Source: Daily_Mail
Stoke City 1 Liverpool 1: Huth, referee and woodwork deny Rafa Benitez
Rafa Benitez entered the arena determined to repeat his policy of smiling through crisis, but left it with a face as dark as the day and Liverpool's away shirts. [LNB]Only briefly did he pause to acknowledge the applause of away fans who remain loyal and somehow supportive, before continuing his tirade at the match officials. [LNB]How was his luck? Denied what looked like a clear first-half penalty, and after his side had taken the lead, the Liverpool boss saw his patched-up, fading side concede yet another goal in the last minute of regular time in this season of costly last-gasp stumbles before Dirk Kuyt headed against a post in the last of five added minutes amid more penalty claims. [LNB]Drama: Robert Huth celebrates scoring the equaliser[LNB]None should be fooled, however. There was again an absence ofquality in a dire, dour game due not only to the absence of the injuredSteven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Yossi Benayoun but the paucity ofreplacements. Benitez remained defiant. [LNB]'We should have had two penalties,' he lamented. 'They were veryclear- cut. You can see the replays 100 times and you will have thesame opinion of everyone in the stadium. [LNB]'It was a difficult physical challenge and we can do better, but Iwould like to analyse every situation. Sometimes things go against youbut the only way you can change things is to keep working hard and tryto improve. We had some players out and the main thing was we showedcharacter and the players were fantastic. They worked very hard. Thefans appreciate this and support the team.' [LNB]Later he added: 'If I decide to stay here, it will be because of thefans.' If? It prompted concern that he might be considering his futurebut it was actually his form of words to show his gratitude to them. [LNB] Heads down: Liverpool look dejected after conceding late[LNB]This time there was no fuss from Benitez about Lee Mason's decisionto book Lucas for a first-half fall and ignore an added-time push onthe Brazilian, having sarcastically described the referee at as'perfect' after sending off Javier Mascherano at Portsmouth recently. [LNB]There was certainly plenty of fuss, though, about what was in effecta mid-table game. But it is rare Liverpool flirt with mediocrity orendure such a week that saw the crisis caravan parked stubbornly at thegates of Anfield before, during and after the FA Cup defeat by Reading.[LNB]That opinion is divided over whether Benitez is to blame and shouldgo was illustrated among the Liverpool support. One fan held up a mockP45.Others, the majority, remarkably applauded the manager. [LNB]Yesterday's selections were again curious. Stubbornly, Benitez usedDavid Ngog, again anonymous, as a lead striker with Kuyt just off him,all £20million worth of Alberto Aquilani starting on the bench, alongwith new signing from Atletico Madrid, Maxi Rodriguez. [LNB] [LNB] Greek bearing gifts: Sotirios Kyrgiakos gives Liverpool the lead[LNB]They came on belatedly with Liverpool looking - and failing - toprotect a lead. Benitez's caution was probably down to him acceptingthat his side are lacking confidence, even if he will not admit to thelack of quality. [LNB]Stoke's game was based on contain and counter, but they wereponderous on the break. Only the long throws of Rory Delap troubledLiverpool. When Lucas raced on to a through ball, he managed to nick itclear of Danny Higginbotham's late tackle, falling over the defender'slegs. [LNB]Referee Mason ruled the Brazilian had dived, when it looked apenalty. Matters did improve early in the second half when FabioAurelio swung in a free-kick from the right and Thomas Sorensen showedwhy Stoke are trying to recruit David James by spilling the kick intothe path of Kyrgiakos, who bundled it in.[LNB] [LNB] Funny guy: A Stoke City fan airs his views on Rafa Benitez's predicament[LNB] 'I didn't think it was a free-kick,' said the Stoke manager Tony Pulis before responding of Benitez's penalty claims: [LNB]'We managers are selfish and only see one side of the fence.' Stokeresponded and their aerial bombardment paid off. From MatthewEtherington's inswinging corner, Higginbotham headed back across goalfor Robert Huth to stab home. [LNB]Had Kuyt headed home, or a push on Lucas in the build-up been given,that crisis caravan might be moving on. As it is, it will still bethere on Wednesday when Tottenham pitch up at Anfield.[LNB] Angry Benitez blasts dropped Babel for being a right Twit in net rantTHE FIRING LINE: Liverpool boss tops our table as the next for the chop!Stoke City v Liverpool: The action as it happensLIVERPOOL
