Source: Daily_Mail
Middlesbrough 2 Liverpool 0: Admit it Rafa, your rabble have blown it
Magnificent in Madrid and mugs in Middlesbrough[LNB], Rafael Benitez and his players surrendered their faint hopes of lifting the Barclays Premier League Trophy with defeat at the Riverside.[LNB]Only Champions League success can prevent another year of unfulfilled promise, although Benitez could not quite admit his title hopes are over. [LNB]Yet his forlorn looks and the weary body language spoke volumes.[LNB] Shouting match: Frustrated boss Rafa Benitez bellows at his Liverpool stars[LNB]Any optimism generated by the impending exit of Anfield rival and chief executive Rick Parry was drained from the Liverpool[LNB]manager, who had no defence for a woeful performance.[LNB]Liverpool have too many under-achievers, purchased by Benitez, who again failed to disprove the theory that they are a two-man team.[LNB]Benitez said: 'Before the game, it was difficult and now it will be more difficult. [LNB] Middlesbrough 2 Liverpool 0: Benitez must face reality in race for the Premier League title[LNB]Middlesbrough v Liverpool: How the game unfolded[LNB]LIVERPOOL FC NEWS FRO ACROSS THE WEB [LNB]MIDDLESBROUGH FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB][LNB]'We have to think about the visit of Sunderland[LNB]this week and wait to see if Manchester United make mistakes.[LNB]'The players were very disappointed. Clearly, the Champions League is the best option we have now. [LNB]'The main thing for me is that we have to score. We have to win at home. [LNB]'Scoring goals is something we have to improve, but it's difficult to do. [LNB]'We had our chances. We have to be ruthless and that takes time to learn.'[LNB]Tuncay celebrates Middlesbrough's clincher against Liverpool[LNB] For the record, Parry did not pick the team which sought to end Liverpool's seven-year run without a win on Teesside. [LNB]Benitez did.[LNB] And in the opening 20 minutes the Spaniard looked to have got his tinkering right as Brad Jones had to make saves from Dirk Kuyt, Nabil El Zhar and Ryan Babel.[LNB]But by the final whistle, with most of the 4,000 travelling fans long gone, and not one chorus of You'll Never Walk Alone between them, with Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher substituted and looking equally shell shocked, it was impossible to tell which team had started the afternoon second and which was second from bottom.[LNB]Middlesbrough, who moved out of the relegation zone with their first league win in 14 games, thanks to Xabi Alonso's own goal and Tuncay's excellent second-half strike, could have scored three more in the final 10 minutes as Benitez's endless seam of average players struggled to make a chance.[LNB]Gary O'Neil, who created Tuncay's sixth goal of the campaign, almost scored with a thumping effort following Stewart Downing's wonderful cross, while substitute Marlon King's slowness deprived him of two late goals.[LNB]It was a rare full house for boss Gareth Southgate and his players delivered for a desperate audience who have accepted chairman Steve Gibson's support for the manager.[LNB]Boro's improved fortunes have coincided with the return to form and fitness of players like Robert Huth, Julio Arca, Tuncay, Jeremie Aliadiere, Justin Hoyte and O'Neil.[LNB]Downing, an obvious target for Benitez on this form, was excellent.[LNB] Middlesbrough 2 Liverpool 0: Benitez must face reality in race for the Premier League title[LNB]Middlesbrough v Liverpool: How the game unfolded[LNB]LIVERPOOL FC NEWS FRO ACROSS THE WEB [LNB]MIDDLESBROUGH FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB][LNB]No wonder Carragher was not given a shift at right back while his stand-in, Martin Skrtel, was all over the place.[LNB]Liverpool's Babel and El Zhar were handed rare starts and were awful and missed the visitors' best two chances.[LNB]Lucas Leiva entered as Gerrard's replacement for the final 13 minutes and gave the ball away every time he touched it.[LNB] Boro defender Robert Huth (left) tussles with Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard[LNB]Middlesbrough's next game is at Tottenham[LNB]and they are now a different proposition to the side which failed to score for 523 minutes in the league until Alonso got the decisive touch to Downing's corner.[LNB]Southgate believes the result will give his players a huge confidence boost following on from their 2-0 FA Cup victory over West Ham, as he explained: 'A settled team makes a big difference and we had forgotten the feeling of winning, of scoring and celebrating and feeling good about playing football, and that's what we tried to put into their minds before the cup match. [LNB]'It's nice to enjoy a win and get the belief back, but there's a lot of hard work ahead.[LNB]'To get a full house after the run we've had is fantastic. People speak about a divide between fans and players, but the two combined to get a result because the players lifted the crowd by their endeavour. [LNB]'But when the players were out on their feet and needed that edge, the fans got behind them at the right times to haul them over the line. [LNB] Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate was delighted with his side's display against Liverpool[LNB]'I was pleased to have the big game at the end of the week because I knew we'd get an atmosphere.[LNB]'We used the cup result to gain confidence.'[LNB]But the Boro boss admitted he was worried just before kickoff.[LNB]He said: 'The players were very relaxed and I was a bit concerned that they were too laid back and needed a gee-up. [LNB]'If we take our foot off the gas we know in this division there's very little between 14 teams.[LNB]'Our work ethic over the last few weeks on the training ground has been excellent and we have to continue that.'[LNB]MIDDLESBROUGH (4-4-2): Jones 7; Hoyte 7, Wheater 7, Huth 8,Pogatetz 6; O'Neil 7, Bates 6, Arca 7(Walker 89min), Downing 9;Tuncay (Johnson 79), Aliadiere 7(King 68, 5). Booked: Bates, Tuncay.[LNB]LIVERPOOL (4-4-1-1): Reina 7;Skrtel 3, Carragher 6 (Benayoun72, 6), Hyypia 7, Aurelio 7; El Zhar3 (Ngog 69, 1), Mascherano 5, Alonso 5, Babel 3; Gerrard 6(Lucas 77); Kuyt 5.[LNB]Man of the match: Stewart Downing.[LNB]Referee: Rob Styles.[LNB] Middlesbrough 2 Liverpool 0: Benitez must face reality in race for the Premier League title[LNB]Middlesbrough v Liverpool: How the game unfolded[LNB]LIVERPOOL FC NEWS FRO ACROSS THE WEB [LNB]MIDDLESBROUGH FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB][LNB] [LNB]
