STEVEN GERRARD summed it up best in his captain’s column in the programme – Liverpool’s title challenge last season was ruined by dropping “stupid points.”

Time to hand out the dunces’ caps then.

Because they don’t come much more stupid than this, as Liverpool chose the visit of one of the top flight’s most limited outfits to fail to score at Anfield for the first time since last December.

So while a win against Manchester United meant everything, a week later it means nothing – at least in terms of how realistic their title ambitions are.

As manager Rafael Benitez suggested in that oh-so-prophetic matchday magazine, there’s no point celebrating those wins if you can’t do the same again the week after.

The breaking of his United hoodoo was supposed to instil confidence, a genuine belief that this season could finally end the 19-year wait for number 19.

But the only number 19 the Liverpool fans were expecting after Saturday’s goalless draw was the bus home. And you can’t blame them for their despondency after believing, seven days ago, that their side had finally sent out the ultimate message, they then watched them deliver it about as well as Nick Faldo in an opening ceremony – only with many more fluffed lines.

But aside from the many missed chances, the most frustrating thing for Liverpool is that they seemed to have finally found the missing ingredient that has blighted previous Premier League campaigns – an ability to beat the top four sides.

However, champions are also supposed to beat teams in the bottom three. And failing to do so has brought all the old doubts bubbling menacingly to the surface once again.

After all, it’s not as if Benitez’s side had shown anything like championship-winning form in what is still an unbeaten start to the season.

Failing to play well didn’t matter in terms of Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Standard Liege over two legs and Aston Villa because the results were satisfactory.

But it seems the euphoria of the long-awaited Manchester United success has obscured some very unsatisfactory statistics.

Gerrard’s double strike in Marseille last week is the only occasion a Liverpool player has scored in the first half of any game so far, while Babel’s winner against United is the earliest occasion they have taken the lead in a league game – the 77th minute.