A LATE equaliser from Argentine striker Lisandro Lopez sent Lyon through to the Champions League knockout phase and left Liverpool's dreams in tatters after a 1-1 draw at the Stade Gerland on Tuesday.
Liverpool missed a series of chances in the first half and were less convincing in the second until a screamer from Ryan Babel silenced the Lyon crowd with less than five minutes to play.
Lisandro, however, struck in the final two minutes to give Lyon 10 points with two Group E games still to play.
Fiorentina's 5-2 hammering of Debrecen leaves them on nine points while Liverpool, five points adrift of the Italians, would have to hope for a miracle to have any chance of finishing in the top two.
Benitez, whose future has been placed in doubt with just one win in the past eight games, praised his side's character and refused to accept that it was all but game over interms of their hopes of qualifying.
"We deserved to win and to concede a goal in the last minute is really unlucky," said the Spaniard.
"But the team showed character given our problems and they were really positive." FULL REPORT
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Liverpool are suffering from their worst run of form since 1987, as they stand on the brink of early elimination from the Champions League and see their domestic title hopes all but fade away.
Fans, do you think the Reds have the quality and determination to bounce back from this latest setback?How should Rafael Benitez respond to mounting criticism over his player selection? Will heads have to roll?
Sign into the comments box below with your Windoes Live/Hotmail ID, and post your thoughts now!
The team current performance is constrained by the mounting number of injured players of quality, but in the long run, it is constrained by the structural issues which prove harder to tackle.
Rafa must admit that his buys are prompted by poor advice from the football agents, who only have commissions in mind when players of dubious quality are recommended and digned.
The Kops should overcome its short-sighted policy of buying expensive pool of players from other clubs, and draining its cash reserves as a result, and instead should develop its local pool of football talents, of which Liverpool FC will have no shortage of.
Liverpool's current debt levels is also a worrying factor which all Pool fans must take vigilance of - or risk ending up like Leeds United, once a glorious football club competing in the European Football matches. Perhaps the power & decision-making of Liverpool must be usurped from the Yankee businessmen, and return to the shareholders and supporters around the world. I can't think of anyone better than Kenny Dalglish to be the first honorary chairman who represent the Kops supporters and the long term interests of the club, by drafting and defining the Constitution of Liverpool to prevent the misuse and abuse of the club's financial reserves by any foreign managers who only have profits, and questionable passion for what Liverpool stood for.
Secondly, a stadium with larger seating capacity than Anfield needs to be seriously considered - and the present club owners are in no position to build one to match the Old Tratford or the Emirates Stadium. Denied of the potential gates' revenue, Liverpool FC is is no capacity to host foreign club supporters who are only too happy to pay a sizeable amount to watch Liverpool home games live at the stadium - think of the spin-off of revenues from the hordes of Red-Army supporters worldwide.
Patience is the mother of virtue.. hence another couple of seasons with Liverpool and the toffees will start pouring in..... oops I mean trophy's. Aren't you Liverpool fans being a wee bit hush on Rafa.... He should stay.... no he must stay..... Please make him stay. hee hee.
Ok.. Ok I m not a Reds fan... I m a Red Devil's fan. All I want to say is that " there once Live-a-Fool in Rafa Benitez".
All I can say is Liverpool FC is in total anarchy. From top to bottom and inside out.
Hicks and Gillett shouldn't have been allowed anywhere near Liverpool FC. Period. Empty promises, putting the club in debt, lack of funds to bring in players to compete, going behind Rafa's back in the secret rendevous with Klinnsman, etc... Simply atrocious, disgraceful and making a mockery of Liverpool FC. Simply UNFORGIVABLE!
Given the current spate of injuries, I do feel sorry for Rafa, but let's face it, he is just as culpable as much as anyone.
Putting aside the funds availability, injuries to key players and support from the higher echelons, you have to question Rafa's eccentricity and decision making. His mental mindset where not to lose a game is more important than trying to win a game.
Last season represented Pool best opportunity to win the BPL after a long 19 years. Rafa kept emphasising that they are not far away as they eventually lost out to Manu by a mere 4 pips?
If only he had not sat back and be contented with draws against the likes of the Wigans and the Stokes? That's 4 pips lost. Sure, Pool may not have gone on to win but withdrawing Torres was plain stupidity! And we are talking about Wigan and Stoke for god sake.
And what about taking out Torres at the Emirates with Pool in the ascendancy with Arsenal down to 10 men and a half an hour to play? Bringing on El Zhar with Robbie Keane left on the bench?
What about the decision to release both Keane and Crouch and having faith in the likes of Ngog, Voronin as back up strikers to Torres?
Keane would have given blood to stay and Crouch though not contented being a squad player would have been persuaded to stay if only Rafa had better man management skills?
Most unforgivably trying to flog off Alonso, one of the best midfielders in the world for a Gareth Barry? Simply incomprehensible!
The 18 mio quid acquisition of Aquilani? As i've surmised, what's the point of a crocked player be it as good as a Messi or Ronaldo if he is not ready to start a game till god knows when? What good is it now that Pool are 9 pips off the pace and on the verge of elimination from the Champions League even if you do have an ace?
Just as Rafa is culpable for his strange decision makings, the squad without Alonso, Torres and Gerrard are simply terrible. A bunch of lost sheep without an iota of creativity, innovation and self-belief to win a game.
As I said previously, "one night in Istanbul" should not be the benchmark guaranteeing employment for the next 5 years. Sure Rafa had given a Champions League but in all honesty, it was not all that special from Rafa but rather both Gerrard and Carragher playing out of their skins to bring home that NUMBER 5!
With Rafa at the helm and given his cageyness, his aversion to go for the jugular and his eccentricity to team selection and strategies, that NUMBER 19 may just remain a pipe dream.
Losing Alonso was a major setback. Rafa has to take the blame for trying to sell Alonso in the first place. Frankly, I think Rafa had sufficient funds for the last 5 years, but seems to waste funds buying flops (beside Torres, of course).
Yes, Liverpool, you will never walk alone. But, for us die hard supporters, it has been 2 decades of misery and pain.
oiminjing when will u realise?
To be the best u don't have to beat the best. You have to beat the rest.