Liverpool are as far away from the top as they have ever been in the Premiership. In points terms, they are closer to bottom club Wolves than they are to leaders Arsenal. On this evidence, the top three clubs are in a completely different league. It's called the Champions League and, following this dire draw with Fulham, Liverpool's beleaguered chumps will not be in it next season. Again.
'The headlines are not going to be nice,' said a completely dejected Houllier afterwards. 'But we'll keep battling away.' Fulham were worthy of a point, courtesy of Edwin Van der Sar's superb penalty save early in the second half.
What is it with Liverpool and spot kicks? Michael Owen (twice), El-Hadji Diouf, Emile Heskey and now Steven Gerrard have all lost the plot from the spot this season. It was unfortunate for Gerrard, who was only acquiescing to the Kop's demands.
It says much for the performances of his team-mates that, despite seeing his penalty saved and earlier giving Fulham their best chance of scoring, Gerrard was still easily the man of the match. 'Penalties have been a bad story for us this season,' admitted Houllier. 'It's been too many. We've lost a lot of points.'
Though Liverpool worked hard, the overall performance was enough to move their desperate fans to boos on the final whistle. It contrasted starkly with the impeccably observed minute's silence that preceded the game, marking the 15th anniversary this week of the Hillsborough tragedy. Sadly, it wasn't as well respected by some of the players - Harry Kewell and the recalled Vladmir Smicer tossing their black armbands aside early into the first half.
Fulham had little possession in the first half, but by far the better chances. First, Steed Malbranque's superb pass was matched by Collins John's instant control and Stephane Henchoz had to get back well to block his shot. Henchoz was then on hand to block a fierce effort from Moritz Volz, but this time the ball looped up, Paul Parker style, over Jerzy Dudek and bounced off the bar.
Moments before half-time, a blind flick from the ubiquitous Gerrard was picked up by Malbranque. He fed Luis Boa Morte, who squared intelligently for John. The Liberian teenager, who had scored four times in his previous two games, saw his weak effort saved by Dudek and the follow-up cleared desperately off the line by John Arne Riise.
As if to atone for not turning up at all in the first half, Liverpool emerged for the second a full three minutes before their guests. But it was more of the same until Houllier took off Bruno Cheyrou, Kewell and Smicer and replaced them with Milan Baros, Heskey and Diouf.
In the final minutes, Baros teed up Owen, whose extra touch to control the ball allowed Volz to make a crucial block. Then Gerrard scampered down the wing and played in to Heskey, but his dipped shot hit the near post. At the other end, Carragher did brilliantly to smother an acrobatic effort from Malbranque, but it was not enough to to block out the boos.