THE Match of the Day producers didn’t fancy it but with the DVD of this match they may have just stumbled across a cure for insomnia.

The fact that Liverpool were relegated to the final slot on Saturday night’s highlights programme will have come as no surprise to anyone who had the misfortunate to be at Ewood Park.

In fact it was shocking they decided to give it any air time at all.

After the high of their triumph at Goodison Park, this was a reality check.

What’s clear is that it’s going to take a lot more than a solitary derby victory to truly kick-start a hugely disappointing campaign.

Confidence and belief are still in desperately short supply. Too many players are stuck in a rut and Rafael Benitez doesn’t have the strength in depth at his disposal to be able to ring the changes.

Skipper Steven Gerrard did his best to rally the troops on his 500th appearance for the club and looks to be regaining his sharpness. Right-back Glen Johnson also impressed but there were few positives.

The return of striker Fernando Torres can’t come soon enough.

The Spaniard was sorely missed on Saturday as Liverpool’s lack of firepower was exposed for all to see.

Benitez insisted afterwards this was another step in the right direction for his side following the troubles of recent months.

Their unbeaten run stands at six matches and for all their defensive woes this season Liverpool have now gone nearly five hours of football without conceding a goal.

Of course a point at Ewood Park is hardly a disaster.

After all Blackburn haven’t lost at home since Manchester City visited on the opening day of the season. And Rovers have only tasted defeat twice in 23 home games since Sam Allardyce took over nearly a year ago.

However, there is no escaping the fact that this was another in a long list of missed opportunities.

The emphasis was placed firmly on keeping things tight, but the problem was Blackburn were more than happy to settle for a share of the spoils.

When Liverpool finally began to force the issue in the second half they couldn’t make their pressure pay and in a frantic finish they could easily have ended up with nothing.

Blackburn are well organised but their deficiencies have been routinely exposed by title contenders this season. Arsenal stuck six past them, Chelsea helped themselves to five and Manchester United cruised to a 2-0 victory.

But Liverpool didn’t have the guile or the quality to unlock them and for long periods of the afternoon goalkeeper Paul Robinson was merely a spectator.

One man who may have been able to make the difference spent the afternoon warming the substitutes’ bench and jogging up and down the touchline.

Benitez said Saturday wasn’t the right kind of game for Alberto Aquilani.

In such a tight, physical contest he insisted it would have been unfair to introduce a player with so little football under his belt this season.

The manager is desperate to keep his big money signing wrapped in cotton wool, but how else can Aquilani get match-fit unless he plays? Surely the £18million man has been brought in to turn the tables in tight games like this?

His continued absence is a source of much frustration among fans who will finally see the Italian start a game in a red shirt when he lines up against Fiorentina on Wednesday night.

But a meaningless European game will hardly help him get accustomed to the hussle and bussle of Premier League football.

Benitez recalled Albert Riera and Yossi Benayoun on Saturday at the expense of David Ngog and Fabio Aurelio with Dirk Kuyt pushed up front as the lone striker.

It didn’t work with Kuyt isolated and out-muscled by Ryan Nelsen and the outstanding Chris Samba.