Gerrard adrift as Reds draw another blank

GOALLESS draws are no bad thing and, as Steven Gerrard will testify, can lead to much sought after prizes.

Take Liverpool’s 0-0 stalemate against Barcelona in the Nou Camp on their way to winning the UEFA Cup in 2001.

Rafael Benitez, meanwhile, would not have laid his hands on the European Cup in 2005 had his players not frustrated Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the first leg of the semi-final.

But on his 500th appearance for the club, Gerrard departed Ewood Park wondering how on earth he could put a positive spin on the 46th goalless draw of his Anfield career. In the end he gave up, the captain declining requests for an interview before heading back to Merseyside.

It is typical of the way Liverpool’s season is heading that on a day when they had an opportunity to move to within 10 points of Chelsea at the top of the table, they failed to seize the initiative in a game that was a shocking advert for the Premier League.

So bad in fact that it was relegated to the final slot on Match Of The Day on Saturday evening. When was the last time that happened to Liverpool?

No, this was not how Gerrard intended to celebrate becoming only the 13th player in the history of the club to reach the 500 milestone.

Gerrard, and Liverpool’s fans, deserved better. After returning to winning ways in the Merseyside derby, there was genuine optimism among their followers that victory over Everton would spark a winning run.

Against a Blackburn side which had run itself into the ground to send Chelsea out of the Carling Cup in midweek, this was an ideal opportunity for Benitez’s side to record back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since September.

Yet, just as they were against Fulham and Sunderland earlier this season, the team, with a £20 million (€22.1m)investment kicking his heels on the substitutes bench, desperately lacked ideas and creativity.

Alberto Aquilani, Benitez insisted afterwards, will feature in Wednesday’s Champions League group match against Fiorentina – a dead rubber following the club’s woeful European campaign.

But the season, which has not yet reached the half-way stage, looks beyond repair. A top four finish and a decent run in the second-rate Europa League or FA Cup is the best fans can hope for.

It is a far cry from the beginning of the campaign when Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from Manchester United and last season’s strong finish led many to predict that this could be Liverpool’s year.

No wonder, then, that Gerrard was lost for words. The Liverpool captain left it to Jamie Carragher, the only survivor from Gerrard’s first senior appearance for the club 11 years ago, to do the talking – even he was in no mood to reflect on another two points dropped.

Instead Carragher paid tribute to Gerrard’s contribution over the years while insisting there is still much more to come from his team-mate.

“To be honest there’s not much more I can say about Stevie that hasn’t already been said,’’ said Carragher. “It’s a magnificent milestone.

“I think there’s still a lot more in Stevie’s locker, probably a couple more hundred games for the club.

“When he finishes he’ll go down alongside Kenny Dalglish as one of the greatest players to play for the club. Like Kenny was in his day, Stevie is a symbol for the club.

“It will be a sad day when he hangs up his boots, especially when you consider just how long he’s been here and what he’s helped us achieve.’’

While Liverpool’s stuttering season continues, Blackburn’s, like their manager, is on the mend.

This was just the tonic for Sam Allardyce, who had missed his side’s previous four outings because of minor heart surgery.

It is well documented that there is no love lost between Allardyce and Benitez, and the Blackburn manager will have enjoyed adding to the Spaniard’s frustrations in east Lancashire.

After a nightmare October when they conceded 13 times in losing to Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal, Rovers have put their season back on track.

Having eliminated Chelsea from the Carling Cup, they head for Hull on Saturday having lost just once in five outings, a run which has Allardyce looking up rather than down.

“December is a crucial month for us which could shape our season,’’ he said.

“We had a difficult start against Chelsea and Liverpool, but we’ve come through those games and it’s up to us to build on them.

“We’ve got Hull, Birmingham, Tottenham, Wigan and Sunderland before January. It would be nice to start the New Year in the top half of the table. It’s certainly possible.’’

REFEREE: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire) 6: This fixture has proved spicy in the past but not this time. Did not have an awful lot to do in what was a lacklustre contest.

MATCH RATING: * No wonder the producers of Match Of The Day relegated this atrocious advert for the Premier League to the last slot in Saturday’s highlights show. Dreadful.