Liverpool Comment - Title Bid In Tatters As Rafa's Experiment Fails

Sunderland aren't known as the Black Cats for nothing and Liverpool may feel like their team bus had run over one this morning. The funsters will all enjoy a good laugh this weekend at the manner in which Darren Bent's scuffed strike morphed its way past Pepe Reina for the only goal of a game which leaves the Reds staring at a mammoth task in terms of mounting a title challenge this season, but Rafa Benitez will not be laughing this evening.

Bent's goal, deflected home via a rogue red balloon on the Reds' six-yard line, was a freak affair. But few could doubt the merits of Sunderland's victory, as a Liverpool side shorn of the talents of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, and with a makeshift look about it, fell way short of the required standard.

Experimentation need not automatically lead to failure, of course. The 3-5-2 formation used by Benitez today has had its moments in the past. As recently as February, a similarly disjointed-looking system brought about three points at Portsmouth.

The difference that day was simple. Liverpool's winner came from Torres, who shrugged off a lacklustre performance to grab his first real chance with typical precision. Today, there was no Torres, no Gerrard, and the replacements simply were not up to the job.

Torres' role was handed to the enigmatic talents of Ryan Babel, with Wirral-born midfielder Jay Spearing handed a first Premier League start in the centre of midfield. Both were withdrawn well before the end, both could have little cause for complaint.

In fairness to Sunderland, theirs was a performance of confidence and passion, their midfield - Lorik Cana and Lee Cattermole in particular - was a class above its opposition, and their forward line offered a threat that Liverpool simply could not match. Bent might have had a hat-trick himself, Liverpool struggled to muster a single clear-cut chance.

Some Liverpool commentators have recently opined that the return of Daniel Agger means a three-man central defence suits Benitez's side, but the lack of quality in the centre of midfield - exacerbated by Javier Mascherano's midweek travels limiting him to a substitutes role - meant that Benitez's gamble backfired.

Lucas and Spearing conceded height, strength and pace to their Sunderland counterparts, and with Skrtel and Fabio Aurelio enjoying equally dismal performances, the Reds were unable to turn possession - of which they had plenty - into meaningful attacks. It was the 84th minute before Craig Gordon had a save of note to make.

With no Gerrard to seize the game, and no Torres to muster a chance from fresh air, the game never looked likely to go Liverpool's way, despite the best efforts of Glen Johnson - revelling as a right wing-back - and Yossi Benayoun.

It brings about the age-old debate of squad strength at Anfield. It took nearly 70 minutes for Benitez to change a labouring side here, but given the paucity of options on the bench, this is hardly surprising. Andriy Voronin made little difference to proceedings, David Ngog wasted a late chance to pinch an undeserved point for the Reds. Albert Riera was not even afforded five minutes to make a difference.

It is overly-simplistic to deride Liverpool as a two-man team, but there is an undoubted problem in terms of squad depth and quality. Gerrard and Torres would be significantly less-talked-about if the backup players showed their ability more often.

Babel has been given chance after chance to show the potential that once helped him command a transfer fee in excess of £10 million. As of yet, he is yet to justify such an outlay. His defenders may claim he needs a run of games in the side, but when he is turning in displays of such ineptitude, it is hard to make that case.

Today, his performance was little short of woeful. Where Kuyt, Benayoun and, to a certain extent, Lucas, can be forgiven for an occasional off-day, the Dutchman's displays fall short far too often.

Chelsea's defeat at Aston Villa earlier in the day should have lifted Liverpool's spirits. A win would have moved them to within three points of Carlo Ancelotti's lauded side.

Instead, they now sit in eighth spot, below their conquerors today, and with their dreams of ending a 21-year wait for a league title looking very, very distant.

Neil Jones, Goal.com UK