Goal furore fails to hide Liverpool’s limitations

WHILE Alex Ferguson produced his customary criticism of a referee to deflect attention away from a poor performance against Sunderland, Rafael Benitez did not need to resort to similar mind games. A red beach ball did the job for him.

The furore surrounding Darren Bent’s winning goal, which was deflected in off the offending inflatable, dominated the post-match inquest.

But deflate the ball debate and you are left with the harsh reality for Benitez, who should be wondering what he can do to revive an already disintegrating season after losing further ground in the Premier League title race.