 United didn't just stroll to victory, they had to do little more than stand still in order to see the game through. When Liverpool trail, they dis-play some especially obnoxious habits which test the faith of the most loyal supporters. Chins are hitting the ground so quickly, the Liverpool players resemble Jimmy Hill impersonators. Benitez's side achieved a remarkable points tally last season thanks to organisation and hard graft. The manager points out he possesses the same individuals now as he had then, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're the same characters. They're certainly not maintaining the same standard. Success brings greater responsibility, and quite a few seem to have abandoned the qualities which brought them so much acclaim a year ago. Even then they were only a good team with potential, not a great one. Now they look, at best, extremely ordinary. Every individual battle was lost yesterday, with no exception. If this was a one-off this season, so be it. It wasn't. The same happened at Goodison Park and The Reebok Stadium. Have one or two decided they're better than they actually are? Rarely has a Benitez side looked as disjointed as it did in the second half. A recurring and sadly justified criticism of the modern Liverpool is they resemble the Manchester United of the 1980s rather than their own club. Any slight improved is over-exaggerated as evidence of a title-winning burst, and rather than build on cup success, too many players use their newly found status to relax in that over-crowded Anfield comfort zone that was built in the early 1990s. United, it's even sadder to report, possess players who fit more snugly into the traditional Anfield ethic. Scholes is the perfect example. A likeable, no thrills, utterly honest professional who's never given less than 100 per cent. There's no lack of symbolism his goal effectively ended Liverpool's 'title hopes' for another season. A product of United's youth ranks and a reject of the celebrity culture which tainted his ex-team-mate David Beckham, it's doubtful Sir Alex Ferguson has ever managed a better player. How Benitez must crave more individuals of the same immeasurable influence and modesty. | 
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