FOR A long time it seemed the chant of the day would be “There’s only one Keano”. Sung with gleeful pointedness by Sunderland supporters as a disconsolate Robbie Keane was substituted, it was appropriate for a moment at which their manager was holding sway. It appeared Roy Keane would be the author of the game’s story, his summer recruiting having improved Sunderland’s technical levels to the extent they were holding Liverpool not through sweat or fortune, but footballing reasons. Then came a thunderbolt from a golden striker and from away fans a familiar refrain: “Fernando Torres, Liverpool’s Number Nine.”

For a year now Torres saving Liverpool has been a familiar phenomenon. So, too, is what followed after the game. Rafael Benitez came into a press conference and suggested his authority as manager is being compromised by elements above him in his club’s hierarchy but he did so in such obtuse fashion that the nature of his complaint was not entirely clear. He remains angry at not being allowed to sign Gareth Barry and suggested that, even now, the capture of the midfielder, priced at £18m by Aston Villa, might be possible.

“I was in contact with Tom Hicks (Liverpool’s co-owner) and I was told that if we sell one or two players we will have enough money to buy one good player. I have the support of at least one of the owners,” Benitez said. That begged the question whether he is being blocked by George Gillett, Liverpool’s other

owner, but if Benitez has a voodoo doll it is of Rick Parry. The plan to buy Barry and fund the transfer by selling Xabi Alonso is one Benitez cooked up in April. Does he blame Parry for it not being carried out? “The question is that we have to be quicker. I said these things four years ago and I continue thinking the same,” Benitez said.

He denied reports he is considering quitting over Gareth-gate and still hopes Barry can be signed, though it is understood Barry has become so exasperated he is ready to announce he is no longer interested in leaving Villa this season. To

thicken an already gloopy plot, Alonso played a key part in Liverpool escaping with full points. Left out of the starting line-up, he replaced Damien Plessis at half-time and improved his side’s performance before, in the 83rd minute, feeding Torres with a clever pass. Torres was still 30 yards out and with it all to do but Sunderland made the fatal mistake of backing off him. Torres advanced and with unerring accuracy and prodigious power lasered a shot past Craig Gordon. “We were tiring and I take responsibility for that. For all our good work it’s the last 15 minutes that really count,” said Roy Keane. “Torres was the difference, but that’s the Premier League.”

Liverpool so nearly had that familiar feeling of punctured title pretensions with a campaign barely underway. An anti-climactic performance was encapsulated when, at 0-0, after Gordon parried a deflected Dirk Kuyt shot Torres was set to score only for Robbie Keane to get in the way of his partner’s shot. Benitez recalled Sami Hyypia in an attempt to stabilise the back four but Liverpool’s defending remained skittish, their wide play deficient and Steven Gerrard and, until his goal, Torres, were subdued.

Sunderland began far smoother, with all their manager’s new recruits contributing to a composed performance. Most prominent was El Hadji Diouf, and after 12 minutes home fans bellowed “Diooooouf” as the Senegalese, with a double pirouette, left Kuyt and Yossi Benayoun on their backsides and crossed to create a chance for Daryl Murphy, who headed straight at Jose Reina.

Sunderland had pressed as well as they had passed but could not maintain energy levels as the second half progressed. They might have led when Teemu Tainio fed Diouf but the forward, off balance, could not direct a left-footed shot away from Reina.

Benayoun stretched Gordon with a low drive but Pascal Chimbonda blocked Robbie Keane’s attempt to score from the rebound. “When we played Liverpool last season I hoped we’d get a result. I woke up this morning and thought we’d get a result. That’s the difference. I think they’ll get back on the bus and be glad to see the back of us,” was the bittersweet verdict of Roy Keane.

SUNDERLAND: Gordon 6, Chimbonda, Nosworthy 6, Collins 6, Bardsley 6, Malbranque 6 (Edwards 73min), Tainio 7 (Whitehead 57min, 6), Reid 6, Richardson 7, Diouf 8, Murphy 6

LIVERPOOL: Reina 6, Arbeloa 4, Carragher 6, Hyypia 6, Dossena 6, Kuyt 5, Gerrard 5, Plessis 5 (Alonso h-t, 7), Benayoun 5 (Aurelio 81), Keane 6 (El Zhar 77min), Torres 7