The earth got all ploughed up in a hard way, the seeds were all thrown but it just failed to rain at the right moment. And Liverpool only left the City of Manchester Stadium with a point after a scoreless draw. After seeing the then leaders Manchester United lose at Upton Park, the onus was on the reds to make up lost ground and sustain the challenge on the title, but the psychological barrier of earning the full points after seeing other teams failing proved once again too hard to break. It was not for the usual lack of aptitude or belief this time though. It was a mixture of a sturdy defense marshaled by one Richard Dunne who just got into the way of everything the reds threw at him, and just a case of trying to walk the ball in only to be repelled at the very last minute.

Yesterday was a case of a side with the best away record travelling a short distance to meet the best home side in their own back-yard. A record attendance was recorded in the rather new stadium, it would seem that the red part of Merseyside still generates more interest that the red part of the same city.

Fernando Torres started his seventh match in succession in the Premier League, showing that the early talk about rotating too much is getting less credible day by day. In a way though, it could be argued that the toll of having another match in a short space of time at a time when he is used to be on his holidays is taking its toll on this gem as at times he looked rather off colour compared to the brightness we have been accustomed to. Torres was presented with a couple of chances that he never pounced on hungrily as usual and his usual burst of pace was often curtailed by his direct opponent Richard Dunne, who probably had his best game ever. The Spaniard’s strike partner for the day, Dirk Kuyt worked tirelessly as usual but once again failed to score and not being an enough menace in their penalty area. His header some five minutes from time only got cleared off the line after being parried by their keeper, Joe Holt. Maybe a bit of more spring on his header would have given the reds the so deserved three points.

The best display by the man in red was by a mile Javier Mascherano. On a day, where the midfield maestro of yesteryear Dietmar Hamann, the one called Kaiser for very serious reasons, was on the other side, the Argentinean took it upon himself to show that while the German will always be fondly remembered, we’ve got in our hands a very similar type that can run all day, tackle, break attacks, win the ball back and start attacks himself. I was having different thoughts lately about spending seventeen million on a defensive midfielder, when sometimes we could do with a tad more creativity, but on days like yesterday you get convinced that in their hands Liverpool got a gem, still in his early days that loves the shirt he plays in, that can’t be afforded to let go. And in enough time to take a couple of leafs from Hamann’s book and win free-kicks in his own half, on evidence yesterday twice in succession, shielding the ball in an inimitable way, only provoking the opponent to take his feet rather than the ball. It would make the very complete midfielder.

Such two points lost confirm Liverpool as outside challengers, rather than in the very fray of things. Still on a different cloud, but for sure a better man.