Losing to Reading is bad enough, losing largely due to an inept referee is even worse. But of course you could argue a side with true title winning aspirations or quality has to come through these kinds of matches on top no matter what factors are stacked against you.
Then again, if you just give up when the going gets tough you can hardly expect to get a result. When asked about taking Steven Gerrard off 20 minutes before time, Rafa Benitez said
He said: “We knew it was tough, because some of our players were playing a lot of games in a row.
“At 3-1, you have to protect your good players.”
So basically, at 3-1 down it’s a lost cause so better to focus on Marseille. Some critics have said Benitez has built a cup team and needs to focus on the league so after witnessing first hand the Reds fighting to win matches late on in the FA cup final against West Ham and Champions League final against Milan – it was peculiar to see him pack it in so that Stevie G would be ready for Marseille.
So are Rafa’s priorities in line with yours? Or would you rather have seen Liverpool’s captain fight for the whole 90 minutes plus to see if a point, or even three, could be salvaged?