 This game effectively ended on 35 minutes, but we were treated to the extra farce of Rio Ferdinand being given time to pick his spot in the furthest corner of Pepe Reina's goal. Then it got worse. After being goaded with the despicable Heysel taunts for 70 uninterrupted minutes, Liverpool fans responded by reviving their Munich songs. Off and on the pitch, this was a shameful day. Edwin van der Sar was never tested. Dirk Kuyt should have been more clinical with a header after half-an-hour, but for the rest of the game his willingness to chase the ball far outweighed the length of time he spent with it. The midfield which was the foundation for so much optimism in August looked as unbalanced as ever, and despite plenty of possession Liverpool never looked like penetrating a United defence which, whisper it, doesn't even look that strong. There were also a couple of mistakes at the back, offering United just enough encouragement during those moments when they too lacked imagination. Liverpool have played far better United teams than this, but Ferguson hasn't enjoyed such a comfortable victory over his rivals for a long time. The only event more ridiculous than the second half was the ongoing quest to discover what the result means to Liverpool's title aspirations. Premiership champions? Finishing in the top four would be a respectable ambition now. There's no hope of catching the top sides without a serious rethink at all levels of the club, from the Academy upwards. It doesn't matter how often you redecorate your home, orchange the furniture, if the structure has a defect you'll always sense a rotten smell during the winter months. The manager faces some tough decisions to reverse Liverpool's fortunes, and he's not alone. All Benitez can do is take some radical action with his team. He knows clearer than any it's not working. His predecessor's failing was stubbornness, refusing to accept how bad things were getting and reaching the wrong conclusions. Benitez won't make the same mistakes, but it's clearly going to take far longer to correct the flaws than even he'd presumed during pre-season. After defeats at Goodison and Stamford Bridge, Liverpool owed their suffering fans a respectable performance. Their debt just got a lot bigger. Men of the Match: STEPHEN WARNOCK/JERZY DUDEK:
Didn't put a foot wrong during their warm-up. | 
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