Rafael Benitez didn’t believe Liverpool played badly overall but that once again it’s the lack of the final product that’s causing problems: "We controlled the first half but the problem is we were losing 1-0 at half-time. I thought we did very well in the second half and the best player on the pitch was Fulham’s substitute goalkeeper." Rafa may not have realised it, but that substitute goalkeeper was once understudy to David James at Anfield – Tony Warner. Rafa then indirectly lamented Liverpool’s late failures in the summer transfer window: "Our problem at the moment is that we are not scoring enough goals. And if you don’t score goals and concede then you lose the game." Rafa said in another interview: "The result is not good. They created maybe two chances and scored two goals. We created a lot of chances and didn’t score." Have Liverpool missed the player they nearly lost in the summer? Rafa says he’s wasn’t quite ready to play: "Gerrard was almost fit. Two days ago he was training, but yesterday he felt something again."
Chris Coleman dedicated the victory to Fulham’s most famous player, the recently departed Johnny Haynes: "It was a special day for us because we were paying tribute to a Fulham legend and a football legend. It was great to round it off with two great goals and a wonderful display. I’m thrilled with the players. Liverpool had a lot of possession, but we were patient and when we attacked we did so with purpose."
Liverpool have not had much good fortune against London clubs recently, and with a trip to Crystal Palace in the League Cup on Tuesday followed by next week’s visit of West Ham in the League, the Reds need to find a way to overcome this problem and soon.