Abby Brammell

By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER

Losing battle: Fernando Torres looked sharp at times, but too often cut a frustrated figure up front


Liverpool carved out a hard-fought point, but it hardly counted as a night to compare with their best in Europe. Not for Liverpool, and certainly not for Fernando Torres.

Roy Hodgson arrived in this historic Dutch city intent on adding to his tally of five straight Europa League wins as Liverpool manager but just as eager to see Torres end an uncharacteristically lean spell that has yielded just one goal so far this season.

He may well have been content with the outcome of the first objective but not the second, after a misfiring Torres spurned three clear opportunities and, barely able to conceal his frustration, headed straight down the tunnel.


While his team-mates acknowledged travelling supporters, and Utrecht’s players pointedly milked the crowd’s applause as if they had won the Champions League, Liverpool’s £21million record signing made the swiftest of exits from the scene of his anguish.

The plan to nurture Torres back to his lethal best appeared to have backfired, but Hodgson was unrepentant as he reflected on his decision to include the Spain frontrunner between the Barclays Premier League games against Sunderland and Blackpool.

Torres appeared to consult Liverpool’s physio as he headed off, but Hodgson said: ‘My interest is in Liverpool Football Club and watching 11 players and seven substitutes. I’m afraid I can’t spend every waking moment keeping an eye on Torres, so I can’t tell you if he saw the physio or not.

‘What I can say is that he worked hard and combined well with Dirk Kuyt. He is still seeking that elusive goal after a couple of late chances he might have put away, but he will feel it was a good 90-minute workout and a step in the right direction.’

There was an early reminder of the quicksilver finishing skills that have brought Ricky van Wolfswinkel six goals in this competition already this season, as he steered an instinctive shot narrowly wide in only the fifth minute.


Joe-where to go: Cole struggled, along with the rest of Liverpool's midfield, to create many chances


That apart, it was Liverpool calling the shots, as they set about establishing control in midfield and began to fashion shooting opportunities near the edge of the area. If only they had finished with the same sure touch that marked some of their passing moves.

Raul Meireles undid all his impressive approach work with a weak shot straight at keeper Michel Vorm in the 10th minute and Joe Cole miscued in similarly frustrating fashion after working an opening five minutes later.


Rallying call: Pepe Reina was at his resolute best between the posts


As Liverpool have found to their cost on previous European excursions, it only takes one near miss to ignite the home crowd and add extra momentum to their team’s endeavours.

Utrecht had two, after being reprieved by Meireles’ failure to despatch an unmarked header in the 23rd minute, as Liverpool inexplicably surrendered the initiative and found themselves suddenly on the back foot.

The first, in the 25th minute, looked, for one heart-stopping moment, like being more than just a close shave, as Jan Wuytens lashed a loose ball into the roof of the net, only for Jacob Mulenga to be penalised for a push on Martin Kelly for the header that set up the opening.

Little had been seen of Kuyt on his return to his first club, but he was the centre of attention in the 39th minute, following an inexcusable lapse of concentration inside his own area.

Mulenga again demonstrated his aerial prowess by heading a Mertens corner back across goal, but it should have been a routine clearance for Kuyt.

Instead, the Liverpool midfielder dithered and allowed Mertens to nip in and drill a low near-post shot that Pepe Reina turned away with his legs.

The first of Torres’ chances came in the 53rd minute, after a half-clearance from Glen Johnson’s cross fell invitingly for him but was volleyed yards over.

Reina was found wanting three minutes later, after reaching for a Mertens corner and flailing at thin air. Michael Silberbauer’s free header at the far post was looping towards goal, until Meireles saved his keeper by heading clear from under the bar.

Liverpool might have preferred a more measured pattern to the game, but chances were at least coming their way, as well as Utrecht’s, as the pace hotted up.

The most glaring fell to Torres in the 57th minute, after a cutback from Kuyt left him with just Vorm to beat on the edge of the six-yard area. It should have been the simplest of tasks, but he was left holding his head, initially, after being denied by Vorm, then howling his protests to Gomes after the official failed to spot the save and gave a goal-kick instead.

The final straw arrived in the 66th minute, after Torres latched on to a back pass from Mircea Nesu and nicked the ball past Vorm.

He chose to hurdle the keeper’s challenge, rather than go to ground in search of a penalty, as the ball ran away from him and out of play.

Credit to him for adopting such a sporting approach, but there must have been a sigh of relief from Nesu, not to mention Vorm, at seeing his ill-timed dive at the striker’s feet go unpunished.

Liverpool finished the night top of the group, but it was hardly a cause for celebration.




source :dailymail