Liverpool drop 6 points to Birmingham

Walter Pandiani scored his second goal in three games and Jermaine Pennant looked interested in playing himself into a contract as Birmingham have now beaten Liverpool twice this season.

Liverpool didn’t look a threat and had a chance going in to get within two points of Everton, which lost, for the final Champions League spot.

Why Rafael Benitez decided to play Igor Biscan and Dietmar Hamann together is beyond me: the center of the park looked inept going forward which attracted Birmingham pressure and leaked goals.

This game was also another example of Steven Gerrard needing to shoulder too much attacking responsibility for the team. One player cannot initiate everything, how they miss Xabi Alonso.

Birmingham had a similar dimension in Pennant that Southampton showed last week with the addition of Henri Camara. Julian Gray, scorer of the second goal, also looked promising.