Rafael Benítez's woes continued as Robert Huth's late equaliser denied Liverpool three points

It's not been a good week for Rafael Benitez. But come on, all this idle speculation about his future is getting old. Give the man a break, he seems a nice chap and this is beginning to look like a witch hunt. Instead, let's concentrate on the positives.

THE POSITIVES
1. That "facts" riff from yesterday afternoon's press conference was a decent stab at dry self-deprecating humour.
3. Where is 2?

Anyway, the fact the skit went down like a lead balloon, met by stony silence in the press room, said more about the audience than it did the comic and his material. You can bet a pound to a peseta that, had it been delivered by someone boasting a more relaxed pint-and-a-pie style - a Harry Redknapp or Gordon Strachan - they'd have been rolling in the aisles.

So credit where credit is due, it was a good gag, allowing Rafa to join the pantheon of funny people from Liverpool: Alexei Sayle, Peter Serafinowicz, Tarby (the Palladium years all the way through to early-era Winner Takes All but not including Full Swing), Liza Tarby, Ken Dodd, Lily Savage, Johnny Vegas, ITMA's Tommy Handley, Margi Clarke, Tom O'Connor, the bloke who was on Tiswas and in The Scaffold, the other two blokes in The Scaffold, Faith Brown, Jamie Carragher in his very early 100mph interviews, Craig Charles, Stan Boardman, and Carla Lane. No, not Carla Lane.

As for Stoke... well, this is the level of attention you get these days if things are going well. In fact, they've been going so well, their bid to sign David James fell apart at the last minute. Tony Pulis' side look comfortable in mid table, and are hellishly hard to deal with at the Britannia. They don't have a great record against Liverpool, though, having failed to score in their last four matches against today's opposition, yet they're not short of confidence: chairman Peter Coates is on record saying that nobody fears Liverpool any more, and that they're to bring it on and see what happens. There's a hostage to fortune, right there. Though in fairness, he has a point.

All the heartache, misery and ennui begins to get unbearable for one set of fans at: 12.45pm.

Where squad sheets and all sorts of other information regarding this match can be found: here.

Stoke City: Sorensen, Huth, Abdoulaye Faye, Shawcross, Higginbotham, Delap, Whitehead, Diao, Etherington, Sidibe, Sanli.
Subs: Simonsen, Whelan, Lawrence, Fuller, Pugh, Collins, Wilkinson.

What's the collective noun for full backs, again? Reina, Carragher, Kyrgiakos, Skrtel, Insua, Degen, Lucas, Mascherano, Aurelio, Kuyt, Ngog.
Subs: Cavalieri, Aquilani, Riera, Rodriguez, Spearing, Darby, Pacheco.

Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire).

The pitch: It's not in great nick, so they keep saying. It looks decent enough to me, unless they're planning to play bowls on it, but then I'm simple folk.

Lame shirt metaphor angle: Stoke are playing, of course, in their first-choice home shirts of vertical red-and-white stripes. Liverpool are kitted out in black, which I'm informed is their third-choice strip; you can write your own joke about that easily enough, I should imagine.

And we're off! Stoke get the ball rolling. The Liverpool away support are really belting out You'll Never Walk Alone, getting behind the manager as best they can. "You'll not famous any more," counter the home fans. Nobody's able to hang onto the ball in the first couple of minutes. "I see that Aquilani is on the bench again," writes Wayne Farry, past whom nothing gets. "I mean, sure he's not been great at all since he's come but it appears that he's getting the Robbie Keane treatment even earlier than the striker did. Rafa has to be the most indecisive manager on Earth when it comes to buying players. Does he even send scouts out to watch them?" Wayne describes himself as "a Manchester United fan happy to see 'Pool in more disarray then us, just about". That it's come to this for the north-west's two giants.

3 min: Etherington races down the left and leaves Carragher for dead. This match-up already looks ominous; Carragher, world class as a central defender in his day, has never been much of a right back. The deep cross is headed behind by Insua for a corner.

5 min: From the Stoke corner on the right, Kyrgiakos heads clear - and suddenly Liverpool are four on two, racing upfield! Mascherano is in acres in the centre on his own, but instead of being released into the Stoke half, he stands and watches in impotent rage as Aurelio, standing to the right of the centre circle, tries to Alonso it from his own half. The effort is risible. Mascherano's volley of abuse is spectacular.

7 min: There's a whole lotta hoofin' goin' on.

9 min: Delap flings in one of his trademark throws from the right. Reina comes off his line, and fingertips it away from bother with Sidibe lurking. The commentator for Sky bangs on about how Reina "only just" got the ball away, the underlying message being that he shouldn't have harboured any fancy contenential ideas such as moving around, or attempting to deal with the danger. I don't get it.

11 min: Two more long Delap throws, both from the left. Reina elects to stay put for them both this time, nearly palms the first into the net, and plucks the second from the air with ease. This is a minefield, trying to make any judgement calls on this carry-on.

14 min: LIVERPOOL CAPTAIN UPDATE! He's in the stands looking miserable. Showcasing a total lack of animation, they may as well have simply shoved a cardboard cut-out in the stand and been done with it.

15 min: Degen swings a deep cross in from the right. Coming in from the left is Aurelio, who attempts to volley home from the corner of the area. That's a textbook case of ambition, right there.

18 min: Liverpool might be playing their Special System with a team packed with full backs, but they're the better side so far. Ngog is nearly released twice, first down the inside-right channel, then down the other side, but both times he mistimes his run and is flagged offside. Then Lucas has a decent dig from 20 yards, only to see his effort blocked by Shawcross and gathered by Sorensen. "Despite losing a front tooth, Tarby still managed to get the golf club off Craig Bellamy," writes Ian Copestake, for whom a big future in writing lame photo captions for poorly selling men's magazines surely awaits.

21 min: Stoke are suddenly finding it very difficult to hold onto the ball. Sidibe is throwing his arms around in semaphore shapes, frustration his main motivation in doing so.

23 min: Some good news for Liverpool here, surely: Rory Delap is substituted after becoming sick and tired of flinging in throw after throw after thr... hold on, no, he's got a calf strain. He's replaced by Liam Lawrence.

25 min: Lucas bursts into the box from the right, and exchanges a one-two with Degen, the latter playing his man in with a neat backheel. Higginbotham comes over and scythes Lucas down. It's a penalty for sure. The referee, however, decides the Liverpool midfielder dived, and gives the Brazilian a yellow card with which to pick the sods of grass out from between his teeth. That's a hilariously inept decision.

28 min: Liverpool have been by far the stronger side for the last 15 minutes or so. Aurelio whips a cross in from the left. It's far too deep. Carragher attempts to pick it up but the ball is ushered out of play by Higginbotham. As the two men trot back up the pitch, a clearly frustrated Carragher briefly contemplates belabouring his opponent round the back of the neck, but thinks better of it, his raised forearm slowly - reluctantly - being placed back down by his side. Abdoulaye Faye, injured, has been replaced by Wilkinson, by the way.

32 min: There's not much been going on, though Dirk Kuyt has finally kicked the ball! Yes, he really has kicked it! "That collective noun for these particular full-backs is Shower," writes dhgofhernehill. "Even allowing for the fact that Lee Mason is a clown of a ref, is it me or does Lucas never get any decision his way?" He gets picked every week. Isn't that enough?

35 min: Stoke suddenly burst into life, Lawrence and Tuncay combining down the inside-right channel, the former nearly bursting clear into the area but settling for a corner. The resulting set piece is a waste of time, effort, everything.

38 min: Stoke win a free kick out wide on the left. Lawrence hoofs in a looping effort which flies miles over every team-mate's head and straight into Reina's arms. That could possibly be the worst free kick of all time.

43 min: Misplaced pass, hoof, misplaced pass, hoof, hoof, head, hoof, hoof, hoofity, hoof, misplaced pass, hoof, hoof, hoof, hoof, hoof, hoof, hoof, hoof, hoof, hoof, hoof, hoof, hoof, hoof, hoofity, hoofity hoof. Best league in the world!

45 min: Carragher bundles Etherington over for no real reason. He shrugs a lot. The referee points at his breast pocket, a gesture that could be interpreted in more than one way.

HALF TIME: Stoke City NO, Liverpool NO. No, no, no, no, no, no, NO. This has been, for the most part, abject rubbish. Liverpool have, however, been the better side, and should have had a penalty when Lucas was bundled over by Higginbotham. But on the whole: no, no, no, no, no, no, NO.

Half-time meltdown: "On a technical level, this game is worse than the match I saw at Stocksbridge Park Steels earlier in the season," complains Pete Brooksbank. "However, it's either this or the cricket. Roll on the second half."

And we're off again! Liverpool get things moving again, immediately shedding possession to Stoke. Who immediately etc, and so on, and so forth. The only way is up.

47 min: Carragher loops a long pass down the right, but Kuyt can't get his foot on the ball to bring it down. Tum te tum. "Yeah, yeah, take your point about 'the best league in the world'," writes Sandra Pond, "but any league will feature dour matches involving struggling lesser teams during the second half of the season." It's old school, but it works.

51 min: Mascherano concedes a free kick, 30 yards from goal. Lawrence takes a swipe towards the top-left corner, but it's deflected off someone's eyebrows and out for a corner. That's all we need mention here.

53 min: Stoke are enjoying the lion's share of the ball in this half. They've taken a couple of wild potshots at goal, but that's about it from them at the moment. That hasn't stopped the crowd turning up the volume, though. "Nobody seems to understand that, up until recently, The Aquaman has played hardly any footer," cries Matthew Bailey. "The other day he managed to play more than a whole game, yet still folk wonder why Benitez has decided to leave him out the team. He must be knackered, poor lamb. When he plays he looks like a man who's accidentally been put in the wrong set for PE, but he doesn't want to get in trouble by telling the teacher."

55 min: Tuncay, haring after a long ball, springs the Liverpool back line, with Kyrgiakos and Skrtel lolling around and bumping into each other like drunks. His snapshot on the turn, from the right-hand edge of the area, is dragged wide left of goal.

57 min: GOAL!!! Stoke City 0-1 Liverpool. Liverpool are gifted a free kick out on the right, the ref blowing up for a nothing challenge by Higginbotham on Degen. Aurelio, level with the edge of the area, swings the ball into the six-yard box. Sorensen takes a step forward, stoops to claim - and makes a total cock-up of things, spilling the ball from his arms and onto Kyrgiakos, the Greek defender bundling home unattractively from four yards. Karmic payback time for Higginbotham, one might suggest.

60 min: Sorensen is doing a lot of shouting at his own defenders. Some self-awareness here, please.

61 min: From a long throw on the left, Shawcross flicks on at the near post towards Tuncay at the back. With Reina all at sea, the Stoke forward heads high over the bar, spurning a real chance. Things have suddenly - finally - started to happen in this match.

63 min: Ngog is taken down on the left, just before he can make it into the box. Lucas clips in the set piece, sending it straight down Sorensen's throat. That could contend with Lawrence's first-half effort for the title of Worst Attempt At Anything By Anyone In The History Of All Sport.

66 min: Sidebe is replaced by Fuller. "You do wonder if Rafa Benitez might be better off employing the old Crazy Gang long-ball system," opines Sandra Pond, who is in the zone this afternoon. "Anything that would bypass the majority of his own team must be an improvement."

68 min: Stoke have just made their third substitution, and Etherington is limping around. A lot. He doesn't look comfortable at all. Which probably means the next time I mention him, he'll be sending a piledriver into the top corner with his gammy leg from 35 yards.

70 min: Stoke are the walking wounded at present. Tuncay has taken a clack upside his head, and is looking very groggy. He's standing around on the touchline, the physio waving salts under his nose in the old-school fashion.

74 min: Diao hauls Lucas to the floor by linking arms with him, do-se-do style. He's booked for it.

76 min: Fuller storms down the right and into the box. Both he and the ball are bundled out of play. There are lame shouts for a penalty, but the challenge by Kyrgiakos was decent - and Fuller isn't one of the players making the claim. From the corner on the right, the same player meets the ball with a strong header, sending it flying goalwards. Luckily for Reina, it's straight at him. Luckily for Reina, he has safer hands than Sorensen, and keeps hold of the ball with no fuss whatsoever. Great play all round.

78 min: Maxi Rodriguez comes on for his Liverpool debut, replacing Degen. British Leyland style, he's trading using the name Maxi.

80 min: Liverpool ping it around very attractively for a minute or so, Lucas, Mascherano, Aurelio and Maxi all enjoying plenty of the ball. The best touch, however, is from the referee, who accidentally plays a perfect back-heel during the move, a bit like Billy Bremner in that Leeds game against Southampton back in the day.

82 min: Stoke relentlessly swing high crosses into the Liverpool box from either side of the pitch. Liverpool keep dealing with them unfussily. This is the rest of this match, played out right here.

84 min: A panicked header by Insua, dealing with a ball sent in from the right, nearly flashes into the bottom-right corner of his own net. It sails just wide - and Reina claims the resulting corner with confidence. "I hope Maxi can change gears easier than one could in the car," writes Ian Copestake. "Like pushing a knitting needle through marbles."

86 min: Now Stoke send a throw-in sailing into the Liverpool area from the left. Again, it's dealt with easily. Liverpool have defended well today, against a side who are always a handful at this ground.

88 min: Aquilani is on! He's replaced Ngog, who has been anonymous today.

89 min: GOAL!!! Stoke City 1-1 Liverpool. Kyrgiakos heads a long throw from the left behind for a corner. Reina punches the corner clear, and out of play on the right. Stoke elect to take that one short; from it, there's a huge melee, Carragher forced to poke wide right of goal. And from that, Higginbotham heads the long corner back across from the far post, allowing Huth to slide home into an empty net! Stoke deserve that for the relentless pressure they built up over the last ten minutes alone. Liverpool had defended well, but eventually cracked.

90 min: There will be five minutes of added time. The first sees Fuller nearly burst clear into the Liverpool area, the second a Stoke free kick flash wide of goal. "I am prepared for a barrage of comments on my lack of footballing knowledge," begins Paul Tess, "but could you clarify if the golf club wielding, gap toothed, Santa type person is a photograph of you, a referee or someone associated with one of the teams playing in The Best League in The World?" Well, Paul, much as I'm flattered to be compared to such a handsome fellow, that's not me but Jimmy Tarbuck, former host of Sunday Night at the London Palladium, and the man who made many a contestant's dreams come true by handing them a see-through briefcase containing ONE THOUSAND POUNDS as host of Winner Takes All.

90 min +3: Mascherano concedes a corner. With a header. From nearly on his halfway line! Dear Jesus. From the set piece there's another terrible scramble in the Liverpool area - so calm for so long, their defenders have fallen to pieces en masse - but this one is hacked away. To a man, Liverpool look sick.

FULL TIME: Stoke City 1-1 Liverpool. Oh me, oh my! With nearly five minutes up on the clock, Kuyt dives in to crash a point-blank range header onto the right-hand post from a superlative Aurelio cross. What a miss. "I think statisticians will be amazed at the regularity with which Liverpool concede goals during the last few minutes," suggests Øivind Idsø. "It's approaching a natural law." Rafa Benitez, walking off, has got the raging funk on - but then this is what happens in league football to teams who regularly attempt to grind out one-goal wins. Fact.

• Flintoff says he would always choose England over the IPL
• 'I would never turn down England ... Would I heck, no'

Andrew Flintoff insists England will always come first for him – ahead of the Indian Premier League and all other franchise contracts the world over.

Flintoff, no longer a centrally contracted player following his decision to turn down an England and Wales Cricket Board incremental deal, is hoping to be fit after his latest knee operation in time for next spring's IPL.

The 32-year-old, who retired from Test cricket four months ago, none the less insists he would never put any Twenty20 franchise opportunity ahead of his country.

Asked in next month's edition of the Wisden Cricketer whether he could ever do so, he said: "Would I heck, no. I would never turn down England ... I have shown more than enough passion over the years, and that's not something you lose because I don't have a contract.

"If I didn't think I was going to play for England again, I would not have had this latest operation, no way. It is all about playing for England. My intentions are to play every one-day and Twenty20 game for England. It is never going to be a case of picking and choosing."

Flintoff is still hoping too that some of his best years, as a limited-overs cricketer, are ahead of him.

"I'm not sure I have even played my best yet, especially in one-day cricket – so now I am having this break I think I have got the chance to get better as a player. I am not going to just get by. I genuinely think I can now play my best ever cricket."

Flintoff hopes his cricketing future can take him all over the world.

"I want to play for England and Lancashire; I've got my contract with Chennai – and now I have the opportunity to play around the world as well. I'm really keen to play in Australia, which has always been an ambition of mine. When I'm fit again I would love to play in their Big Bash Twenty20 competition."

Flintoff does not see his career decision to opt out of a central contract option and therefore become a freelance player as a blueprint for other high-profile stars to adopt.

"I don't think other players will follow what I've done," he added. "There is a real misconception at the moment – people go on about the riches involved in Twenty20 cricket – but you earn your reputation playing Test cricket.

"Everyone wants to play that, and then maybe later on in your career some players will have a choice – especially bowlers, who can't play everything forever."