Fevered uncertainty is not restricted to Westminster’s corridors of political power. Set against grim backdrops, filled with terrifying debt, all the talk by the Humber and the Mersey revolves around uneasy boardroom coalitions and potential leadership successions.
Fans of both persuasions here remained very much in the dark as to whether Iain Dowie and Rafael Benítez will be in charge of Hull City and Liverpool next season.
Despite being already relegated Hull fully deserved this point against a dispirited, disjointed Europa League bound Liverpool who, nonetheless, finish seventh.
Dowie’s teamsheet was surely intended as a manifesto. By including three youngsters in Mark Cullen, Will Atkinson and Tom Cairney, Hull’s temporary football management consultant seemed to be dropping a not so subtle hint that he is the right man to remodel Hull along vibrantly youthful lines next season.
Glossing over the alarming early moment in which Cairney very nearly scored a spectacular own goal, Dowie’s side – minus the, depending who you believed, dropped, or “slightly injured” Jimmy Bullard – could not be faulted for effort.
Hull are expected to sever ties with Phil Brown, currently on lucrative managerial gardening leave, this week when Dowie should also decide whether he will be staying or going.
Reservations surrounding the one time British aerospace engineer tend to centre on his somewhat workaholic approach to training which can leave players exhausted before they reach the pitch but many people within the KC believe Dowie should be given a longer term chance.
Players seemed strangely shy about seizing opportunities today. While Cullen failed to make the most of a couple of first half openings, Liverpool’s Nabil El Zhar saw a rising shot palmed away for a corner by Matt Duke.
Later El Zhar’s adroit pass provided Alberto Aquilani with an inviting opening but the Italian’s shot struck the crossbar.
At least Atkinson, up against Daniel Agger, Benítez’s left-back for a day in a remodelled Liverpool defence featuring Javier Mascherano at right-back, was supplying some neat touches on the wing.
Much to the relief of the mooted England returnee Jamie Carragher, one of Hull’s better crosses from the right eluded the visiting rearguard only for both Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and then Cullen to make hashes of polishing it off.
In front of Carragher, Steven Gerrard had reverted to a fairly deep lying central midfield role alongside Lucas Leiva. Although Liverpool have said they do not need to sell either Gerrard or their other prize asset, the currently injured Fernando Torres, Real Madrid are reported to be preparing a £30m bid for the England midfielder.
Gerrard can only hope no Spanish scouts were at the KC as this was one of those infuriating days when, bar the odd hallmark dynamic cameo, he proved strangely peripheral and largely ineffectual.
Despite displaying some pleasing touches Aquilana was withdrawn in the second half to choruses of “what a waste of money”.
Sadly far too much of the folding stuff has been squandered in both Hull and Liverpool for either club to be able to bodyswerve an impending age of austerity
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