I was right to leave out Torres

The Reds are still unbeaten, but they have now drawn their last three games and scored just two goals in stalemates with Portsmouth and Porto.

Torres was not introduced as a substitute until the final 30 minutes.

But Benitez defended the decision, saying: "I have four strikers, I played them all in the end.

"I felt that Andriy Voronin and Dirk Kuyt were the type of striker I would have needed to work hard against a packed defence."

Benitez gave credit to Birmingham after the game, although he admitted he side simply "ran out of ideas".

He said: "The game was very frustrating, we tried to play wide, we tried to get the ball into the box and we did everything we could to break them down.

"In the end we ran out of ideas. The game was too narrow, it was too congested in the box and there was no space.

"Credit to Birmingham, they were very well organised and worked very hard. They made it very difficult."

The Spaniard accepted Birmingham's deep defensive system is something that many teams will try to imitate at Anfield.

He said: "Yes, I suppose we must expect that style of play.

"But it is up to us to break it down, to find the spaces.

"It would have been a different game if we had scored from one of our early chances, but as each minute went by the situation became more difficult for us."

Liverpool could now have Jermaine Pennant out of Tuesday's Carling Cup tie at Reading.

Benitez said: "I do not think it is too serious, but we will have to see about him for the midweek cup tie."

Birmingham boss Steve Bruce was delighted with his side's application.

He said: "We only had about three lads out there who had even been to Anfield before.

"As a club we have to love occasions like this, playing at venues like this, and we want to be back here next season.

"We know we are going to be one of the clubs loitering around the bottom of the table, and it is absolutely vital that we stay in the division.

"If we come to places like Liverpool, play 4-4-2 and an open game, the chances are we will lose against teams with the quality Liverpool have.

"They gave us the hiding of our lives a couple of seasons ago in a cup tie, but Liverpool have never beaten us in the league since Rafa took over.

"We are their bogey side in league games and we aimed to continue that."