Reading 1 Liverpool 1:INNOCENCE IS bliss and engaging, too. After Reading had earned their replay at Anfield for Wednesday week, their caretaker manager, Brian McDermott, rightly excited, told how he shook hands with his opposite number. " 'Thank you, Mr Benitez', I said. "I didn't know what to call him. I don't think he knew who I was."
McDermott has no idea whether he will be in charge next week. He would love to be, as he has a bogey to lay, having once missed an open goal for Arsenal in front of the Kop. McDermott (48), recalled how Terry Neill, his manager, said, “if I’d scored, we would have won. ‘Cheers,’ I thought.”
There were cheers aplenty on Saturday evening. “I’ve got 31 text messages,” he said. “I’ve never been so popular.”
McDermott never turned young promise into major achievement as a player and has yet to claim a main job in management. He was promoted from assistant in place of Brendan Rogers and has not won in four games. The 4-1 defeat at Plymouth before this was so poor the programme was laced with apologies. “That was for those 1,500 travelling supporters when we didn’t perform,” he said. “Their full-strength team showed respect to the competition and us.”
On their last visit, in December 2007, Liverpool had lost 3-1 to Steve Coppell’s side in the Premier League. Six of their starting XI then are still at Anfield, which may explain their decline; four played on Saturday. Only two of Reading’s are, which may explain theirs. This lot were as one here.
“To play in front of the TV and against Liverpool was a massive boost for them and they played really well, pushing and working very hard,” Benitez said.
The giants’ causeway to Wembley is paved with banana skins and, though his side have lost their giants’ status, they were lucky not to be the day’s fall guys. “I’m relieved,” added Benitez.
Coming on the back of two league wins, they were oddly careless. “We’re trying to keep momentum,” said Benitez, having just lost it. Even Fernando Torres was slack, putting two “trademark” headers over, one in injury-time.
As Reading pushed for a winner Benitez brought on Alberto Aquilani, who took his tempo from the languorous long arms of the adjacent wind turbine.
Asked about transfers, the manager gave nothing away. That was in notable contrast to his players.
Reading had commitment and skill everywhere. Ivar Ingimarsson led with emphatic example in central defence. Ryan Bertrand overlapped from left-back to work dangerously with Gylfi Sigurdsson. Jem Karacan was a midfield terrier. And Jobi McAnuff sparkled on the right against Emiliano Insua, who could have made a man of the match of anyone.
They led for 12 minutes through Simon Church, who had said “it would be amazing to be on the same pitch as Torres”. It was more amazing that he outshone him, forcing in from a free-kick. Steven Gerrard’s equaliser was a cross made deceptively good by Dirk Kuyt’s failure to touch it.
Questioned over the effectiveness of their zonal marking, Benitez said: “Watch the highlights and you will see 45 per cent of goals each week are conceded at set-pieces.”
Perhaps he was still puzzling over the bald man who thanked him. Perhaps he will recognise him next week. All being fair, this will be Anfield for Mr McDermott and his side will again be in the zone.
