibly settled for a yellow.
Even a return of the Grobbelaar-esque antics that proved so effective in Istanbul
could not stop Bent slotting away the penalty. Dismally, that wasn't to prove the only
occasion when comparisons could be made with May 25. Within seconds of the half-time
whistle, Liverpool were two down.
Having been lucky to escape a handball on the edge of the visitors' area moments
before, Alexei Smertin broke down the right flank and cut back a ball to Darren Bent,
whose point-blank shot was smothered by Carragher.
Unluckily the ball fell right into the path of Luke Young, however, and his
powerful shot squirmed under Dudek's body.
How the Pole must have wished he'd made that transfer window escape now.
The second half, despite Fowler's introduction for Crouch just after the hour,
witnessed little by way of an onslaught on the hosts' goal
Indeed Charlton could easily have doubled their lead, Darren Bent first cracking
the crossbar and then setting up namesake Marcus, who also found the woodwork.
The match, in truth, was lost long before Fowler's arrival.
With the huge contests awaiting in the coming weeks, Liverpool must quickly find a
way to ensure some far bigger prizes are not lost, either.
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