IT will clearly take more than cream made from horse placenta and a special wave machine to rehabilitate Liverpool’s ailing season.

Radical Belgrade specialist Mariana Kovacevic assumed prominence in the last week after being charged with the task of helping rush a quartet of Rafael Benitez’s injury-ravaged squad back into action.

But such revolutionary procedures are not what the Anfield manager needs from his team at present.

Basic aspects such as defending properly and turning concerted pressure into goalscoring chances would provide the required shoots of recovery and help rescue a campaign that continues to head dangerously towards the precipice.

Another afternoon of frustration and familiar failings on Saturday did little to suggest the Anfield faithful should do anything but brace themselves for a major struggle for their team to clinch Champions League qualification.

Indeed, perhaps the greatest encouragement Liverpool could take from the encounter is that moneybags Manchester City did even less to bolster their claims for a top-four finish.

Kovacevic could at least claim her methods earned the home side a point when Yossi Benayoun, coaxed back into action despite suffering a hamstring tear less than a fortnight earlier, netted an equaliser with 13 minutes remaining.

But that Liverpool found themselves scrapping to salvage a draw highlighted the fault lines that continue to run through the team.

While the results have remained disappointing in recent weeks, Benitez rightly pointed to the much-improved performances in the previous two outings against Lyon and Birmingham City.

His argument was less convincing at the weekend. Sure, the character was there to avoid defeat, but that’s not enough.

This was a flat Liverpool display, devoid of any spark, creativity or imagination with too many players distinctly below par.

The honourable exception was Javier Mascherano, an effervescent performer in midfield as he revelled in his battle with City’s equally excellent Nigel De Jong.

Mascherano provided tremendous drive from the centre of the park and was often the most likely to find a route to goal.

That, however, is not the Argentine’s forte and served to underline the lack of imagination from midfield, Steven Gerrard understandably struggling to impose himself on his first Premier League start in seven weeks.

David Ngog again showed promise in attack, but a lack of service meant he was too often left to fend for himself against City’s defence.

And with Fernando Torres again sidelined for tomorrow’s crucial Champions League clash against Debrecen in Hungary and a real doubt for Sunday’s Goodison derby, it’s a shortcoming Benitez must address quickly.

Was there call for Alberto Aquilani to be thrown on during the second half? Certainly, and a game Benitez had described as “make or break” was surely one that at some point required the services of his £20million summer signing no matter what his level of match sharpness.

But in fairness, the manager’s hand with substitutions had been forced somewhat with the early exit through injury of both Daniel Agger and Ryan Babel.

Agger left on a stretcher after just 11 minutes when coming off worse in a sickening clash of heads with Kolo Toure.

Babel followed his team-mate down the tunnel eight minutes later after accidentally colliding with Gerrard, although the manner in which the Dutchman feebly attempted to play on would not have allayed the nagging doubt he lacks the heart and fight to nail down a first-team place.

Despite the injuries, Liverpool had the better of a depressingly low-quality first half, their best chance coming in the fifth minute when Martin Skrtel’s header solicited an excellent save from Shay Given.