Boloni is out of luck

A wry smile hid the obvious disappointment as Laszlo Boloni contemplated how close his Standard Liege unknowns had come to humbling Liverpool.

Liverpool's Steven Gerrard shoots past Liege's Marcos Camozzato at Anfield.
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LIVERPOOL // A wry smile hid the obvious disappointment as Laszlo Boloni contemplated how close his Standard Liege unknowns had come to humbling Liverpool. The former Al Jazira coach even joked about how he would call his old pal Jose Mourinho, sparring partners from their days in Portugal at Sporting Lisbon and Porto, to reflect on how his Champions League dream had also been ended by the "lucky" Anfield outfit.

Mourinho saw Liverpool beat his Chelsea team twice in the semi finals, once on penalties in 2007 and, more painfully, two years earlier when he felt Luis Garcia had scored a "ghost goal" for the winner. "Liverpool have the luck," said Boloni after Dirk Kuyt's close-range finish with two minutes to go in extra time settled this final qualifier on Wednesday. "They are a strong side with good players, and we didn't see the real Liverpool in these two games, but the team with the most luck and biggest name won the tie; not the best team.

"In two 90-minute games against Liverpool, they didn't score, and in two 90-minute games against my friend Mourinho's team, Liverpool didn't score, but we both suffered. "It is the Mourinho story over again? I think I should call him. We are sad because we deserved to go through. I did not win the UAE league with Al Jazira at the end last season and now this. It is disappointing, but hopefully this team can do well."

Liege deserved better and only poor finishing and Pepe Reina's performance in the Liverpool goal denied the Belgian side who just ran out of steam in the end. Rafa Benitez admits his side can, and will, do better. They have made a stuttering, uninspired start to the new season, but, crucially, have won both Premier League games and are in the money-spinning Champions League group stage. But how long will their good fortune last? Or will fate conspire to take them all the way in Europe again?

Kuyt, whose late winner was his ninth goal in just 15 European appearances, says they cannot keep relying on Lady Luck. "The fact that we won was the main thing," he admitted. "Maybe we have had a lot of luck so far, but one day your luck will run out and then we will have to perform really well to win." Liverpool will have to cope without their inspirational figure, Steven Gerrard, for the next two weeks - ruling him out of England's World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Croatia - after he had a groin operation.

The injury was clearly a factor against Liege as he looked somewhat pedestrian, playing too deep, and not the driving force we have come to expect. "He has been playing some games in pain, not being 100 per cent fit and we decided that this was the best moment for the operation," said Benitez. The coach will now step up his efforts to strengthen his side with Albert Riera expected to arrive from Espanyol.

Reina says his compatriot Riera would be a welcome addition to the Anfield ranks. "He's very good. I know him from the Spanish squad and he is someone who can help us improve. A player of his quality would fit in well here," he said. @Email:akhan@thenational.ae