EARLIER this season Stoke surprised us all by gaining a point with a superb backs-to-the-wall effort at Anfield. On Saturday they got the same result but deserved more.

We can partly thank Rafa Benitez for the arrogance in thinking he did not need to play either Fernando Torres or Robbie Keane to win at the Britannia Stadium.

Even so the Reds needed fewer than the fingers on one hand to count the paltry number of chances they created in 90 minutes.

Had Gerrard done what he so often does for his team and got them a belated winner it would have been a monumental injustice.

Delap shot against the bar in the first half, Shawcross had the ball in the net but saw his effort ruled out by the ref, Dave Kitson shaved the bar with a header and Glenn Whelan was just as close with a free kick.

Kuyt should have done better with an early header, but this was not the free-flowing Liverpool who ran riot at Newcastle.

That’s partly because Stoke did not gawp in awe at the opposition and stand to watch as they played pretty patterns.

It was a dogged, determined, gutsy display. The kind of showing we have come to expect from a team put out by Tony Pulis, the kind we will need to survive in this league this season.

Etherington’s skill and willingness added a new dimension to the team, which will get better once Lawrence is over his injury, Fuller finishes his suspension and any other new faces arrive.

But before we get too optimistic, guess who’s up next? Chelsea, at Stamford Bridge.

Pass me the crash helmet…