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

Premier LeagueHull CityLiverpoolLouise Taylorguardian.co.uk

Iain Dowie knows how it feels to be relegated from the Premier League and anyone trying to tell him that time is a healer is wasting their breath. Almost five years have passed since his Crystal Palace side slipped into the Championship on the final day of the season, yet the memory of that emotional afternoon at The Valley remains vivid and has given him sleepless nights ever since.

“That day at Charlton hangs over me,” said Hull’s interim manager, who has four games left to drag the club to safety and strengthen his chance of getting the job on a permanent basis. “I still wake up at night thinking about it. We were eight minutes away and we gave away a silly free-kick. It’s a game of such small margins.”

It is an experience that Dowie recalled to the Hull City players last week, when he told them about the consequences of relegation in a “no-holds barred” meeting. He wanted the players to think beyond their “cosseted lives” and consider the impact finishing in the bottom three would have on other employees at the club, as well as the supporters and a deprived area.

Did the message get through? “They nod their heads. Whether they listen, that’s another matter,” said Dowie, smiling. “[But] I always think that if you believe something is right, say it. If you affect one player then that’s brilliant; that’s all you want to do. I’d rather be damned for doing than not doing.”

Whether he turns out to regret not applying that rule to his tactics at St Andrew’s remains to be seen. Birmingham are not the force they were a few months ago – Alex McLeish’s side have won three of their last 15 league games – and Hull need victories rather than draws to survive. Yet Dowie passed up on the chance to play with two strikers at any stage. “I understand your point,” said Dowie, when asked about his circumspect approach. “But I’ve watched a lot of videos of the away games and at times we’re too open.”

Hull will need to be more ambitious against Aston Villa on Wednesday, the first of three home fixtures between now and the end of the season. Although Joe Hart made an excellent save to deny Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink shortly before the interval, it was not until five minutes from time that Hull threatened again, when Jimmy Bullard’s driving run ended with a weak shot every bit as disappointing as this awful match.

Birmingham also lacked penetration, although with his team on course to record their highest top-flight finish since 1959, McLeish knows now is not the time to be critical. “I still feel that what we have done this season is the equivalent of going for honours,” he said. “That’s why I’m driving them to get beyond 50 points. Relatively speaking, it’s as good as anything I’ve achieved.”

Dowie would be entitled to claim the same should he keep Hull up. Relegation has been waiting to happen for a team who have earned only 43 points from 63 Premier League games over a miserable 18-month period, although you will not find Dowie waving a white flag. “It’s been very difficult coming in when you can’t affect the personnel in terms of change, but you can in terms of attitude,” he said. “I have to say the response I’ve got has been tremendous. Hopefully, that’s good enough to keep us in the league.”

Premier LeagueBirmingham CityHull CityStuart Jamesguardian.co.uk

The theme tune of The Great Escape rang out around the KC Stadium before kick-off this afternoon, but come full-time it was Burnley who were celebrating. Not that either side are likely to escape the relegation zone now, the blow of West Ham’s home win effectively putting the kibosh on any lingering hopes of salvation.

Still Burnley will have felt the exhilaration of a win – their first away victory of the season – in a game that Hull, with the slightly better form of the two sides, had been expected to swing. But the pendulum took an unexpected and very decided turn in Burnley’s favour, and after two penalties, Iain Dowie’s team left the pitch looking dazed and confused.

Hull had started the game so confident and bright. Little more than two minutes in and Jozy Altidore chipped a lovely floating ball across goal to meet Kevin Kilbane’s head, the Ireland international putting the ball away to score his first goal in 26 months. What a wait, but what sweet timing.

Burnley’s defence clearly had not learned much since their 6-1 drubbing at home to Manchester City last week. Altidore had a chance to score a second for Hull as he turned the head-bandaged Michael Duff, only for his shot to be parried away by the keeper, Brian Jensen. Jimmy Bullard caught the rebound, but volleyed the ball over the crossbar.

With Hull driving one-way traffic, any chance of a Burnley comeback looked unlikely. But Brian Laws’s side kept chipping away, and all of a sudden the visitors struck gold. Tyrone Mears’s cross came for Martin Paterson who slid the ball under the arm of Boaz Myhill.

In the second half Burnley grew in confidence, Duff just missing a perfect chance to give his side the lead as he failed to convert with Paterson’s cross despite being completely unmarked. On the sidelines Laws drove his head into his hands, doubled over in disbelief, but as the game wore on it became apparent that it was Hull who were falling apart.

Minutes later Dowie could hardly believe his eyes as Ibrahima Sonko brought down Duff, gifting Burnley a penalty. The captain, Graham Alexander, stepped up and slotted the ball home to put Burnley into the lead. Five minutes later and David Nugent raced through, Bernard Mendy panicked and tugged him down. The referee, Martin Atkinson, once again pointed to the spot, and Alexander booted home his second of the day.

Hull attempted a late revival, but deep into injury time it was Burnley who were the strongest, Wade Elliott curling home his side’s fourth goal of the day.

Premier LeagueHull CityBurnleyAnna Kesselguardian.co.uk