It was a result that suited the mood surrounding the game, with Liverpool fans going home frustrated by what is happening off the pitch and on it.

How those two goals went in I’ll never know. I guess fate owed Marlon Harewood a goal against Liverpool seeing what happened to him in the FA Cup final but the second one was quite simply a sign from above, as if Someone wants to tell us to give up.

Quite simply, we’re better than Aston Villa. Martin O’Neil has a lot of admirers and he’s a fine coach, but this doesn’t take away from the fact that his teams rely on long balls. There’s nothing wrong with that, yet it is something that goes overlooked in the general fawning over him simply because he’s British.

Rafael Benitez might or might not be Liverpool’s manager – and my own personal hunch is that he will be – yet he must look at why his sides fail to kill off teams. If there is one big difference between Liverpool and the top three, that is it.

This draw and the one against Wigan would have been avoided if the side managed to score a fraction of the chances that came their way. The uncertainty surrounding the club isn’t helping but hey, a lot of us work for companies where there is the threat of closure or dismissals yet we keep on working as hard as we ever do.

As things stand, we’re not only falling behind but also getting embroiled in a difficult situation regarding the Champions League qualification.

Good Game
He took some risks on occasions but they all paid off for Pepe Reina who couldn’t do anything to stop either one of the two goals. I’ve been critical of Sami Hyppia of late but he was majestic against Villa. He anticipated everything that came his way and was flying particularly in the first half. A close second for my man of the match. Jamie Carragher was dependable as always, even if his tendency to hoof the ball forward is starting to grate.

Most probably Alvaro Arbeloa isn’t over the knock that he’s been carrying for the past couple of weeks but he still played well enough. Ashley Young was virtually anonymous for most of the game and, when he got forward, he caused them a lot of problems.

One of the saddest aspects of this whole ownership situation is that it probably means the end of any hopes of keeping Javier Mascherano. I, for one, am resigned to seeing him go which is demoralizing especially after seeing him play as he did against Aston Villa. Nothing gets past him and even his passing is getting better. If only he could learn to shoot as well. My man of the match.

Steven Gerrard was better than the last couple of games even if his shooting was wayward whereas Yossi Benayoun played his usual game full of trickery and hard work. My biggest issue with Benayoun is that his instinct takes him inside when sometimes it would be better to beat his man and send in a cross. It means that often Liverpool try too much to create chances through the middle and make them look one dimensional.

In the first hal, Dirk Kuyt played well and looked as if getting back to last season’s form. He still doesn’t look like scoring but he was making a lot of intelligent runs that Villa couldn’t really handle.

Bad Game
His own goal was purely down to bad luck but, even allowing for that, Fabio Aurelio was poor and does seem to be doing his best to make John Arne Riise look good. In front of him there was the quasi static Harry Kewell who still can thread excellent passes but he simply doesn’t have the speed to cope with games at this level.

For some people, it might sound like heresy but Fernando Torres didn’t do anything against Villa. Most of his passes went astray and his first touch often left a lot to be desired.

Substitutes
Finally, a goal since coming off the bench, and Peter Crouch confirmed the general feeling that he is the best partner up front for Torres. An extremely well taken strike salvaged Liverpool a point. Similarly, Ryan Babel didn’t do anything special but his talent and verve always make him a tricky proposition.

Martin Skrtel didn’t have the easiest of debuts but he got stuck in well and sent one cross-field pass that was spot on. At least in his respect matters look promising.