Liverpool 0 Fulham 0:THE CHAIRMAN of British Airways, Martin Broughton, will feel right at home should he accept the same post on offer at Liverpool. Beset by financial woes, troubled by strikers and now, after dropping two points they could not afford to lose against Fulham, the club's designs on Europe's most exotic destinations appear grounded too.
Barclays has been brought in by the owners of Liverpool in a move that could lead to the sale of the business, it emerged yesterday. The bank, which is the main sponsor of the Premier League, is to assess the options for the club through its Barclays Capital arm.
Liverpool, which has been the subject of refinancing speculation recently, will also install Broughton of British Airways as chairman as part of the move.
Even Rafael Benitez admitted his infamous guarantee of Champions League football is almost null and void. “We have to be realistic. It will be very difficult to get fourth now,” the Liverpool manager said. “As a manager you have to believe and you have to support the team, that’s why I said what I did at that time. But it is not in our hands now, we are depending on other teams, and I think maybe the [points] difference is too much.”
If this was the day Liverpool confirmed they will be absent from the Champions League for the first time since 2002-03, it was a slow, excruciating way to go. Fulham came only with frustration in mind and Roy Hodgson made no apologies for parking the bus at Anfield, although as a potential dress rehearsal for the Europa League final this will send a chill through any Uefa observer.
Progress to the semi-finals on Thursday night took a toll on both clubs but it was the absence of Fernando Torres that was inevitably felt the greater. The Spanish striker finally succumbed to a knee injury that has plagued him in recent weeks and was partly behind that substitution at Birmingham City – another damaging draw – and there is no timescale for his return. Benitez said: “He has a problem with his knee and has gone to see a specialist [in Spain]. We don’t know how long he will be out for. We are waiting for news.”
The loss of a striker with two goals in each of his past four appearances at Anfield inevitably lessened the menace and quality of Liverpool’s attack, but not the side’s commitment to it, and the contest flowed exclusively in the direction of Mark Schwarzer’s goal.
Fulham’s well-drilled banks of four in midfield and defence invited Liverpool forward. It was a risky policy, particularly with Steven Gerrard appearing left, right and centre in his free role and Alberto Aquilani anxious to impress on only his ninth start for the club, but also an indication of Fulham’s self-confidence.
“We didn’t play as well as I would have liked today,” said Hodgson, who has taken four points off Liverpool this season. “But it is another excellent clean sheet after the one in Wolfsburg. After the week we have just had it would be very unkind of any coach to complain about the performance of his players and would be sure to rebound on me one day. So I’ll just say it was a good, hard-working defensive display and, if any side was going to win, it was clearly going to be Liverpool.”
Benitez’s team monopolised opportunity. Ryan Babel fluffed his lines from close range as early as the third minute and David Ngog, Torres’s replacement, and Aquilani, with an overhead kick, also threatened. Schwarzer made a key save from Maxi Rodriguez, unmarked in the Fulham area, and an impressive stop from Javier Mascherano’s drive from 25 yards.
Irritation at the stalemate for Liverpool, however, was secondary to their incredulity when Jonathan Greening failed to collect a second yellow card for a blatant body-check on Glen Johnson. The Fulham midfielder had been harshly booked for a foul on the same player before he committed a clearer offence in front of an assistant referee. Andre Marriner opted only for a word. “I will not say too much but it was clearly a second yellow,” Benitez said.
The pattern of play did not alter throughout. Aquilani and Babel forced fine reaction saves from Schwarzer in the second half, Sotirios Kyrgiakos squandered a free header and Fulham’s central midfield of Danny Murphy and Dickson Etuhu continued to lead a stubborn resistance. Liverpool’s dominance eventually petered out. Their Champions League prospects look to have followed suit.
RACE FOR FOURTH REMAINING GAMES
4th Manchester City
(Played: 33 – points: 62)
Sat, April 17th: v Manchester Utd (h)
Sat, April 24th: v Arsenal (a)
Sat, May 1st: v Aston Villa (h)
Wed, May 5th: v Tottenham (h)
Sun, May 9th: v West Ham (a)
5th Tottenham
(Played: 32 – points: 58)
Wednesday: v Arsenal (h)
Sat, April 17th: v Chelsea (h)
Sat, April 24th: v Manchester Utd (a)
Sat, May 1st: v Bolton (h)
Wed, May 5th: v Manchester City (a)
Sun, May 9th: v Burnley (a)
6th Liverpool
(Played: 34 – points: 56)
Mon, April 19th: v West Ham (h)
Sat, April 24th: v Burnley (a)
Sat, May 1st: v Chelsea (h)
Sun, May 9th: v Hull (a)
7th Aston Villa
(Played: 32 – points: 54)
Wednesday: v Everton (h)
Sun, April 18th: v Portsmouth (a)
Wed, April 21st: v Hull (a)
Sun, April 25th: v Birmingham (h)
Sat, May 1st: v Manchester City (a)
Sun, May 9th: v Blackburn (h)
