Rafael Benitez joins the lucky managers' club

JUST when many believed Rafael Benitez was nudging closer to crisis, he added 'jammy git' to his array of management skills.

The Liverpool chief not only delivered shrewd tactical changes, he proved he also has one of the most vital talents in this cut-throat game...luck.

He will probably deny it was a fluke goal that completely changed this game. Instead, he will focus on his inspired decision to send on Xabi Alonso after the break.

And when Alonso delivered the cross for the 71st-minute equaliser and then grabbed the third and decisive goal from a free-kick eight minutes later, he certainly had a point.

But it was the cruellest of deflections off Zat Knight's thigh that turned this game after Fulham had stormed to a two-goal lead.

And an evil deflection off Papa Bouba Diop's head supplied Alonso with that match-winning third even before Igor Biscan, another inspired substitute, slammed in a fourth Liverpool goal during added time.

But Benitez claimed: "I thought we had the game under control although we were two goals behind.

Mistakes

"We knew if we scored quickly in the second half we could then get back into the game.

"Goals can come from mistakes and deflections like that but we also made mistakes and we gave the ball away too easily which led to their two in the first half."

Fulham boss Chris Coleman, angered by his side's dreadful recent 2-0 defeat at Crystal Palace, had decided to go on the attack.

He accused some of his stars of "taking their foot off the gas" — clearly levelled at big names such as Steed Malbranque and Luis Boa Morte. And what a reaction he got.

Liverpool looked stunned by Fulham's first-half blitz and it seemed only a matter of time before the Reds would buckle.

Central defenders Sami Hyypia and Jamie Carragher looked a yard behind the pace and were being stretched by Malbranque, playing behind lone striker Brian McBride.

And the Kop back line were embarrassed when Malbranque intercepted a Salif Diao pass in midfield and charged forward.

His flicked pass cut through to McBride, who crossed the ball low for Boa Morte to beat Josemi at the far post with a simple tap-in.

And things got worse for Benitez on the half-hour — just after John Arne Riise had missed a chance to level with his head.

Mark Pembridge then won the ball off Garcia in yet another lapse of concentration from the visitors.

Young left-back Adam Green struck it forward for Malbranque to again slice open the Reds' defence with a lightning-quick pass.

Boa Morte unleashed a low shot from his left boot that raced through the legs of Chris Kirkland.

Coleman said: "I'm more disappointed with the way we let our heads drop than the terrible luck we had. I think the terrible luck is papering over the cracks a bit.

"We were superb in the first half but Liverpool's lucky goal seemed to lift them and we were not able to cope with that.

"I'm really disappointed and the players' chins are on the floor. This time last year we were beating Manchester United and that was because we believed in ourselves.

"We have to turn it around quickly — we don't want to get sucked in to a battle at the bottom."

Lady Luck stepped in after Benitez had made the right decision at half-time, taking off midfielder Diao and bringing on Alonso.

Milan Baros slammed the ball from 25 yards out it took a wicked deflection off Knight's inside leg and bounced bizarrely up and over Edwin van der Sar, one of the tallest keepers in the Premier League.

Dived

It goal changed the whole pattern of the game as suddenly Fulham lost their swagger and Liverpool sensed not an equaliser, but victory.

In the 71st minute their graft paid off when Alonso, 22, crossed from the left flank, Luis Garcia's header was saved, but Baros dived in to score from the rebound.

Josemi got himself sent off moments later for a second bookable foul on Boa Morte.But Biscan's last-minute strike ensured there would be no way back for Fulham.