IT was a moment of dark humour on a day when there was once again precious little to smile about for Liverpool.
As the media gathered in the aftermath of their frantic FA Cup third encounter with Reading, talk gravitated around the Coca-Cola Championship side having earned a lucrative replay.
“Hang on,” countered one wag. “Surely it should be the other way around? Let’s face it, Liverpool could do with the money.”
Rarely has a truer word been said in jest.
But while the Anfield coffers will no doubt be swelled by the rematch on Wednesday week, it comes at the cost of checking the growing momentum of Benitez’s side.
Having ended 2009 on the positive note of last-gasp victory at Aston Villa, Liverpool began the new year with a reminder there remains plenty of work to be done to salvage what has been a tortuous campaign.
It was typical of the FA Cup. Save the thrilling and ultimately successful run in 2006, the most famous and most cherished of the world’s club knockout competitions has proven somewhat troublesome for Benitez.
From embarrassment at Burnley, humiliation at home to Barnsley and the trifling matter of derby defeat to Everton last season, not to mention narrow squeaks against Luton Town – twice – and plucky Havant and Waterlooville, the magic of the competition has usually been at the expense of the Spaniard.
So it was no surprise to see Liverpool struggle their way to a draw against a Reading side without a manager and hovering precariously above the Championship relegation zone after just five wins in 24 league games.
What was eyebrow-raising, however, was the strength of the team Benitez sent out at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday.
In truth, he had no option. Out of the Champions League and with hopes of a Premier League title long since disappeared, the FA Cup represents, along with the Europa League, a chance to gain some much-needed silverware.
Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard both started in a team that, with the exception of right-back Stephen Darby – making only his second-ever start – boasted a wealth of experience.
Perhaps inevitably, it was Gerrard whose 36th-minute equaliser ensured Liverpool returned to Merseyside with their Cup hopes intact after Reading had exposed their soft-centre at set-pieces with Simon Church’s opener.
Visits to the Madejski have previously played a significant role during Benitez’s tenure. It was here in 2007 that Fernando Torres truly announced his arrival in England with a Carling Cup hat-trick, and it was here that mere months later a 3-1 league defeat pushed the manager to the brink of the sack.
With Liverpool now clear favourites to finish the job at Anfield on Wednesday week, Saturday’s encounter is unlikely to have similar resonance.
But it did nothing to placate the growing band of self-important critics who seem to have decided Benitez’s time is up and are intent on driving the manager back to Spain.
After the encouragement of back-to-back wins and clean sheets against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa, results that have resuscitated Champions League qualification aspirations, this was a step backwards, a frustrating and at times strangely listless performance on an admittedly poor playing surface.
