If you could condense 90 minutes of 'action' into one split-second, then tonight's game could be neatly summed up when, in the 90th minute of a pallid scoreless draw, Liverpool's auxiliary right-back Jamie Carragher galloped on to a loose ball 30 yards from the Wolverhampton Wanderers goal, screaming at Steven Gerrard to vacate its path.
Considering Carragher, 603 games into his illustrious career, has troubled the scorers - at the right end of the pitch at least - just four times, the odds of him thrashing a half-volley past an underworked Marcus Hahnemann to clinch three points for the Reds were slim. And, predictably, he didn't. His shot was hit well, but at least ten yards wide of the American's right-hand post.
But such was Liverpool's night. A glance at Rafael Benitez's team selection before kick-off at Molineux suggested that an attacking game might be in the offing. Argentine Maxi Rodriguez was selected for a full Reds debut, whilst skipper Gerrard returned after a fortnight's rest with a hamstring strain. Albert Riera sought to continue his fine form from last week's victory over Tottenham.
Yet, for some reason, Benitez's men were devoid of conviction, bereft of ideas. Hahnemann's only real scare throughout came when Riera's audaciously looped volley threatened to catch him out early in the second half.
Indeed, it was the home side - with lone striker Kevin Doyle and wide-man Matthew Jarvis especially lively - who looked the more likely to open the game up. Mick McCarthy rested six of his line-up from Saturday's FA Cup clash with Sheffield United; he might regret his reluctance to name a partner for Doyle here.
Possession stats showed that Liverpool had 61 per cent of the ball in the opening 20 minutes, but to watch the first half was an exercise in endurance for both sets of supporters. One cross from Carragher, angled neatly into a deserted penalty area, was indicative of the malaise which affected both sides. When the fourth official, Kevin Friend, held up a board announcing two additional minutes before half-time, the groans were audible.
Not that it got much better; Liverpool's bench had an attractive look to it, with £17 million Italian Alberto Aquilani joined by three forwards in David Ngog, Ryan Babel and Dani Pacheco. But only Ngog joined the fray, and his introduction deprived the Reds of arguably their best attacking player in Riera.
It was easy to see why Benitez opted not to make further substitutions, Wolves' three-man central midfield of Karl Henry, Nenad Milijas and Michael Mancienne may have suffered the same lack of conviction as Liverpool's, but it was helping the home side turn over possession regularly. Disrupting the balance of the side could well have made things worse for the Spaniard.
Benitez will, quite rightly, point out that the draw means his side are now unbeaten in five league games, and have conceded just once in that spell - a testament to the form of the previously much-maligned Sotirios Kyrgiakos as much as anything.
But with Tottenham picking up a routine home win over Fulham, and both Manchester City and Aston Villa boasting games in hand, this result must surely register as two points dropped.
Considering Carragher, 603 games into his illustrious career, has troubled the scorers - at the right end of the pitch at least - just four times, the odds of him thrashing a half-volley past an underworked Marcus Hahnemann to clinch three points for the Reds were slim. And, predictably, he didn't. His shot was hit well, but at least ten yards wide of the American's right-hand post.
But such was Liverpool's night. A glance at Rafael Benitez's team selection before kick-off at Molineux suggested that an attacking game might be in the offing. Argentine Maxi Rodriguez was selected for a full Reds debut, whilst skipper Gerrard returned after a fortnight's rest with a hamstring strain. Albert Riera sought to continue his fine form from last week's victory over Tottenham.
Yet, for some reason, Benitez's men were devoid of conviction, bereft of ideas. Hahnemann's only real scare throughout came when Riera's audaciously looped volley threatened to catch him out early in the second half.
Indeed, it was the home side - with lone striker Kevin Doyle and wide-man Matthew Jarvis especially lively - who looked the more likely to open the game up. Mick McCarthy rested six of his line-up from Saturday's FA Cup clash with Sheffield United; he might regret his reluctance to name a partner for Doyle here.
Possession stats showed that Liverpool had 61 per cent of the ball in the opening 20 minutes, but to watch the first half was an exercise in endurance for both sets of supporters. One cross from Carragher, angled neatly into a deserted penalty area, was indicative of the malaise which affected both sides. When the fourth official, Kevin Friend, held up a board announcing two additional minutes before half-time, the groans were audible.
Not that it got much better; Liverpool's bench had an attractive look to it, with £17 million Italian Alberto Aquilani joined by three forwards in David Ngog, Ryan Babel and Dani Pacheco. But only Ngog joined the fray, and his introduction deprived the Reds of arguably their best attacking player in Riera.
It was easy to see why Benitez opted not to make further substitutions, Wolves' three-man central midfield of Karl Henry, Nenad Milijas and Michael Mancienne may have suffered the same lack of conviction as Liverpool's, but it was helping the home side turn over possession regularly. Disrupting the balance of the side could well have made things worse for the Spaniard.
Benitez will, quite rightly, point out that the draw means his side are now unbeaten in five league games, and have conceded just once in that spell - a testament to the form of the previously much-maligned Sotirios Kyrgiakos as much as anything.
But with Tottenham picking up a routine home win over Fulham, and both Manchester City and Aston Villa boasting games in hand, this result must surely register as two points dropped.
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