For all its great crowd noise, emotion and late drama, Wednesday night’s FA Cup replay between Everton and Liverpool was an shocking indictment of modern football, where stopping the other side scoring has become so important that teams have almost forgotten that there is another, more decisive and infinitely more entertaining way to achieve success.

Throughout the TV commentary there were references to the 4-4 draw when the teams met in the the competition in 1991, and Liverpool’s 3-2 aet final win 20 years ago, but we were never going to get a repeat after an excruciating first hour where both penalty areas might as well have been sealed off with barbed wire.

Everton, at least, have a bit of an excuse in that just about all their strikers are out injured, and the one that wasn’t, Victor Anichebe, seemingly talked himself out of the squad by rowing with manager David Moyes.

In their absence, midfielders Tim Cahill and Marouane Fellaini have toiled manfully and productively upfront in recent weeks but it was tough on Wednesday for Everton to break out of the midfield mire.

Liverpool and coach Rafa Benitez again lacked ideas. They did not manage a single worthwhile effort on goal in two hours. After all Benitez’s talk of rotation and squad resources since he arrived, he has played Steven Gerrard and an unfit Fernando Torres into the ground this season, while allowing others to sit in the stands.

With Gerrard off early with a hamstring strain and the exhausted Torres eventually substituted, Liverpool brought on winger Ryan Babel to lead the line, with predictable results. What Robbie Keane must have made of it all is anyone’s guess.

Everton boss Moyes hasn’t been fooled. “The way you (the media) build that side up, I bet you’re completely stunned tonight,” he said after the game.

And the final insult to the millions watching on TV, or at least those still awake for the closing moments? ITV cut to an unscheduled ad break, returning to show a bundle of celebrating Evertonians, having missed the only goal of the game.

PHOTO: In case you missed it, here’s a photo of Everton’s Dan Gosling shooting past Liverpool’s Jose Reina during their FA Cup fourth round replay, Feb. 4, 2009. REUTERS/Phil Noble

Liverpool are short of goals, short of composure, short, perhaps, of a bit of luck but crazy is in plentiful supply.

Here’s how Benitez described the 1-1 draw with Wigan Athletic that left Liverpool two points behind Manchester United, who have a game in hand:

“I was talking with my players about what to do on the pitch, but there are always things you cannot control in a game like this,” Benitez said. “The players were not nervous - they were working hard and played well in the first half. But things changed in the second half. It was a crazy game in the second half, and when it’s a crazy game you cannot control things.”

It’s not been a great start to the year for Benitez’s Liverpool.

The only team they have beaten in 2009 are Preston North End, the coach’s optimistic attempt to get inside the head of Sir Alex Ferguson has not been a notable success and that first league title since 1990 is starting to look as unattainable as ever.

So is that it from Liverpool? Is their challenge just going to peter out in a haze of missed chances, as Xabi Alonso looks on from the bench?

I’ve argued before that Liverpool will need an additional touch of inspiration if they are to win this title. They don’t, presumably, have the money to launch a bid for Kaka, Leo Messi or David Villa but there is one player with the necessary tradecraft* available for just 15 million quid.

Hijacking Arsenal’s bid for Andrei Arshavin when it’s 90 percent done would be a huge gamble, perhaps even a crazy one, but Liverpool sure need to do something.

PHOTO: Steven Gerrard waits for a corner during Liverpool’s Premier League match against Wigan Athletic at the JJB Stadium in Wigan, Jan. 28, 2009. REUTERS/Darren Staples

* Sorry, been re-reading Smiley

Spats like Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez’s recent run-in with his Manchester United counterpart Alex Ferguson are always guaranteed attention-grabbers.

But while I find stories of polemics between football’s top figures good fun, I sometimes get the impression they’re having us on.

Inter’s Jose Mourinho gave the game away some time ago, admitting he drank wine with Ferguson after matches despite their feuding in his Chelsea days.

Ferguson, especially, strikes me as someone who’s aware that he is acting a role in a pantomime which serves his purposes and helps generate interest in the game.

He cultivates an image of being surly and aggressive, possibly so that the media, referees, players, agents etc know that he takes no nonsense. (more…)

Rafa Benitez was on the attack ahead of Liverpool’s game against Stoke City but then decided to leave Robbie Keane and Fernando Torres on the bench.

The game ended in a goalless draw and on Sunday Manchester United put three past Chelsea to close the gap at the top.

Owen Wyatt and Jon Bramley discuss Liverpool’s team selection and look ahead to Monday’s FIFA World Player of the Year Awards Gala. Should Messi or Ronaldo take home the title?

Rafa Benitez needs to pull a rabbit from the hat again in the New Year but if Liverpool are going to end that long wait for a title they need a more creative player than Michael Owen.

If Liverpool fans with longish memories have faith that the coming of a striker can make the difference you can understand why. The last time Liverpool were champions, back in 1990, their successful run-in was inspired by Ronny Rosenthal, an Israeli forward who arrived seemingly from nowhere on or near deadline day (my memory’s a bit fuzzy).

Gerard Houllier tried to repeat the trick by signing Nicolas Anelka in 2002 and Benitez tried Fernando Morientes in 2005 before bringing back ’God’ himself when he signed Robbie Fowler at the start of 2006. None of them did the required business.

Even though Liverpool could presumably pick Michael Owen up on the cheap, given that his contract at Newcastle is up at the end of the season, I believe the temptation to bring back another striker should be resisted.

Liverpool don’t need an out-an-out goalscorer, even if it’s true that they have struggled to find the net this season. Benitez has enough options up front as it is, even if Torres isn’t fit. Ryan Babel is eager for opportunities, David “Wash” Ngog has potential and Robbie Keane… well, presumably he’ll start scoring regularly soon.

What Liverpool need, as they have done for a long time, is more creativity in midfield. They need genuine inspiration, a player who can bring gasps from the crowd and give opposition defences more, much more, to worry about.

The last Liverpool player who could do that was Jari Litmanen, signed in January 2001 by Houllier but injured for much of the rest of that season and left on the sidelines for too much of the following campaign. Here’s Liverpool’s official website verdict on the Finn:

“Litmanen’s career at Anfield will go down as a case of what might have been. Despite his undoubted skill and creativity many supporters will say he was underused at Anfield.” Says it all, really.

In recent transfer windows Benitez has made really useful defensive signings like Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel. Now it’s up to the coach to prove he can show the same eye for a creative midfielder.

I assume Franck Ribery, Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are not for sale at any price, but there must be players out there who could give Liverpool’s midfield a bit more of the wow factor. Who do you think he should go for?

PHOTO: Liverpool’s Michael Owen (L) and his team mate Jari Litmanen celebrate a goal against Bayer Leverkusen during their Champions League quarter-final second leg match in Germany, April 9, 2002. REUTERS/Michael Dalder