Liverpool 0-0 Utrecht

The Europa League has been good to Roy Hodgson.

His run with Fulham to last season's final greatly enhanced his reputation and went a long way to securing him the job as Rafa Benitez's successor.

Since arriving at Anfield this summer the continent's second club competition has provided welcome relief for the manager during a turbulent five months.

Domestically, optimism fuelled by commanding home triumphs has been swiftly snuffed out by insipid displays on their travels.

The result is a home record in the Premier League better than Arsenal and Manchester City but an away points tally worse than Wigan and Blackburn - and mid-table mediocrity.

That inconsistency has been galling for supporters but in Europe the Reds have made serene progress.

Hodgson has gambled by fielding largely a combination of fringe senior stars and hungry youngsters - he has used no fewer than 31 players so far - but it has paid dividends.

An adventure which began in Macedonia in July has seen Liverpool cruise past Rabotnicki and Trabzonspor before securing top spot in their group with something to spare.

Of course they have hardly been mixing it with European heavyweights. Steaua Bucharest and Utrecht are only also-rans in their respective leagues, but taking four points off a Napoli side flying high in Serie A isn't to be sniffed at.

Last night's final chapter in Group K will hardly live long in the memory. It was dire and desperate.

Despite the manager's vow there would never be a 'dead game' under his tenure it certainly had the feel of a pre-season friendly.

Entertainment was in such short supply that if the kids hadn't been let in free they would surely have been asking for their money back.

The chance to equal a club record of nine successive home wins in Europe went begging but the dour stalemate still edged Hodgson closer to a place in the history books.

He's now unbeaten run in 10 European games with Liverpool and closing in on Joe Fagan's best of 12.

The Europa League undoubtedly represents the Reds' best chance of ending a trophy drought which stretches back to Cardiff in May 2006. Seeded for tomorrow's draw in Nyon, there is little for them to fear.

However, the bad news for Hodgson is that it will be mid-February before his side play in the competition again.

For the next two months he won't be able to rely on Europe to point to progress being made.

The only way he can ease the pressure on his shoulders is by improving the Reds' Premier League fortunes. And fast.

The fact they are closer to the relegation zone than the top four is an alarming statistic that needs to be put right.

Last night's game may have been a dead rubber but the manager's demeanour as he barked orders from the technical area made a mockery of the idea that the result didn't matter.

Just 48 hours earlier Hodgson had heard the owners brand the Reds' start to the campaign as "unacceptable" and warn that better was required.

The phone-in on the club's TV channel had highlighted the depths of fans' frustration and that was reinforced once again by the boos that rung around the ground at the final whistle.

Given that depth of feeling and his pre-match declaration that he would field a strong team it was something of a surprise that stand-in skipper Martin Skrtel was the only survivor from Saturday's defeat at Newcastle.

Hodgson had vowed to start Pepe Reina and Fernando Torres after admitting the striker needed a game to boost his flagging confidence after his recent struggles.

Strangely, the manager completed a swift U-turn after consulting with his sports science team and despite naming him among the substitutes Torres spent the night warming the bench.

"I had a change of heart," he said. "I had a talk to our fitness people and they made me see sense that it wasn't the wisest thing to do.

"We have already qualified and, if he played, he would be taking the place of a young player who needs the chance to stake his place in the team. And of course it would be very bad for us if he picked up an injury.

"But I am a bit sad that, unintentionally, I tricked some supporters and a few journalists as well."

In Torres' place there was a full debut for 19-year-old Nathan Eccleston who after being booked for an over-zealous lunge settled well alongside Ryan Babel before making way for Daniel Pacheco after the break.

Liverpool were unfortunate not to lead inside eight minutes when Milan Jovanovic embarked on a mazy run before unleashing a blistering 25-yarder which Michel Vorm tipped on to the bar.

However, that was as good as it got.

They were careless in possession with Joe Cole once again failing to stake a claim for a regular starting spot, while Martin Kelly was hampered by having the erratic Jovanovic in front of him.

The only shining light was Jonjo Shelvey who demonstrated his growing confidence with a mature display in midfield.

Comparisons with Steven Gerrard at such an early stage of his career are ridiculously premature, but the master will have been proud of the way the apprentice threw himself into tackles and used the ball intelligently.

This was Utrecht's first ever visit to Anfield and despite having already been knocked out they were clearly determined to do their vocal 3,500-strong travelling support proud.

Four of their five group games had finished deadlocked - including the goalless draw with the Reds in September - and it's easy to see how as they sat deep and showed little attacking intent.

Their chances of seriously testing Brad Jones, making his first appearance for the Reds since the Carling Cup debacle against Northampton, were diminished when 19-goal top scorer Ricky van Wolfswinkel was forced off after falling awkwardly.

The bumper crowd - swelled by the owners' decision to give out free tickets to youngsters - grew increasingly irritated by the hosts' lack of cutting edge in the final third.

The game did open up in the second half with Babel dragging one attempt just wide before narrowly failed to provide the finishing touch to a great cross from Kelly.

The introduction of Pacheco and Dirk Kuyt - against the against the club where he began his professional career - finally increased the Reds' attacking threat.

Cole was thwarted by Sander Keller's goal-saving block late on but it truth victory would have greatly flattered the Reds.

The natives are restless and when the big guns return against Fulham on Saturday Anfield will demand a drastic improvement.

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.