It wasn’t my intention to write about Liverpool for the second week in succession.

I had thought about Spurs, wondering whether they might shut up for a while after seeing Arsenal put their top four pretensions into perspective. Why, oh why, did Robbie Keane speak of Tottenham having a bigger and better squad than their North London rivals? That was just asking to be put down.

Or about Arsenal themselves, or rather their supporters, who persist in crying “Hoof” every time an opponent plays a long ball. It’s as if Gunners’ fans think their team has a monopoly on ‘the beautiful game’. How quickly they forget George Graham.

Or Manchester United whose form doesn’t mirror their results. It was another stuttering performance against pathetic opposition on Saturday night. United had better not play like that next Sunday at Chelsea.

But it HAS to be Liverpool. Far from kicking on after beating the champions, Liverpool seem this morning to be in a worse plight and particularly Rafa Benitez.

The Carling Cup defeat at Arsenal is an irrelevance. It’s a competition fit only as a testing ground for youngsters, like Wenger’s, or for clubs with no more significant target to aim for. Yet, the game at the Emirates confirmed the poverty of the resources that Benitez has in reserve. Only Insua, Kuyt, Skrtel and Spearing are worthy of consideration as first team players.No, it’s the Fulham match that demands attention.

Now, though there are increasing voices of dissent, I don’t detect a groundswell of anti-Benitez feeling amongst Liverpool supporters. 2005 and another Champions League final two years after stockpiled a lot of credit for the manager.

Nor, even if they had the money to write off a recently signed five-year contract, do I think Liverpool, as a club, want to rid themselves of the Spaniard. The American muppets in charge are, in any case, far too busy trying to flog their stake.

However, that doesn’t mean serious questions shouldn’t be asked of Benitez. Why start with the appalling Voronin at Craven Cottage? Why isolate your most creative player, Benayoun, to the left wing? Fulham were delighted at that. But not as much as the huge lift they received when the manager took off Torres with the score at 1-1 and half an hour to go.

Benitez claimed he wanted to protect the player.

Torres’ body language plainly showed that he disagreed: markedly. And Benayoun didn’t know whom to swear at when he was substituted. Both Benitez’ decisions were incredulous in the circumstances.

And so to Lyon on Wednesday night when, effectively, Liverpool presence in the Champions League might be extinguished. There is a scenario in which Liverpool could lose in France and still qualify.

Lyon would need to win in Florence, Liverpool win in Hungary and then Benitez’ team beating Fiorentina by a sufficient margin at Anfield.

It’s possible but you wouldn’t want to rely on it.

And the nightmare is ending up in the Europa League which has as much relevance as the Carling Cup.

I didn’t expect Liverpool to beat United nor do I think they’ll win in Lyon. We’ll see.