NEVER mind going for the Champions League – Liverpool played like a team trying to avoid getting relegated at Wigan the other night.

And this negative mindset where you try to make yourself tough to beat before you try to go out and win a game finally came crashing down at the DW Stadium.

For starters, that policy means that you have to make sure you get everything spot on, stay disciplined and concentrate.

Basically, there’s very little room for switching off and making errors – and the one from Dirk Kuyt that led to Hugo Rodallega’s winning goal was a real howler.

Which wouldn’t have been a problem if this current Liverpool team knew how to respond – but they are just bereft of ideas.

Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland didn’t have to make a save of any sort of quality. He was put under a worrying lack of pressure.

And the number of times Liverpool passed it back rather than forward was frightening. That just immediately cuts down your options when you get the ball.

When you play a team that really is threatened with relegation, how can you not be committing players to get beyond their midfielders. What’s the point in even turning up?

It was telling that Rafael Benitez, for once, criticised his players’ attitude and approach to the game. In truth, there was very little else he could do given the quality of that performance.

And he could hardly blame the pitch, however bad it was – it was newly laid so it was the same for both teams.

But I think that was also an attempt to deflect a bit of the attention away from himself. He was one of many people involved at Anfield who made mistakes on Monday night.