Sorry Reds slip to Stoke stalemate

Liverpool drew their seventh home game of the season (and their sixth in the last eight) yesterday after they were held to a frustrating scoreless draw against Tony Pulis' Stoke City in front of 44,691 at Anfield. Lacking creative vision, guile and invention, the Reds struggled and ultimately failed to break down the Potters' resolute defence and the visitors returned home with a fully deserved point for their toil while the hosts were left to lament yet more dropped points.

Manager Kenny Dalglish selected a bewildering starting line-up, as the Reds began with five at the back and Dirk Kuyt on his own up front while record signing Andy Carroll was confusingly left to warm the bench once again. They were tactics simply not suited to defeating Stoke City at home and only the 60-year old's stellar reputation kept him from serious criticism. The outrage would have been noticeable, though, had former Reds boss Roy Hodgson selected a similar starting line-up. Meanwhile, former Liverpool forward Peter Crouch started for Stoke.

Only three minutes in Matthew Etherington scuffed a shot wide after good work from Walters down the right wing, before the ex-Spurs and West Ham winger embarked on a 20-yard run unchallenged right through the middle of the park, eventually calling Reina into action with a crisp strike from the edge of the box. The best chance for the Merseysiders during the opening exchanges saw Adam annoyingly fail to turn in Gerrard's corner at the far post.

The Reds were finding it increasingly difficult to penetrate Stoke's resilient defensive wall and resorted to pot shots from range as the first period progressed. Downing unleashed a 30-yard drive that glided over the bar, Gerrard was hugely optimistic as he struck from a similar distance and also failed to test Thomas Sorensen before Jordan Henderson skipped cleverly past Whelan but weakly shot towards goal and saw Stoke's Danish stopper comfortably collect the ball.

At the interval, some stern words must have been said in the home dressing room and a response was certainly required as the first 45 minutes were not of the requisite quality. Unfortunately, there was little evidence of any significant change in the second half as Liverpool continued to labour in vain while Stoke remained typically firm at the back. Sorensen remained relatively untroubled, Johnson cutting in from the right wing five minutes after the restart but shooting wide of target with his left foot.

Shortly before the hour mark £35 million man Andy Carroll replaced ineffective winger Stewart Downing, whose automatic place on the team sheet must be threatened by Maxi Rodriguez, who has proved his goalscoring ability when afforded a rare opportunity so far this season. The tall Geordie striker was subsequently the target of Stoke's defence, with the likes of Shawcross and Huth repeatedly manhandling Carroll at set pieces yet escaping punishment from, you guessed it, Howard Webb!

Stoke's only sight of goal in the second half arrived on 67 minutes when Walters intercepted Henderson's pass intended for Gerrard but fired high and wide of Reina's goal. The returning Jamie Carragher also made a vital interception to deny Dean Whitehead, although apart from that the Potters were content to constrain and frustrate their hosts.

With 17 minutes remaining Craig Bellamy came on in place of Henderson and immediately added a desperately needed extra dimension to our attack, as he has done so often since signing from Manchester City on a free transfer at the end of the summer. The Welsh striker floated a fine cross towards the back post, where Kuyt managed to connect but sent the ball into the side netting. Moments earlier the Dutchman had squandered the best opportunity of the match, agonisingly watching his diving header from Enrique's left wing cross fall just the wrong side of Sorensen's post.

The final goalscoring opportunity of the game came when Bellamy whipped a corner into the mixer and Skrtel header into the ground, the ball consequently bouncing inches over Stoke's bar and into the Kop.

Liverpool's frustration was perhaps typified when Adam attempted and failed to lob Sorensen from the halfway line in an Alonso-esque fashion. How we could have done with a player possessing Alonso's passing ability to unlock the away side's defence yesterday! For once we could not claim to have created chances but simply failed to convert them. Throughout the course of the 90 minutes we had only five attempts on target, a measly figure for any side with top four aspirations.

It was a very disappointing day for everybody connected with the club and much better will be expected, and demanded, when we entertain Manchester City in our next home match on the 25th January. Although a draw will be enough on that occasion to see the Reds advance to the Carling Cup final, Liverpool must break this stifling run of home draws that is halting our progress and calling Kenny's tactical acumen into question.

Seven draws from eleven home matches is simply nowhere near good enough and Dalglish and co. must work to reverse this decline as soon as possible if Champions League qualification is to remain a realistic goal.

YNWA