RANGERS took their leave from the Premier League displaying plenty of fight, which has not always been evident this year, but also limitations, which certainly have.
The result confirmed the wooden spoon for the Rs, with Reading finishing above them.
They did their best to avoid having a mere walk-on part in a game that was all about Jamie Carragher's final game for Liverpool.
But a first half strike from the best player on the park – Philippe Coutinho – settled a match that could have no real bearing on league placings.
The air was thick with nostalgia as the Kop feted the contributions of the retiring Carragher after 737 club appearances and Rangers players formed a respectful guard of honour for the man of the moment.
Clint Hill handed a special memento to the Liverpool captain to mark the occasion, as the stadium announcer mentioned the 'Miracle of Istanbul' and Anfield sang it's favourite ditty about 'dreaming of a team of Carraghers.'
The day was so much about him that even when he blatantly handled trying to turn in a high cross, ref Martin Atkinson could only smile rather than reach for a yellow card.
The biggest cheer of the afternoon came just past the hour when the centre back crashed a 25-yarder back off a post at the Kop End. He received a standing ovation when he was subbed five minutes from time.
The match itself was almost a sideshow, but at least it did not end in ignominy for Harry Redknapp's team, who were determined to avoid a repeat of the 3-0 defeat meted out by the Reds at Loftus Road and packed the midfield accordingly.
Rangers were lucky not to be a goal down inside the first minute at Anfield.Coutinho had a shot blocked before having his subsequent header from Stewart Downing's corner cleared off the line by Michael Harriman, who had a fine game in his first Premier League start.
It was touch and go whether the ball was kept out before it fully crossed the line. The Rs got the benefit of the doubt that time, but Coutinho was proving a handful and it was no real surprise when the young Brazilian drilled in the opening goal on 23 minutes.
Debutant Jordan Ibe had cut in from the left and laid the ball across the penalty area for the goalscorer to hit a sweet low shot just inside Robert Green's right hand post.
The Hoops were none too threatening as Liverpool monopolised possession, but Loic Remy came close to making it 1-1 with a sharp turn and shot from outside the area that had Pepe Reina scrambling across his line.
For the most part, though, Liverpool's full backs bombed forward and there were only brief interludes between spells of great pressure, where Rangers were able to draw breath.
Glen Johnson's forays up field were a constant menace to Rangers and Green did well to shift his movement in time to get to a deflected effort from the England right back early in the second half that was arrowing inside the near post.
Not long after, a burst of acceleration took Downing beyond Hill and Armand Traore and he ended with a shot into the side-netting with his weaker right foot.
It looked only a matter of time before Rangers would be put out of their misery, but Rangers kept going and Green (pictured) was in fine form – denying sub Fabio Borini and then Jose Enrique.
Jamie Mackie almost bagged a goal at the death after combining with Junior Hoilett, another sub.But of course, like the season as a whole, it was never going to be quite enough.
Line up: Green; Harriman, Onuoha, Hill, Traore; Mbia (Granero h/t), Derry; Ji-Sung Park (Hoilett 80); Remy, Townsend; Zamora (Mackie 72). Subs not used: Murphy, Da Silva, Ehmer, Bothroyd.
Attendance: 44,792
