 NOT the cleverest result to set before your chairman four days after his threatening remarks about lack of progress. As the greatest Liverpool supporter of all, David Moores (left) has every right to register his displeasure over a season of sloth and slide. And if his stony face said anything on this shattering Saturday it was possibly that his goodwill may not extend to all men for much longer. Moores speaks for the fans. Always has done, because his heart is still on the Kop, where he worshipped the immortal Liverpool teams of the past. He didn't stand up and boo at the end as thousands of the faithful did after a stunningly poor performance which gifted Southampton the spoils. But he would have been entitled to do so having helped bankroll Liverpool so generously down the years. He is the perfect chairman whose only fault may be that his sense of loyalty prevents him being ruthless enough. But all that may be about to change with his beloved club looking more woebegone by the week. That draw at Newcastle may have kidded a few people, some of whom were prepared to mourn the loss of Michael Owen, Harry Kewell, Steve Finnan, Milan Baros and Jamie Carragher. But spending £100million means that your back-up ought to be capable of looking after themselves, especially against bog-standard opposition... with apologies to the admirable Gordon Strachan. I don't know where Liverpool go from here. Downwards, you would guess, following an afternoon of drudgery. Consistency is now apparent only in Liverpool's inconsistency. Expect them to frighten also-rans to death and they shy away like teetotallers faced with a free bar. Give them opponents who'd won only twice at Anfield in a couple of decades and they show so little desire that you wonder why Champions League football is still regarded as even a possibility. Southampton, who seldom score away from home, could have had four goals here before Gerard Houllier's men finally found something resembling urgency. By that time Southampton were two up, having taken the lead as early as the 73rd second when Brett Ormerod took Claus Lundekvam's simple pass in his stride and raced beyond the leaden Dietmar Hamann to beat Chris Kirkland. That early hammer-blow fell after a poor corner by Steven Gerrard and utter confusion thereafter. Things didn't improve by much and when the impressive Michael Svensson rose in the Kop penalty area in the 74th minute, a Darby and Joan group might have made a better attempt at marking him. Two-nil and no way back. 'Champions League, you're having a laugh', chorused jubilant Southampton supporters, who then suffered a scare or two as Emile Heskey made it 2-1 when Antti Niemi parried a Steven Gerrard shot to his feet. | 
