Owen goal is the only glitter in dull display

When Liverpool first encountered Dutch opposition 36 Decembers ago, Bill Shankly greeted the press with the words: "I'm telling you, boys, they are the luckiest team I've ever seen." Ajax, inspired by Johan Cruyff, had just won 5-1.

Sometimes, Gérard Houllier almost matches the great man's ability to accentuate the positive. After a dreadfully insipid victory over Vitesse Arnhem the Liverpool manager, grateful perhaps for any win, lavished his players with praise.

Those who had sat through a match in which Liverpool had created perhaps two chances, would have been surprised to hear Houllier say: "I am pleased and proud of the players. When you are in troubled waters you have to refocus your attitude. The attitude was perfect, they behaved like men and did not bottle it."

It would be hard to agree, but at least Houllier was not commenting on a match in which Liverpool had created a bucketful of chances and failed to win as they had against Sunderland and Charlton, and in naked terms, Michael Owen's two goals, one under the roof of the Gelredome a fortnight ago, the other last night, ensured that Liverpool would at least be England's last representatives in the Uefa Cup.

Like a classically-trained actor finding himself doing panto in Southport, there is a feeling that this competition is somehow beneath Liverpool and with Anfield shrouded in a bitter chill even fewer turned out for last night's game than for an equally laboured victory over Ipswich in the Worthington Cup. Those that did make the journey did so in an atmosphere which John Aldridge, commentating on the tie for Radio City, described as like a testimonial match, with the proviso that in a testimonial, teams usually feel obliged to attack. Although Liverpool scored the night's only goal, Vitesse created the most obvious opportunities.

It took Owen, who celebrates his 23rd birthday tomorrow, 21 minutes to repeat what he had done in the Netherlands, finishing off an all-England move that saw the ball flow between Jamie Carragher, Danny Murphy and Owen himself. The Vitesse goalkeeper Dragoslav Jevric smothered the first shot, but Owen kept his composure to calmly clip home the rebound. It had taken Anfield's finest a while to find his range though, his first attempt at goal was so badly miscued it corkscrewed away for a throw-in.

Houllier admitted Liverpool had been edgy at the start, but the goal did not calm nerves which if anything grew rawer as the match progressed and were emphasised by the sight of Milan Baros skipping past the keeper in stoppage time, but still failing to put the ball in the net. Had Vitesse took an early lead, as they so nearly did, their coach, Mike Snoei, remarked it would have been interesting to gauge Liverpool's reaction.

The 18th minute might have seen every calculation upset as Tim Cornelisse crossed to the far post, where Bob Peeters was lurking. His header, from no more than a couple of yards, clattered against what used to be known as the woodwork.

That it was Vitesse, a club who have never won a major trophy, who kept frustrating Liverpool, who have lifted 37, merely added to Anfield's frustration. Looking back at the last rhythmless and poor month, Houllier said there was nothing worse in football than playing well and losing. Last night his team did neither.

Liverpool (4-4-2): Kirkland; Traore, Henchoz, Hyypia, Carragher; Murphy, Gerrard, Diao (Hamann, 67), Smicer (Baros, 87); Diouf (Riise, 77), Owen. Substitutes not used: Dudek (gk), Babbel, Mellor, Biscan.

Vitesse Arnhem (4-4-2) Jevric; Jansen, Cornelisse, Stefanovic, Frankel (Mustapha, 35); Mbamba, Claessens, Levchenko, Janssen, Amoah (Dingsdag 67), Peeters. Substitutes not used: Van Fessem (gk), Van Beukiering, Sone, Rojer.

Referee: W Stark (Germany).