Hull City 0, Liverpool FC 0: Dominic King on a Reds finale that fell decidedly flat

10 May 2010 04:00
A FOOTBALL match took place on the banks of the River Humber yesterday that had claims to being the most meaningless Liverpool have played in their recent history.[LNB]While supporters all over the country this weekend headed to grounds full of nervous apprehension or giddy anticipation, those Reds who crossed the Pennines to see their team for one last time before the summer break had nothing to cheer or inspire them.[LNB]After having their great expectations buried under a catalogue of dismal performances, a crippling injury list and - most alarming of all - a mountain of debt, there was a weary resignation about the Liverpudlians housed in the Smith & Nephew North Stand.[LNB]No wonder. This, of course, has been the season from hell, one that has seen Liverpool's boardroom politics and finance issues replace action on the pitch as the main talking points, leading to the club's once proud reputation taking an almighty pummelling.[LNB]In normal circumstances, you might have anticipated that, with this fixture at Hull City being the final one Liverpool have to fulfil until July, there would have been some sense of relief. Here, after all, was an appropriate time to draw a line in the sand.[LNB]Yet a draw, frustratingly, was all they could manage against the already-relegated Tigers; the day might have been memorable for Jack Robinson who, at 16 years 250 days, became the youngest player in Liverpool's history, but it wasn't for anyone else.[LNB]All it means, then, is drawing a line in the sand is going to prove impossible. It would have been beneficial to all parties if Liverpool could simply consign events of the past nine months as a blip but reality suggests a cold, calculated view must be taken.

Source: Liverpool_Echo