West Brom Goals: Zoltán Gera (43), Peter Odemwingie (64 PEN) Romelu Lukaku (77)
If all it took was one game for all the optimism to disappear, it's obvious there wasn't much of a foundation for it in the first place. There are still problems at Liverpool and the idea that Brendan Rodgers' arrival was - with largely the same team - magically erase all that which went wrong seems naive at best. However, it is still the first part of what is sure to be a long and intricate process. There were always going to be a few bumps along the way.
As far as team selection goes, everything was very straight forward there. The opening exchanges were always going to see West Brom on the front foot. Away from home on the opening day, we just had to hold steady and not do anything stupid for the first few minutes to encourage them to get at us. They did press high up the pitch and for the first five minutes it was difficult for anyone to get a foot on the ball but after that we settled down into a passing rhythm. Chances were few and far between but all of them seemed to centre around Luis Suarez. On ten minutes a loose ball led to him turning a couple of defenders and firing straight at the goalkeeper from outside of the box and five minutes later he controlled a pass, and turned inside to produce a good save.
One thing that does stand out, and perhaps this is was only evident because it was the opening day of the season was how impatient we were in the final third. To take such good care of the ball as we go from defence to midfield only to put an aimless ball into the box even though there's only one player in there seems incredibly counter productive. The two main culprits of this were Gerrard and Suarez and it could be argued that they are the ones most likely to open something up so that they have that kind of license and in the case of Suarez that's fair enough because he created chances and forced Ben Foster into a few saves but Gerrard had nothing to show for it. Often he would try something a little too difficult and we'd give the ball away. It should be noted that not only is he capable of making these kinds of passes he has done his entire career, but it doesn't appear to fit in with Rodgers' philosophy of keeping the ball. Whether this is something we'll have to try and iron out on a weekly basis or whether this was simply an over eagerness to hit the ground running, we'll have to wait and see.
Another, slightly more worrying note is the fact that our width in the first half - and this is where we played our better football - was provided almost exclusively by Glen Johnson. Martin Kelly has come under some intense criticism for his performance but I think the problem with that is while he's being played in the same position he played under Dalglish, the role is entirely different. Johnson fits this role perfectly be it on the right or left and was able to get down the flanks seemingly at will, to the point where he provided what should have been the opening goal for Luis Suarez, who jumped too early and headed over when he had a large area of the goal to aim for. Stewart Downing - for all his flaws - started well, he looked lively while pressing and was getting involved. Around the twenty minute mark however he simply vanished, lining up alongside Steven Gerrard twenty minutes later being the only thing preventing Brendan Rodgers from going into the dressing room to find him. Borini is still new to the club and getting to grips with everything and everyone but he too had very little effect on proceedings. He did remain a presence throughout but looked nowhere near as sharp as he would have liked and gave the ball away on a few occasions.
As for our other new boy - Joe Allen - he was the shining light of this game. He and Lucas in the middle of the park were tenacious in the tackle and the most composed unit throughout the team. There were times when Lucas looked a little shaky when under pressure at the back but Joe Allen had no such problems and even found time to make a good run into their penalty area, with Suarez unable to lift the ball over the defender to find him. Their work helped negate a lot of the attempted West Brom pressure and for the most part we looked incredibly comfortable in dealing with what they offered. Shane Long buzzed around and won a few soft free kicks but in terms of creating anything it didn't look like it was ever going to come. Then came the wonder goal. It was a succession of little things that led to it, from a contentious free kick to an innocuous corner and then it landed right at the chest of Zoltan Gera. What followed would have - against any other opposition - been beautiful. He struck it magnificently under pressure from Glen Johnson (who ran flat out, giving him no chance other than to hit it) and it flew into the top corner giving Reina no chance. Nice to see that even though some of the personnel change, the narrative doesn't. One slight note before half time, as Suarez got himself a needless booking. Having seen this I'm torn. I know full well that no other player would be booked under such a manner - Luis is one of those evil footballers after all - but I'm sure he must know it too and as such needs to avoid things like this. A good first half performance was spoiled right at the end by one of those goals that we always seem to concede. It was about to get a lot worse.
The second half started with much of the same. Brendan Rodgers had clearly sent them out with a purpose as the tempo and intent on back back level was there to see from the off. I've seen far too many teams in the past wait until it's too late before imposing themselves on the opposition and it would have been encouraging, if it wasn't for the fact that our willingness to put the ball aimlessly into the box continued. In the opening ten minutes of the second half Skrtel, Johnson and Stewart Downing - who at least was visibly on the pitch now - all pumped the ball forward, looking for Borini or Suarez to make something happen. I could understand putting the ball into an area and trying to overload it but we only ever had two men in that area and as such it was easy for West Brom to clear. Still, the signs were there that we were dead set upon getting back into this game. Then it all fell apart.
Having tempo and purpose to your play is one thing, overcommitting to early is another. Ten minutes into the second half and they caught us high up pitch, Morrison played one ball through the middle and after Skrtel slipped there was always going to be trouble. Agger tried to muscle in on Shane Long who was baring down on goal and probably fouled him outside the box, only for Phil Dowd to dish out a penalty and a red card. This is the same referee who failed to punish Keiron Richardson at Anfield under similar circumstances on the opening day of last season. Jamie Carragher was immediately summoned to replace Stewart Downing and fill the gap in defence. Perhaps that gap was what played on Shane Long's mind as his awful penalty went straight into the hands of Pepe Reina. Relief all round as we had been spared, it wouldn't last. Barely anything of note had passed moments later when Shane Long caught Martin Skrtel napping and ran in front of his attempted clearance and then falling over. Another penalty to West Brom.A goal down and down to ten, the impatience we had shown earlier on in the game gave way to outright petulance. Whether or not the first penalty was soft, we were given a reprieve and should have put our foot on the ball and taken the sting out of the game, something which we have the talent to do so. As it was, trying to think four moves ahead perhaps led to Skrtel's lapse in concentration and instead of taking care of the ball he allowed Shane Long the chance to get there. Having said all that I find it very difficult in admitting to a penalty when the one conceding it has no idea his opponent is even there. I'm not sure how you're gaining an advantage there. It didn't matter anyway, Odemwingie stepped up and made no mistake. Two-nil to West Brom now and the dream of an opening day three points pretty much shattered.
The remaining half an hour or so wasn't pretty. Both managers tried to affect what remained of the game with their substitutions. Lukaku and Fortune came on to press upon the Liverpool back line and Joe Cole came on for Lucas. It was a peculiar switch from Rodgers, not least of all for the injury Cole was about to pick up - but he cannot have foreseen that - but because it surrendered control of the midfield to West Brom. Ten minutes after the penalty and they had the chance to wrap it up, Morrison skying over after Lukaku had laid it on a plate for him. Joe Cole then did his hamstring and to his credit tried to continue but it - much like the game at that point - was a fruitless endeavour. Before he could be taken off there was time for a third goal, a harmless shot ricocheted to Liam Ridgewell on the left hand side of the penalty area. He clipped it to the back post where Lukaku rose up to put the ball away and with it the game.
In spite of an abject ten remaining minutes, Suarez and Borini linked well. Despite not being in the game for times in the first half, Borini grew into it again but was unable to affect it in any real way. The signs of a blossoming partnership with Suarez continued, with the Uruguayan looking like the main threat right the way through til the end. Mostly it consisted of Pepe Reina having to deal with a West Brom full of confidence now taking shots at will. The final whistle was a relief for all those associated with Liverpool to hear and hopefully we can draw a line under it, move on and never have to hear of it again. To lose by three goals was a little harsh - for we dominated possession at times - but until that killer instinct is developed then goals like Gera's will always be on the cards. We move on now, upward. Things can only get better.
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