Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has maintained his side’s challenge for the lucrative fourth place in the EPL, and its attendant Champions League spot.

But writing Liverpool match reports this season, regardless of the result, has had me reaching for the proverbial thesaurus to find new ways of describing their displays.

 

From workmanlike at best to wretched at worst, it has been more and more difficult to be complimentary about the dross they’ve served up.

While Fulham were setting about UEFA Cup holders Shaktar Donetsk and setting up a weekend beyond their craziest dreams (Juventus on Thursday, United on Sunday), nothing…AT…ALL was happening at Anfield, as Liverpool played the Rumanians Unirea Urziceni.

Reds fans, though, would have settled for nothing happening at Wigan this week, and will hope their wretched display will represent a season-low.

It is an indictment of an EPL which has provided much interest throughout the table this season, that Liverpool could be its fourth-best team.

Ordinary players pervade the line-up; Lucas, N’Gog, Insua, Agger, Lucas, Riera, Kyrgiakos, Lucas.

They’ve scuffed to unimpressive home wins (Wigan, Blackburn, the ghastly Merseyside derby) and have scored twelve…TWELVE!!...in fifteen away games.

Hardly a game passes without a crackpot substitution by Benitez. These usually involving Yossi Benayoun – especially when he’s been their best player, which has been often.

And still they often DON’T involve Alberto Aquilani, at £22m still costing Liverpool £000s-per-minute played. Is he any good? In March, we still don’t know. His transfer could be for tax purposes for all the use Benitez has made of him.

There may be a perverse thrill about such a mediocre side outlasting Manchester City, Villa and Spurs. But the upshot is that fourth place will guarantee Champions League football and Rafa Benitez’s immediate future at Liverpool, which will not be good for either.