Self inflicted wounds cost Reds

SO he was right. Alex Ferguson promised there would be no repeat of the score Liverpool ran up when they last visited Old Trafford and, gallingly, his prophecy was accurate.

Thanks to a number of familiar failings, another away day ended with yet another defeat but, as Rafa Benitez studies the fallout of this latest setback today in his plush Melwood office, he will have good reason for thinking his old foe got away with it.

Hard though this might be to accept, Manchester United are currently a class above Liverpool as a team and a club and it is inevitable they will finish above the Reds in the final standings for the 18th time in the last 19 years come May.

When an opportunity to redress the balance slightly comes along, then, you have to take it, just as Liverpool have done at Anfield in the past two seasons and, thrillingly, at this ground 12 months ago.

They should have done so again yesterday. In front after five minutes thanks to the most exquisite of headers from Fernando Torres, Liverpool had stunned United and looked primed to register a fourth consecutive victory against their oldest, bitterest foe.

Yet as has so often been the case in this draining campaign, Liverpool shot themselves in the foot, allowing United a route back into a tetchy contest; they then failed to impose themselves and fell behind before staging a rally that was all too late.

It was, in many ways, 90 minutes to sum up the events that have played out since August; signs of encouragement, spells of bewilderment and frustration ending in crushing disappointment - no defeat hurts more than one suffered on this ground.

But ask yourself the question: are United really that good? While they had the game's two outstanding players here in Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick, this current squad is a pale imitation of ones from Ferguson's recent past.

Liverpool, with a bit more adventure and a touch more discipline, should have won this game; it might seem a bizarre thing to say, given they failed to have a shot on target after Torres's fifth goal in his last three outings had poked their noses in front.

For some reason, however, a machine that appeared to be ticking so smoothly, one that was looking to build on morale-boosting victories over Portsmouth and Lille, short-circuited in the most dramatic fashion.

First Emiliano Insua failed to deal with a routine headed clearance from a throw-in, then Javier Mascherano started tugging away at Antonio Valencia as the Ecuadorian started galloping at speed towards the penalty area.

The initial offence may have taken place outside the box but, in reality, not for a moment did you think Howard Webb would pass up the opportunity to point to the spot; this referee has given United five penalties in his last eight visits to Old Trafford.

Benitez suggested afterwards that Valencia had dived, while Ferguson - with great predictability - claimed Mascherano should have been sent off but the most significant aspect of the incident was the interaction between Jamie Carragher and the Argentinean.

As Torres kicked the penalty spot in frustration and Daniel Agger and Pepe Reina argued with the match officials, Carragher, head down and clearly smouldering with rage, stretched out an arm and shoved Mascherano; that action spoke volumes.

Much has been made about Liverpool's brittle confidence levels, how it takes an age to raise their spirits, and you sensed from that point the chance to expose United's deficiencies had evaporated.

Maybe if Reina had enjoyed some good fortune - namely seeing the ball from his penalty save bounce to a black shirt rather than straight to Rooney - Liverpool would have been revived and United rattled; instead the opposite was true.

From that point, caution reigned. Yes, Liverpool passed the ball neatly and controlled the tempo but there was no élan or elegance; had Alberto Aquilani been deemed fit enough to start, perhaps that might have been different.

Instead, United built up a head of steam, Liverpool dropped deeper and on the hour, they cracked; Rooney found Darren Fletcher, who was given too much time and space by Insua, and the Scot's perfect cross was powered in by Ji-Sung Park.

Game over, effectively. Torres had a glorious chance to restore parity in the dying seconds but took a fresh air shot - he is human, after all - yet that was the Reds only noteworthy opening in the final half hour. Not good enough.

Sentiments which apply to the weekend as a whole. Tottenham's victory at Stoke, coupled with Manchester City's triumph away to Fulham, now means Liverpool are faced with the prospect of needing snookers to reach the top four.

Some, of course, will have already written off the prospects of that happening and you do not need a raft of coaching badges to see why; how could you confidently back a team that blows so hot and cold?

To reach the point of salvation, Liverpool will probably have to win six of their seven fixtures.

That task is not yet impossible but the maelstrom swirling around the club complicates things; nothing is ever simple with Liverpool, as every defeat demands an inquest, every victory sees them lauded as being close to returning to their best.

When you live by such rules, it makes the disappointments all the more difficult to get over and it's why Liverpool - on the playing field at least - have struggled to find the stability to move forward.

Will they find that stability in the final weeks? Nobody, from Benitez to his players and on to supporters, could say 'yes' with any great faith and there is really no point looking any further than next Sunday's meeting with Sunderland.

Even if they do salvage fourth place, it still won't disprove Ferguson's other theory that Benitez's Liverpool peaked last season - and him being right on that count would be more painful than anything.

Unless, that is, the three points with which United were presented yesterday prove to be the catalyst for them to knock Liverpool off their perch.

MANCHESTER UNITED (4-5-1): Van der Sar; Neville, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra; Valencia, Carrick, Fletcher, Park (Scholes 81), Nani (Giggs 79); Rooney.

LIVERPOOL (4-2-3-1): Reina; Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Insua; Lucas (Benayoun 83), Mascherano; Rodriguez (Babel 76), Gerrard, Kuyt (Aquilani 73); Torres. Bookings: Mascherano (10), Torres (25), Carragher (45 +2), Valencia (61), Vidic (73)

ATTENDANCE: 75,216

REFEREE: Howard Webb

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.