Maybe the aim was to contain Chelsea's pressure; instead, the way they were set up invited it. Liverpool were more defensive than when they faced Barcelona at the Nou Camp. Why mess with a winning formula? There's being patient and then there's being pessimistic.
So don't expect much pretty possession football next time. We're set up for an aerial battle in the second leg because Liverpool threatened last night only after the break when they brought on Peter Crouch and emulated Chelsea by going direct. I predict that they'll try it from the start next week. In response, José Mourinho's side seemed content to sit on their lead — if the second comes, it comes. They're very comfortable defending a one-goal lead.
Liverpool's attitude was odd because their European success this term was built on bright away performances. It's right to be adventurous because these days a scoreless draw on your travels no longer seems like a good result. The away goal is king. If Chelsea score at Anfield, Liverpool will need three. And how often do Chelsea concede three goals? In the first half, Petr Cech had virtually nothing to do and John Terry was twiddling his thumbs. In attack for Liverpool, Dirk Kuyt kept dropping into the midfield, so Craig Bellamy cut an isolated figure.
Did someone tell him it was a semi-final? When he was substituted, he ambled off as if it was a testimonial. Scary.
On the left, Boudewijn Zenden is not a barnstorming winger. He prefers to sit back and give safe passes. That's handing an easy ride to Paulo Ferreira, the Chelsea right back, who has had a poor season. On the right, we all know that Steven Gerrard is inspirational, but Ashley Cole handled him very shrewdly.
Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, may as well have moved his captain into the centre. His two deep-lying central midfield players, Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso, were never going to make many dramatic runs into the box.
Liverpool cramped the midfield. Chelsea's response: so what? They simply bypassed it, going direct to Didier Drogba.
Joe Cole will always give you a moment of magic. Drogba? Sheer, relentless graft. You need a hulking, old-fashioned centre half to stop him. That isn't Daniel Agger and it isn't Jamie Carragher. If Drogba is on song, so are Chelsea.