Frustration. No other word can better capture the over-riding emotion at the end of a game that Liverpool should have won.

Not that this looked likely for most of the game. In the first seventy minutes, Liverpool enjoyed possession but very little incisiveness with the central midfield pairing of Javier Mascherano and Momo Sissoko keeping Blackburn largely quite but incapable of creating anything going forward. Up front on his own, Dirk Kuyt looked forlorn and cut-off.

Then came the two substitutions and almost instantly Liverpool were all over Blackburn where, but for the excellence of Brad Friedle and the profligacy of Kuyt, it would have been a much happier trip back home. Put quite simply, you just cannot afford to miss so many chances.

Still, there’s the positive that this was a much better performance than last season’s game where Liverpool were simply run over by Blackburn’s physical game. Apart from that shot by Dunn and a moment of invention by the otherwise disappointing David Bentley, they were rarely under any pressure.

Good Game
It’s a cliché but safe as houses really describes Pepe Reina. Well beaten by David Dunn’s shot that came off the crossbar, he never really looked troubled. After a poor run of form, Steve Finnan seems to be getting better. He kept the highly rated Morst Gamst Pedersen in check for most of the game and put in some excellent crosses when he moved forward.

Visibly annoyed for most of the game, Jamie Carragher hacked a number of clearances opting to put the ball in touch rather than do anything pretty with it on a number of occasions. Has had to work overtime ever since Agger’s absence.

Steven Gerrard had another very good game in midfield – and he’s been improving since that substitution in the derby – but was overshadowed by Javier Mascherano who was excellent in doing what he does best: closing down player and winning the ball. My man of the match.

Yossi Benayoun might feel unlucky to be taken off - it certainly lookeed as he felt that way - as he was always incisive whenever he got the ball yet often unable to do anything with it due to lack of support.

Bad Game
I’ve been saying it for the past few games now but Sami Hyppia is really struggling and was caught out on a number of occasions yesterday. So too is John Arne Riise who would probably lose his spot were Fabio Aurelio ever to get rid of his injury niggles.

It wasn’t that Ryan Babel had a terrible game but he failed to do what Benitez expected of him: beat people and create chances. This is all a learning experience for him but needs to develop quickly before the pressure starts to build.

In midweek, Momo Sissoko admitted that against Marseilles he was ‘very, very s**t’. Well, if he could remove one of the very-ies than that would be a fair assessment of his latest game.

We all know that Dirk Kuyt is a worker and appreciate him for it, yet he must start to put some goals away. His miss late on was atrocious but equally appaling was the fluffed chance earlier in the half when he tried to pass to Gerrard rather than try at goal.

Substitutes
The game’s turning point came when first Harry Kewell and then Peter Crouch came off. The ease with which Kewell beat his man was a delight especially after the complete dearth of any creativity that the rest of the side has shown for the past two months. Crouch too looked good, getting people in the game and going alone when needed. If fit, both must start on Tuesday.