Reds gaffer not sure whether his side are in the title race

A few weeks ago, the 2008/09 season was shaping up as the most exciting in Premier League history: anyone in the bottom half could have gone down, and the title race was wide open. While the former may still be true, Liverpool’s inability to win league games means the trophy will inevitably fall into the hands of Cristiano Ronaldo et al at the end of the campaign. Rafa Benitez appeared to accept this fate after Saturday’s defeat at Middlesbrough:

“We knew we couldn’t afford to lose or even draw any more if we wanted to fight for the title, so it was a very disappointing weekend.”

Since returning from the north east, however, the slightly mental Spaniard has changed his tune, insisting that the title race is still very much on:

“We must keep going in the title race, to try to win each game as it comes along.

“Now we have the opportunity against Sunderland to do things right, to be able to approach the Real Madrid second leg with confidence. We have to remain positive.”

After this burst of positivity, Rafa then reverted back to his sombre tone, bemoaning his the weak hamstrings of his star striker:

“Maybe if Torres had not been injured so much things would be different, but we cannot change the situation now. Everybody has players who get injured.

“We have had some problems [following the 1-0 Champions League win at Real Madrid], several players have been injured, among other things. The worst thing has been the injuries to Torres. He has been our main striker and scored a lot of goals for us last season. And this season could have been totally different with him.”

Are Torres’ injuries to blame for Liverpool’s one league win in the last seven attempts, or is it a general lack of depth? Let us know your thoughts below.