And that inactivity could be the one crucial decision which eventually ends Rafael Benitez's time as Liverpool manager.

Barnsley's match-winner Brian Howard claimed Benitez's selection decisions backfired dramatically and few would argue.

Howard said: "I wasn't surprised Gerrard was not in their side from the start, that's what they do.

"He (Benitez) must have felt the players he did use were good enough to win the game.

"It does give you a boost to see the Gerrard's name is not in the starting line-up, he's their best player and he was not starting.

"I do understand why they do it, but it has backfired on them and they are out of the FA Cup. They are well behind in the league and they must produce it in the Champions League now because that is all they have got left.

"It has certainly backfired on them, they have lost the chance of a final in a competition that has seen so many Premier League sides knocked out."

Now Benitez turns from humiliation by Championship side Barnsley into a collision with one of Europe's best sides, Inter Milan being next up at Anfield in the Champions League.

The contrast could not be more marked, but with confidence shredded, the outcome is likely to be the same for Benitez's men.

Inter have lost just three of their last 45 away games in all competitions. So the question is whether a team that failed to swat away the journeymen from Yorkshire be expected to beat the aristocrats from Italy.

Few expect Liverpool to overpower the current Italian champions, so in four days Benitez's fate as Anfield chief will be all but decided.

Gerrard had a face like thunder watching with growing impatience, and it seemed that Benitez once had to send fellow substitute Alvaro Arbeloa down the touchline to pass on instructions.

But when he did get on, even an angry Gerrard could not save Liverpool from total humiliation.

Gerrard was not used properly while goalkeeper Jose Reina was not even in the squad. And Benitez's fans are beginning to turn the crowd against him.

French reserve Charles Itandje was a disaster, lacking confidence and concentration. He constantly finds himself thrown into Liverpool sides against teams who use aerial attack as their bread and butter. Havant and Waterlooville exposed him, so did Barnsley.

Benitez's decision to replace Ryan Babel with the ineffective Harry Kewell was booed by the Kop, and they booed Liverpool off at the end, before offering jubilant Barnsley a deserved ovation.

Liverpool created 31 chances, and Benitez said: "People will say that Steven or Pepe (Reina) should have played. But if you play at Anfield against Barnsley and you are concerned that one or even two top players are not involved, something is wrong.

"I don't want to repeat 100 times the same thing. We had the chances, it has been like this for the last few months.

"We cannot change this result, but we must look now at the Champions League and try to finish our chances next time.

"We must think of Europe, we still have fourth place in the league to go for, that is what is coming next."

He added: "We must keep going, we have Europe and the Premier League, and we can be successful in both.

"Clearly we must not complain about everything, we must keep going, put this behind us and do our best and work hard in an important game.

"Our confidence will be increased by scoring goals. Things can be different if you do that job properly.

"I do not regret changing our goalkeeper, if we take our chances it does not matter who is in goal. You cannot blame one person, not the 'keeper.

"We were on top throughout. The chances came from the right, the left, from set-pieces, from outside and inside the box. Look at how many chances we had.

"We did not want to risk Fernando Torres, he was not quite ready and we want him against Inter Milan.

"He could not have given 100%. And we surely could have managed without Gerrard, surely the players used were good enough to win against a lower division team."