Taking off Robbie Keane is one thing. The sight of the misfiring Irishman leaving the field with a quarter of the match to go is a modern Liverpool ritual, and last night it produced the half-anticipated result when the home side took the lead barely a minute after his departure. But taking off Fernando Torres, as Rafael Benítez did 20 minutes later, is something else altogether. When Benítez withdrew Torres, there were five minutes left and Liverpool were leading 1-0. This had been the Spanish striker's first starting appearance since a hamstring injury put him out of action in late November and no doubt the manager, believing the game to be as good as won, was concerned to minimise the risk .
Two minutes later Everton had equalised, snatching a point they deserved on the basis of their play in the first half but could have had scant expectation of harvesting once their opponents began to apply serious pressure in the second period. It was a beautifully taken goal, Tim Cahill ducking to glance home Mikel Arteta's shrewdly flighted free-kick, but it came against the run of the game and there will be those who hold Benítez responsible for a decision that may, however subtly, have altered the balance of play.
With Torres off, Dirk Kuyt moving in from the right wing to take his place and Yossi Benayoun arriving to fill the resulting space, Everton had less to worry about. They may not even have had time to frame a conscious response, but it was Benayoun's clumsy foul on Victor Anichebe that provided the opportunity for the visitors to execute a well rehearsed routine.
The failure to conclude a seemingly signed-and-sealed victory was a serious blow for Benítez, after a weekend in which he had demonstrated a remarkably original approach to the art of motivation.
Liverpool had nine days to recover from their drab goalless draw at Stoke City, an unusual luxury at this time of the year, particularly for clubs with European commitments. But instead of allowing the players to recover from the Christmas fixture schedule in a mood of peace and serenity, enjoying their position at the top of the table, he chose to preface last night's Merseyside derby by making the breakdown of negotiations to extend his contract public, claiming that it would help the drive to win Liverpool's first league championship since 1989-90.
"I decided to say something because we will play games until May and, if we have to wait on the contract, then every week we would be just talking about that and not concentrating on football," he said on the eve of a match that would see his team fail in their effort to overhaul the resurgent Manchester United. On the other hand, it could have the opposite effect. Unsurprisingly Benítez's words were seen as illustrating the deep division that exists within the club. His alliance with Tom Hicks, one of the American co-owners, is opposed by the chief executive, Rick Parry, and the other owner, George Gillett, over the issue of Benítez's desire to exercise unfettered control of the club's transfer activity.
Good luck to Benítez in his efforts to establish a modern precedent in a world dominated by money-men. Clearly his failure to win a similar battle during his otherwise successful time at Valencia has not deterred him, but it is hard to imagine a Liverpool apparently so riven by boardroom discord managing to mount an effective challenge for the title. The fractious, febrile nature of a local derby precluded much in the way of artistry, although there was always interest in the contrast between the neat interplay of Everton's small midfield men and Liverpool's attempts to set up counterattacks, the latter rewarded by Steven Gerrard's typically emphatic strike.
Everton did their utmost to seize the initiative and had the better of the opening half-hour, Pepe Reina producing desperate saves from Anichebe and Cahill. Having failed to take advantage, however, they should have gone behind when Torres met Sami Hyypia's long lob, drifted between two defenders and, with Tim Howard defenceless, unaccountably chipped the ball against the post. Three minutes after the interval he was unlucky not to be awarded a penalty when Phil Jagielka sent him sprawling.
Partnering Torres, Keane displayed a familiar over-anxiety that brought an untimely end to several promising moves. There was no lack of effort, simply a shortage of the kind of finesse and composure that would enable Torres to make the most effective use of his marvellous talent. The Irishman is one of several acquisitions to whom Parry and Gillett can point when questioning Benítez's desire to take sole charge of the purse strings.