Misfiring Torres fails to lift Liverpool

FC Utrecht 0 Liverpool 0:IT SEEMED there were no more excuses for Fernando Torres' indifferent form when Roy Hodgson declared Liverpool's leading man fully fit and confident before this sterile draw with Utrecht.

But one glaring reason for the Spaniard’s struggles does remain – the indifferent form of Liverpool.

Torres missed two chances he would have scored in his sleep 12 months ago as Liverpool held on for a point and top place in Group K against a Dutch side revelling in one of their grandest European nights. He trudged straight down the tunnel on the final whistle in the company of the club physiotherapist, and possibly into another bout of soul-searching, but it would be remiss to label this a story of Torres’ fallibility.

In a side as pedestrian or, to be kind, as transitional as Hodgson’s at present, the Spain international has increased responsibility to lift those around him. It is proving an arduous process. “He is still seeking that elusive goal,” said Hodgson, who described himself happy with the point.

However, the quality of the opposition, who created the clear chances throughout, was another contributory factor to the sense that Liverpool as a work in progress under Hodgson are progressing painfully slowly. Utrecht lie 12th in the Eredivisie, having lost three of their last four league games. Ton du Chatinier’s side targeted fullback Martin Kelly’s inexperience and occasionally prospered, with Reina thwarting Ricky van Wolfswinkel and Dries Mertens, but their wastefulness spared Liverpool.

• Guardian Service

FC UTRECHT:Vorm, Cornelisse, Wuytens, Schut, Nesu, Lensky (Nijholt 82), Silberbauer, van Wolfswinkel, Mertens, Duplan (Maguire 69), Mulenga. Subs not used: Sinouh, Demouge, Van Der Maarel, Keller, Vorstermans.

LIVERPOOL:Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Kelly, Poulsen, Kuyt, Lucas, Cole (Maxi 81), Meireles, Torres. Subs not used: Jones, Jovanovic, Kyrgiakos, Babel, Ngog, Spearing. Booked: Lucas, Meireles, Kelly.

Referee:D Gomes (Portugal).