WHEN Rafael Benitez said Liverpool were trying to manage expectations about the forthcoming season, this probably wasn’t quite what he had in mind.

A season in which many have tipped the Anfield outfit for the championship began in a manner that highlighted the shortcomings they must overcome if they are to end that long wait for the title.

This result may have been the same as last season’s visit here, but the circumstances were entirely different.

Last November, Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp admitted his side had been “slaughtered” before snatching a last-gasp victory.

Yesterday, however, only the heroics of Pepe Reina prevented Liverpool from being on the receiving end of a beating akin to their Carling Cup humiliation nine months ago.

Certainly, there must be something about the White Hart Lane air that has caused Liverpool to press the self-destruct button in such alarming fashion in recent visits.

But the reasons for this defeat are deep-rooted, a consequence of a summer of under-investment, significant departures and less than ideal preparation.

The sight of Benitez turning to Andriy Voronin to help rescue a point would have surely been a worrying sight to supporters, no matter how well the Ukrainian fared at Hertha Berlin last season.

As it was, Voronin should have been awarded a penalty in the closing moments that could have earned Liverpool an undeserved draw.

Steven Gerrard had already pulled the visitors level once from the spot after Benoit Assou-Ekotto fired Tottenham into a spectacular first-half lead, only for a towering Sebastien Bassong header to win the game moments later.

But given Liverpool’s patchy pre-season form, this early setback should not be regarded as a surprise. And that in itself should give cause for concern.

Benitez’s side started slowly last season but at least continued to eke out results. Now, just a weekend into the new season, they are already playing catch-up on all their main title rivals. Improvement must be immediate.

They have only themselves to blame. When they weren’t running into each other, Liverpool’s defenders were too often diving into last-ditch challenges when a touch more poise would have sufficed, and that recklessness led to the two free-kicks from which Tottenham ultimately scored.

Debutant Glen Johnson was a rare positive for Benitez, but that the full-back was often Liverpool’s most attacking outlet spoke volumes for a spluttering forward line in which Fernando Torres was hounded out by Bassong and Ledley King.

While Johnson attracted criticism for his performance in England’s 2-2 draw against Holland in midweek, Ryan Babel impressed against his Anfield team-mate in Amsterdam.

It was enough to earn the Dutchman a starting role but a dismal outing did little to strengthen his claims; his replacement Yossi Benayoun was infinitely more effective.

After a poor second season, Babel has entered the last-chance saloon at Liverpool and he will have to improve on this showing, although in mitigation he isn’t the only player for whom that applies.