HOW many times will a team be booed just after they climbed to the top of the table?

It sounds crazy but that’s what happened to Rafael Benitez’s players at the full-time whistle at Anfield last night.

Liverpool secured the one point they needed to reach the summit but it was understandingly seen as two points dropped against a struggling West Ham United side.

The result was particularly frustrating for the home fans given the previous Premier League fixture at Anfield which was also a goalless stalemate against Fulham, another traditionally travel-sick London outfit.

It seems strange when Liverpool, without a title win since 1990, are looking down on the rest of their rivals but the garden is currently not as rosy as it should be at Anfield.

An improved record against their championship-chasing rivals was seen as key to Liverpool breaking their Premier League silverware duck at long last and landmark victories over Manchester United and Chelsea suggest that progress has been made in that area.

But as convincing as those wins have been, it’s the niggling old problem of finishing off more limited but stubborn opposition, particularly at Anfield, continues to frustrate as 0-0 home draws against Stoke, Fulham and now West Ham shows.

With Fernando Torres continuing to struggle with a hamstring injury it is high time that the rest of Benitez’s attacking options stepped up a gear.