Mark Lawrenson – Liverpool FC looked like relegation battlers at Wigan

NEVER mind going for the Champions League – Liverpool played like a team trying to avoid getting relegated at Wigan the other night.

And this negative mindset where you try to make yourself tough to beat before you try to go out and win a game finally came crashing down at the DW Stadium.

For starters, that policy means that you have to make sure you get everything spot on, stay disciplined and concentrate.

Basically, there’s very little room for switching off and making errors – and the one from Dirk Kuyt that led to Hugo Rodallega’s winning goal was a real howler.

Which wouldn’t have been a problem if this current Liverpool team knew how to respond – but they are just bereft of ideas.

Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland didn’t have to make a save of any sort of quality. He was put under a worrying lack of pressure.

And the number of times Liverpool passed it back rather than forward was frightening. That just immediately cuts down your options when you get the ball.

When you play a team that really is threatened with relegation, how can you not be committing players to get beyond their midfielders. What’s the point in even turning up?

It was telling that Rafael Benitez, for once, criticised his players’ attitude and approach to the game. In truth, there was very little else he could do given the quality of that performance.

And he could hardly blame the pitch, however bad it was – it was newly laid so it was the same for both teams.

But I think that was also an attempt to deflect a bit of the attention away from himself. He was one of many people who made mistakes on Monday night.

The set-up of the team was worrying from the outset with Steven Gerrard far too deep. You never felt that Liverpool were going to exert any pressure and score. Alarmingly, you could never have said the same about Wigan – they could have won easier.

No wonder Gerrard looks visibly frustrated with the whole situation. When that’s clear to see during a game, you know you’ve got problems.

So yet again, it’s another week of asking, ‘where do Liverpool go from here?’

Well for starters, it’s time to ditch this nonsense about holding on to what you have and being hard to beat. It’s time to commit players now and go for victories, there’s no excuse.

The lateness of the reaction at Wigan was extremely disappointing but the reaction to the defeat has to be instant at Lille on Thursday, similarly at home to Portsmouth on Monday.

But I honestly don’t think you can finish fourth by trying not to lose games.

I remain optimistic of Benitez leading his side to the top four simply because I believe that the likes of Spurs and Manchester City will run into their own problems in the remaining away games they have left.

So let’s get that glass half full for a change, and give Gerrard and Torres the best possible chance to make an impact in games.

Sometimes you lose when you’re trying to win, sometimes you go for it and get beat.

But what’s the difference? This Liverpool side is getting it so badly wrong that they’re trying not to lose games – and still losing them anyway!

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