Benitez plays (too) cautious game

Blackburn 0 Liverpool 0:Rafael Benitez raged in Athens when he told Liverpool's new owners that without their dollars lavished on his squad second place in the Champions League was the best he could deliver. It was a high-risk strategy employed by a man in power, but it invited its own challenge to the Liverpool manager once the Americans did indeed show him the money. Could Benitez ever abandon the caution that characterised defeat to Milan? The reservation remains as valid today as it did in May.

Echoes of Athens sounded at Ewood Park where Liverpool's season continued its winding path between encouragement and anxiety, and Benitez again placed more trust in his opponents than his players. There was Dirk Kuyt, ploughing a lone and undistinguished furrow in an attack supported only by the roaming Steven Gerrard, who broke clear on Brad Friedel's goal but could not finish with his left foot as was the case against Milan's Dida in Greece.

Harry Kewell even popped in for a cameo, accompanied by another mystifying roar of appreciation from the Liverpool fans, while Peter Crouch sat on the bench watching promising possession consistently come to nothing.

There he remained for 72 minutes, six minutes shy of his introduction at the Olympic Stadium, yet once again his appearance marked a sudden threat from Liverpool as they fashioned five inviting chances against Blackburn in the dying stages of their sixth draw in 11 league games.

Crouch was the first name chanted by the travelling ranks and the last as he took his leave from the latest episode in his bizarre fall from grace under the Liverpool manager.

The England international was benched despite injury to Fernando Torres, and while Benitez argued reasonably that his tactics might have differed with the €37 million striker in his side, it is not unreasonable to doubt that assessment given the Spaniard's deployment this season.

Within seven minutes of his arrival Crouch had distracted a previously impeccable Blackburn central defence to enable Gerrard to stretch Friedel for the first time, and David Bentley cleared on the line from the centre-forward's header.

Friedel denied the Liverpool captain once more and Kuyt squandered two glorious late chances to lose what faith remained in the Dutchman among the Anfield support.

The manager's confidence in Kuyt, however, is unwavering.

"The problem was that he was working so hard, and when that happens sometimes you don't have fresh legs and a clear mind when you are in front of the keeper," Benitez said.

Liverpool's unforeseen avalanche lent belated credence to the belief they are edging towards form ahead of tomorrow's critical Champions League return with Besiktas. Yet Crouch's credit still appears empty with Benitez, who refused to accept the pivotal contribution of the striker and suggested he is now more use as a potent substitute than from the start.

"He could be (an impact player), some players are like that," he said. "We were dangerous at the end for three reasons. They were more tired, Harry can beat players in a wide area and also Crouch."

Blackburn's players were in no doubt as to the source of their late discomfort. "He caused us an extra problem when he came on, but that is what the top teams have, that bit of variation to shake things up," said Bentley, one of two Rovers players to hit the frame of Jose Reina's goal in the closing stages of the first half. David Dunn was the other unfortunate with a volley from 20 yards, while Jamie Carragher escaped when he handled an Andre Ooijer shot inside his area in the second half.

"They went more direct with Crouch and it seemed to suit them," added Stephen Warnock. "Crouch is one of those that almost any team would love to have in their starting line-up." Almost any team.

Arsenal and Chelsea have drawn with Blackburn this season and a point against a side seeking an eighth successive victory, albeit hindered here by injuries in central midfield and by the fatigue of a team without the resources to rotate in the League Cup, represents a decent return. The pity was that Benitez appeared to accept as much before kick-off and Blackburn, for all their strengths, are no Milan.