Manchester City and Liverpool hamstrung by fear in head-to-head

Posted Monday, February 22, 2010 by theguardian.com

Manchester City and Liverpool hamstrung by fear in head-to-head
Fernando Torres leaves the pitch after being unable to help Liverpool to victory in their 0-0 draw at Manchester City.

Both managers were happy enough with the outcome. It is just a pity that the paying public had to be involved. The efforts of these clubs to seize the last of the Champions League places will surely be gripping eventually but the action mostly argued that it would be in the interests of European football that everyone implicated in this match should have their passports confiscated. Such talk will mean little to anxious managers.

For Rafael Benítez this was a significant point on the road secured against rivals. Roberto Mancini would have taken his satisfaction from a clean sheet and the sight of Craig Bellamy coming back from injury as a substitute. The attacker and the City manager apparently had a disagreement last week but truces are always feasible when there are ambitions to be pursued.

The sorriest aspect was the indifference to entertaining the woebegone spectators, with the home support summoning up the energy for a little light booing at the close. There was insufficient volume for it to be considered a protest against Mancini or anyone else. It may have been a yelp of annoyance over a perfectly good afternoon totally wasted.

There was little to be discussed, unless anyone was engrossed by the sight of a raking foul down the back of Gareth Barry's leg by Javier Mascherano in the 86th minute. The offence was worthy of a red card, yet no action was taken by the referee Peter Walton. He could enjoy some sympathy if he argues that his senses had been stupefied long before.

The controversies were of poor standard. Benítez could work up little indignation that no penalty was awarded when Yossi Benayoun absent-mindedly stayed on his feet as he was challenged by Vincent Kompany. Realistically Liverpool took whatever satisfaction could be scraped together. This, after all, was an away game and they probably enjoyed the better of it. A neutral will take a deeper pleasure in the knowledge that neither team is in fourth place today, with Tottenham Hotspur occupying that berth for the time being.