More misery for Benitez’s fallen idols

IT HAS become something of a tradition that Middlesbrough save their best for the Premier League’s major movers and shakers.

On this showing, Gareth Southgate’s powers of persuasion must have been put fully to the test to convince his players that Liverpool fit into that category. They’re certainly shaking, but there’s little sign of movement.

Even Rafael Benitez, who still doggedly refuses to hoist the white flag on his side’s forlorn hopes of catching the leaders, has stopped bothering himself with developments at the rapidly disappearing summit.

“In our position you can’t think about the leaders, you have to think about the next game,” came the Spaniard’s reply when afforded his latest opportunity to admit title defeat.

A fourth successive draw, three of those in the league and two of them against struggling sides puts Liverpool 12 points off the pace. “We’re not happy we’re so far off the leaders,” Dirk Kuyt, the forward whose own desperate lack of form mirrors that of the team, admitted.

Trailing to George Boateng’s close range effort midway through the first half after Alvaro Arbeloa and Jose Reina were found wanting, Liverpool were indebted to the latest addition to Fernando Torres’ burgeoning collection of goal of the season contenders to salvage a point at a ground where they are without a victory for almost six years.

Indeed, Torres’ stunning 25-yard strike, the Spaniard even had time to regain his balance after slipping as he finally broke Boro’s defensive shackles to fire past Mark Schwarzer, was Liverpool’s first on Teesside in almost nine hours’ play.

That makes it 17 goals this term for the striker, and Kuyt added: “Fernando is having an unbelievable season, he’s a player with everything and he’s one of the best strikers in Europe at the moment but we mustn’t be over-reliant on his goals.

“If he continues with this kind of form he’s definitely in with a chance for player of the year.”

Fresh speculation that the investment group Dubai International Capital are ready to step in if current owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks decide to sell should they fail to meet the deadline for the restructuring a £350million (€464m) loan is not helping matters on the field.

“Our job is to focus on the games,” insisted defender Sami Hyypia, in a most Benitez-like manner. “It’s not our business and shouldn’t affect us in any way. Our job is to continue concentrating on the games.”

But with the manager and owners far from seeing eye-to-eye amid almost daily updates as to which one will exit first, Hyypia warned: “We seem to be becoming like Newcastle. Every time we pick up a paper, there seems to be something new.

“In the football world things can happen very quickly and you can’t do anything about it but the players hope that if there are arguments they can be sorted out.”

Gareth Southgate’s problems are rather more small-scale, though nevertheless pressing. The Middlesbrough manager revealed: “A lot of Friday evenings I come home, sit back and think this is ridiculous, because we haven’t been anywhere near to a full-strength squad to pick from.

“Then we lose Jonathan Woodgate to injury and I’ve got a message from my keeper saying he’s been up all night ill. To say black humour sets in is an under-statement.

“We had players out there who were on loan at Darlington and Billingham Synthonia last season, you can’t really believe what we’re dealing with here and Rafa is telling me he’s got no money.”

Southgate, who enjoys the support of perhaps the Premier League’s most grounded chairman in Steve Gibson, nevertheless sympathises with the scrutiny under which Benitez has increasingly found himself.

“The game is crackers at the moment so it doesn’t surprise me,” he said. “Clearly his record is outstanding. Most of the chairmen in the game now are successful businessmen in their own fields rather than it being hereditary and they’re going to demand results. I’m lucky I have a chairman who is very realistic.”

Benitez - who is still determined to off-load the midfielder Mohamed Sissoko, despite Juventus apparently ending their interest yesterday - shrugged off the uncertainty.

“I don’t find the constant speculation difficult to deal with. I just concentrate on the next game because you can’t do anything about the speculation.”

Middlesbrough have won just twice at home this season, and one of those was against Arsenal, so Liverpool were always going to have their work cut out against a side who quickly need to start replicating impressive displays against the big guns when pitted against lesser opponents.

The contest would have been over had Reina not touched Stewart Downing’s second-half shot onto the post, and a lethargic Liverpool only began to dominate in the final half hour as the hosts tired. “This is a tough place to come for the big teams,” Gary O’Neil, the Boro midfielder said. “We seem to play well against the big sides and they don’t enjoy coming here.”

MIDDLESBROUGH (4-4-2) Schwarzer 7, Young 8, Huth 7, Wheater 8, Grounds 7, O’Neil 7, Boateng 9, Rochemback 7, Downing 7, Aliadiere 6 (Hutchinson 73, 6), Sanli 7.

Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Riggott, Lee, Johnson.

LIVERPOOL (4-4-2) Reina 5, Finnan 7, Carragher 6, Hyypia 5, Arbeloa 5 (Babel 46, 6); Benayoun 4 (Alonso 59, 6), Gerrard 7, Mascherano 5, Riise 4; Voronin 3 (Kuyt 75, 5), Torres 7.

Subs Not Used: Itandje, Agger.

REFEREE: Andre Marriner (West Midlands) 7: A satisfying day’s work for the referee who let play flow whenever possible and was up with the action to get all the major decisions correct.

MATCH RATING *** The spoils were shared but Middlesbrough won on points. They dominated the first hour before Liverpool took the honours in the closing stages.