Liverpool fans deserve better

London: They've won it five times. Liverpool have won the European Cup in such glamorous places as Rome twice, London, Paris and Istanbul and now, shamefully, Rafael Benitez appears to have surrendered in Birmingham any chance of adding to that tally for the foreseeable future.

Liverpool's manager has eschewed qualifying for football's grand prize by focusing on the Europa League, the realm of also-rans. Finding Liverpool concentrating on the Europa League is akin to discovering The Beatles entering the Eurovision Song Contest. Great fans deserve better. Ambitious players such as Fernando Torres, Pepe Reina and Steven Gerrard deserve better.

Liverpool may recover, of course. Yet for anybody with any affection for England's most successful club it was galling to watch Benitez withdrawing Torres with 25 minutes remaining and the St Andrew's scoreline showing (and finishing) 1-1.

Chasing victory to cling to the coat-tails of Manchester City and Spurs in the race for fourth, Liverpool were suddenly deprived of their best attacker.

Benitez appeared to sacrifice his best hope of a goal against Birmingham to give him more hope in the Europa League against Benfica tomorrow. Even a Torres masterclass against the Portuguese cannot provide retrospective validation for the white flag against Birmingham.

Benitez seemed to make a statement he believes Liverpool are second-class citizens in the European class system. Whichever way Benitez's decision to remove Torres is analysed it lacks logic unless he is planning to leave this summer and wants to bow out with some silverware.

In a period of flux among those below the Chelsea-Manchester United-Arsenal triumvirate, any failure by Liverpool to qualify for the Champions League has expensive short-term ramifications, notably the £30 million (Dh168 million) plus that now goes to a rival. The likelihood of missing out on Champions League football this year has immense long-term significance. If City, Croesus-rich and already blessed with talent in Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor, Adam Johnson, Gareth Barry and Shay Given, gain a place in the Champions League, they will invest again, and could become regular diners at Europe's top table. Failing to make the Champions League roster ensures a painful summer for Liverpool.

Liverpool deserve better. Liverpool deserve new ideas in the dugout.