Liverpool 1 - Standard Liege 0 (AET Kuyt 118 min) Phew... That was a difficult one

Liverpool usually walks these qualifiers. In fact, it is usually over in the first leg away somewhere in an unfashionable corner of Europe. We recall the lads taking a break and losing at home 1-0 to CSKA Sofia after winning 3-1 in the first leg.

Well, yesterday was hoary! The first leg was bad enough. Liverpool clearly missed El Jeffecito in the centre of the field and a recovering Gerrard marauding up and down the field. If anything, it was blindingly obvious that Liverpool lacked width. Yep peeps, Kewell has not been replaced yet, and Pennant looks out of favour. Kuyt can work as hard as he wants to, but he is no winger. Benayoun cuts binside too often. It finished 0-0 against a very robust Liege side, where Pepe even had to save a penalty (that's what he was brought for).

Pepe proved to be the main man again as he pulled out two tremendous saves to jeep hopes alive. Liverpool again lacked the personnel on the wings which meant that chances were gone begging. The team perked up during the second half, but the extra time looked ominous - which meant me hogging the TV for another extra 30 minutes. Not to mention the 'dreaded' penalty kicks but frankly with Pepe between the sticks, we own this mini-game!!!!!

And yes, the blood pressure was going up, and good heavens, Kuyt came to the rescue again. He is the man of the big games. He has been there everytime we have needed him - Arsenal, Inter Milan, and now Standard Liege. The £12 m pounf goal came courtesy, of yes, a cross from the right side of the field. Exactly what the doctors prescribed - width, this time delivered by the immensely talented Babel. And yeah, props to Nabil El Zhar too. The kid's small, but he has got a big heart and plenty of talent (and that foul on him, should have been a penalty).

What are the consequences of the 2007 CL final loss for LFC?

It is not necessary to gloss over the 2005 final again. Suffice to mention that the 2007 Final was completely dominated by Liverpool, but a very unlucky deflection from a free kick in the dying seconds of the first half meant that Liverpool lost control and had to chase the game from then on.

Liverpool did have two very good opportunities to score; once in the first half when the tireless Pennant saw his save miraculously saved by Dida, and the second when Gerrard saw his saved in very similar conditions. Had Gerrard scored, the game would have been totally different at 1-1.

My guess is that had Liverpool gone on to lift the trophy (at the same time crowning Benitez as the uncontested master tactician in Europe), this would have only papered the cracks which the LFC faithfuls have noticed by watching the team week-in week-out.

Liverpool have suffered because of the absence of a goal poacher in its ranks since the departure of Owen. While many will argue that the typical Benitez team does not feature a 'fox in a box' striker, I would retort that the typical Benitez team relies on the contribution of its midfield on goals scored. This sadly has not happened for Liverpool this year.

So the defeat last Wednesday clearly sends the message home (and Senor Benitez has not been quiet about it). Liverpool need someone, if not a few of its midfielders, to finish. We need a quality finisher - someone who knows how to bulge the onion bag, someone who is at the right place at the right time. With that one elusive finisher who will shoulder some of the responsibilities that are weighing down Kuyt, Gerrard and Crouch, I think the glory days could well be back.