Rafael Benitez has taken great exception to claims that Liverpool politics and limited opportunities were behind Robbie Keane's swift departure and inability to realise his potential at Anfield. The Spaniard's anger is a bit rich, given that both factors were involved, but it would be giving credit where none was due to suggest the striker would have provided the inspiration Liverpool so badly needed at Goodison Park.
Injury to Steven Gerrard, who will undergo a scan on a hamstring strain and is almost certain to miss England's friendly with Spain next week, a lack of creativity even with 11 men and an FA Cup exit to Everton, kept Keane on the agenda just when the Liverpool manager must have believed he was history.
"We have to wait on Gerrard. He was tired against Wigan and now you can see the consequences," said the Liverpool manager, who also aimed a swipe at the Football Association over their insistence on assessing a previous Gerrard injury themselves last year. "He may have to go to London and have three scans just so there are no doubts."
Benítez was in no mood for discussion after the morale surge of Chelsea on Sunday came to such an abrupt halt. "I am really disappointed," he said of the game. "To play for so long with ten men and concede at the end to a deflection is a big disappointment. I prefer not to say anything about the referee." His furrow deepened when asked, yet again, if he regretted selling Keane.
Amid the explanation provided for Keane's sale to Tottenham this week lay one line that captured Benítez's disappointment with the Republic of Ireland captain to perfection. "Could you see Keane scoring a lot of goals?" he asked before this game. "We were talking about 'maybe, maybe'. You have to try to be objective. He was not playing at the level he can play at." This was one Benítez theory that brooked no argument. The Liverpool manager is correct on Keane's minimal contribution but his conviction that Liverpool still have sufficient resources in attack to challenge on three fronts - beyond the obvious figureheads of Fernando Torres and Gerrard - holds far less weight.
There were names aplenty as the Liverpool manager listed his alternative options in the wake of the Republic of Ireland captain's departure. "We have Kuyt, Babel, Ngog and if we need them also Nemeth or Pacheco. Nabil and Benayoun can also play as second strikers. If you need to change and to use different players we can do it," he said. Benítez's bench at Goodison, however, and the resignation from 6,000 Liverpool fans when Gerrard succumbed to a hamstring strain revealed how tame those alternatives truly are.
The forward options in reserve for Liverpool last night were Ryan Babel, 26 appearances and three goals so far this season, Yossi Benayoun, 25 appearances and two goals, and Nabil El Zhar, 12 appearances and no goals. Of the 40 goals scored this season by Liverpool's starting XI at Goodison, 23 had arrived courtesy of Gerrard and Torres. Between them the outstanding pair have amassed 77 goals in 19 months as team-mates, a figure that came into Benítez's reckoning when Tottenham's improved offer for Keane arrived at Anfield on Sunday night.
All problems are relative of course, and it placed Benítez's into perspective when his Everton counterpart, David Moyes, had to reshuffle his forward line due to an ankle problem that has been plaguing Marouane Fellaini in recent games. And with such devastating effect given that Fellaini, carrying an injury into this game, was replaced by the teenage match-winner Dan Gosling.