(H) Manchester United - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: Liverpool 1-2 Manchester United
Liverpool Goal: Steven Gerrard (46)
Manchester United Goals: Rafael Da Silva (51), Robin Van Persie (81 PEN)

The emotional circumstances surrounding this game and the very nature of our opponents meant that this was always going to be a particularly hot-blooded affair.  Though it stings and there may be a reaction, the result is not what I'm going to take from this.  It's the fact that managers name was sung by the Anfield crowd toward the end.  Given everything that had gone on both prior to kick off and the excellent way he had handled himself and the match itself, Anfield was on the same page.  We believe in Brendan Rodgers.

Things may have been straightforward as far as the team sheet was concerned but there was a lot to take in before a ball had been kicked.  Patrice Evra and Luis Suarez both understood the occasion and took full part in the pre match handshake as players of both teams wore tracksuits with the number ninety-six emblazoned on them.  Ryan Giggs and Steven Gerrard both released the same number of balloons into the sky as a way of remembering those who were lost in 1989 and Anfield as one displayed a moving mosaic.  These were incredibly powerful and moving scenes.

When the game got under way there was a visible effort from both sides as all around the ground the chants of "Justice for the 96" rang out loud and clear.  Neither team settled particularly quicker than the other, although United had more of the ball in the opening few minutes.  The shape of the side looked a lot more prevalent and consistent than it had done in previous matches, right from kick off it was clear of the balance of the side and how it continually reacted as they passed it around the midfield.

Whether or not it was a fact of them being weakest at wing back or strong through the middle, the first forays into the United half were done down the flanks.  Glen Johnson and Raheem Sterling were getting the ball down at either side and trying to cause as many problems as early as possible.  The first real chance of the game came from a Ryan Giggs effort that saw him be given too much space on the edge of the box before curling it wide.  Almost immediately afterwards Sterling slid in Suarez down the side of the six yard box and though he was at a tight angle still force Lindegaard into a save.  Gerrard and Borini were looking to pounce but it fell to a United shirt and was cleared.  The signs were there early on for a very open encounter.

If there is one player in the squad of whom it can be said is overflowing with confidence it's Raheem Sterling.  Having established himself now as a first team player, it amazes me how consistently threatening he's managed to be over the last few games as a player of his age would usually have a lot more swings in form as they learn about life in the Premier League.  Once again he was making a mark, pushing Evra back and linking up well with those around him.  His hard work nearly paid off as a corner that he'd earned provided Gerrard with a chance only for the skipper to hit it narrowly wide.  Stevie himself has looked particularly bright early on, being involved often and playing in the way that the manager will have wanted him to.

Given the nature of the fixture, United sat off early as we accumulated possession.  They allowed us to have it in our own half, whereas we pushed them up the pitch as far and hard as possible without the ball and tried to force a mistake or two.  Fabio Borini has in recent times been compared - certainly in terms of whose place in the squad he is filling - to Dirk Kuyt.  Here, they've never looked more alike - and I mean that as a compliment.  If anything Fabio's movement is ever so slightly better, having seen him in recent games time his run away from the back four and break the offside trap to perfection but then his touch and composure end up letting him down.  The one moment that wasn't pretty about our play - which would impact the game in a massive way later on - was Jonjo Shelvey's high tackling.  Were it not for the fact that he's been doing this for some time now you could argue that it was the occasion and not the man but as such, there's no way he's going to do anything other than go into these challenges full blooded.  That is, until he is punished for it.  More on that later on.

One of the complaints that's made about possession football, in particular the brand we've seen with Spain and even of Swansea under Rodgers last year is the fact that at times it can appear there is no purpose to it.  Anyone could have seen the first twenty or so minutes of the game and thought the same of it here, but there's an added layer to the way we were passing the ball.  These weren't slow, simple passes designed to annoy the opposition or run down the clock in anyway, we were fizzing balls into feet all over the park.  The technique you need to have in order to do this successfully requires players to be fully aware of everything that's around them and as such, allows that extra opportunity to play through a ball the opposition won't be expecting.  It's maybe half a second of thinking time but over the course of a game would certainly wear down most defenders, because you're forcing them to not only close the play down that much quicker but to always be thinking on their feet.

Having gotten ourselves firmly into the game now, conversely United were becoming far more sloppy as it went on.  Stray passes allowed us to start again frequently and - in part due to being pushed high up the pitch - knocking it aimlessly long played into our high line, allowing Agger in particular to come into midfield and overwhelm them numerically.  In trying to create chances of our own, it again came mostly from the right hand side.  This time Martin Kelly was getting forward and putting crosses into the box, earning a succession of set pieces in the process.  A lot has been said about Kelly's place in the side as an attacking full back and though I think his crossing isn't one of his strengths, it's something I still liked to see.  The balls he puts into the box are percentage crosses, not of any real accuracy but playing them into a dangerous area in the hope of making something happen.  For that to be effective, he has to put in a high number of them in order increase the odds of one of them being a threat.

Mid way through the first half and an injury to Rio Ferdinand gave United a chance to take a deep breath and calm themselves down.  For all of our good passing and movement in the first two thirds of the pitch, there was a significant slow down as we approached their penalty area.  It was impressive to see however as Gerrard and Shelvey would get into good areas which allowed Sterling, Borini and Suarez the chance to isolate the centre halves.  Both Rio and Jonny Evans were playing well enough but it was an indication of how far they'd been pushed back as to how much they were getting on the ball.

Following up from his measured performance against Sunderland, once again Steven Gerrard looked to be pulling the strings and defying those who suggested he's a liability in this system and style of play.  His passing varied from long to short but was mostly in line with the rhythm in which the rest of the team was playing and he was able to affect the game in a much more creative way than at the Stadium of Light.  This wasn't Gerrard playing within himself or trying to box his talents in to fit the system.  There were one or two instances where he did attempt something a little more ambitious but not only did it come off but it was also the right pass to play at the time.  It was good to see.

While there was no real onslaught on Lindegaard in the opposition goal, there was a real pressure being exerted.  Only one team was creating chances and the other was finding it difficult to string a few passes together such was the way in which we harassed them high up the pitch.  Typically good players were being forced into mistakes and it was going to take something out of the blue if they were going to get back into the game.  Like a red card.

The whole thing wasn't particularly great, in any respect.  Jonjo said after the match that he wasn't going to pull out of a challenge when he thought the ball was there to be won in a game like this and if he did there would be a certain section who would have accused him of being a bottler.  In that sense he can't win.  However, Rodgers does need to have a look on the training ground as to what can be done to improve his timing of these tackles.  Shelvey is a fantastic prospect but will spend far more time off the field for things like this if he doesn't get it sorted.  That doesn't absolve the referee of anything by the way.  The way both players dived in it has to be either both off or neither of them.  If anything Evans' challenge is worse than Shelveys as he's the one that makes contact with two feet.  It was a ridiculous decision at a time when the match looked to be in our complete control.

When we went down to ten men against West Brom on the opening day, Rodgers' reacted with an immediate change.  This time he opted against making any substitutions and with only five minutes to go until half time will have seen his decision almost instantly vindicated.  There was so much of a cohesion between all those that were involved, in spite of the red card it was still Liverpool on the attack.  At the other end, United weren't allowed to so much as have the ball at their feet in the final third, with there always being a red shirt on hand to get it clear.

With the midfield reduced in numbers, a lot more was going to be asked of those who remained to keep the balance.   Sterling and Borini had already done a great deal of work in both getting down the flanks and occupying defenders as well as helping out at the back when it was necessary.  What appeared to happen was that Gerrard and Allen were to split Shelvey's work between them.  Allen in particular who had been playing very tidy just in front of the back four was suddenly popping up all over the pitch.  He went from covering for Kelly to bombing down the wing, then appeared on the other flank to play Borini in for a cross that went just wide.  The fluidity which ran through the whole team really was something special.  As half time came, even though the disappointment of losing Shelvey was still on everyone's minds the only thing that was missing from that performance was a Liverpool goal.

Both teams made substitutions before the second half could get going.  Scholes came on for Nani and Suso came on for the injured Borini to make his Premier League debut.  Again, it's one of those things that shows quite how much Brendan Rodgers believes in his philosophy.  Starting Sterling and Coates against Manchester City was a fairly brave but totally understandable call, whereas no-one would have batted an eyelid had Henderson or Assaidi came on rather than the Spaniard.  What with Raheem and now Suso  getting their chance, as well as the glowing references given to the likes of Robinson, Wisdom and Morgan and there's more of a feeling than ever that if you do well then there are places to be fought for.  That may be indicative of how threadbare we are, but I still find it encouraging that he's not going for the "safe" option.

Fortune favours the brave.  Rodgers could have been forgiven for patting himself on the back after Suso's introduction led almost immediately to the opening goal from the restart.  His cross down the left hand side was headed out to Johnson, who drove into the penalty area.  The ball was again not properly cleared and came to Steven Gerrard, who promptly controlled it with his chest and placed it into the bottom corner.  Having played so well with ten men, it was good reward to finally have the lead.  It wouldn't last.

What happened in the immediate aftermath of the goal is something of a blur.  United were understandably stung into action and with the addition of Scholes in midfield were passing the ball around infinitely better than they had in the first period.  We were a little deeper - both as a consequence of  their improvement and in trying to ride out the wave of initial pressure that was going to come from scoring - but in addition to that they were also finding space in our midfield.  The equaliser - although incredibly deflating - was still a strike of some quality.  Such a shame it had to be Rafael (not that any of them are much better).  His run with the ball down the wing and then inside the penalty area when he had given it out wide was left alone.  When Kagawa chested it back to him there looked to be no real room to do anything, so his strike to curl it around Pepe Reina really was unexpected.

The momentum had completely swung.  From having been behind, United were firmly on the front foot and getting into good areas.  When we did get the ball there was a massive gap between our midfield and attack, although Suarez was making it stick and Suso was encouraging in his regularity with getting involved.  After a few minutes and the game had settled down a little, United settled into the classic rhythm of a team with quality players and a man advantage.  They were going to be patient and pass it around, trying to tire us out in much the same way we had done to them in the first half.  Still, they couldn't help that when we did get the ball, the threat of a second was still there.

It's far to say that Mark Halsey was not the most popular man at Anfield.  Having sent off Jonjo Shelvey, he riled the crowd further by denying a penalty on Suarez that could easily have been given - had it not been the Uruguayan offended.  The volume in Anfield went up even more moments later when Paul Scholes received his customary booking.  There was a lot to be optimistic about, not least of all the growing in stature of Suso, who was putting himself about and playing like a man who was making his hundredth game in the Premier League, let alone his first.

What happened next had no effect on the game.  It wasn't a particularly important passage of play, nor did it lead to anything significant.  In five short minutes - if that - the ideology of Brendan Rodgers was laid bare.  We were down to ten men against Manchester United.  With our lead that we'd worked so hard for having been wiped out, I know - and can understand why - a lot of managers who would be seriously thinking about shutting up shop.  We had Martin Kelly and Glen Johnson not only in their half of the pitch but very high up.  Daniel Agger would pick up the ball and burst forward, moments later Martin Skrtel followed him.  This was our way of saying that despite the circumstances surrounding the game, we believed that the team who played the better football would win.  Most encouragingly of all, we wanted that to be us.

At times it was like there were two separate games being played.  Using the half way line as a divider, it was defence versus attack on both sides of the pitch.  When we were on the front foot however, it was expansive open and dynamic.  With United trying to break us down we were tight, organised and desperate to give nothing away.  Suarez is the kind of player that still had enough about him to worry a defence regardless of who else is playing and as the focal point of our attack both his energy levels and composure was paramount to getting anything.  He continued to be a menace, taking a ball through and occupying a few defenders before laying it back to Suso who forced Lindegaard into a good save.  If you didn't know it, anyone would have thought we had the man extra.

Jordan Henderson came on for Raheem Sterling to try and close the gap in the middle of the park that had been getting larger ever since the second half started.  The change in shape allowed Suso and Suarez to link together directly and instantly resulted in a chance, with Luis trying to shoot from a near impossible angle and firing right across goal.  In trying to create something that could lead to a second goal, both men were also working very hard in trying to press the back four of Man United but were unable to get close to them.  All across the park they were beginning to find the spare man with some regularity now and pushing us ever further backward.  Still Reina had no save to make and so long as it stayed that way, we would be okay.

Time slowed down.  The whole thing was over in a matter of seconds and yet it felt excruciatingly drawn out.    Suso had the ball just over the half way line and was looking fairly composed with it.  His pass to Daniel Agger was contested by Robin Van Persie, which caused it to go loose.  I think Agger was already injured by the time he made his second challenge, which inevitably took out Glen Johnson as Antonio Valencia poked it past the both of them and went charging forward.  Johnson to his credit got back up and ran half the length of the pitch to make a challenge.  He didn't quite get there but Valencia still went down.  Penalty to Manchester United.

Agger's injury accounted for a very long delay in the taking of the spot kick, before Jamie Carragher replaced him.  I was hoping that it would do something to Robin Van Persie's mind, in the same way Shane Long had waited so long to take his against us and made a complete mess of it.  As soon as it had been pointed out that United had missed three penalties already this season, the outcome was obvious.  Pepe got very close to it, but Van Persie had done the incredible feat of scoring again at Anfield by having less kicks of the ball than there were goals in the game.

What followed was a valiant effort but no real chance presented itself.  Martin Kelly got on the end of a Glen Johnson cross when there was nobody else in the penalty area and nodded it just wide.  With nothing to lose, both fullbacks would be given the green light to go forward as much as possible, not that they needed it.  After scoring the penalty, Van Persie then endeared himself to the crowd by lunging in on Suso.  It was a risky challenge, one that you would advise your players against making for fear of the referee evening the game.  A yellow card was all that was given.  People want consistency from referees.  Mark Halsey gave us consistently bad.

By now the home support and players were understandably frustrated.  There were United players going down at the drop of a hat as they began to eat away at what little time remained.  Danny Welbeck even came on for Rafael and in five minutes managed to spend as much time on the floor as on his feet.  Stoppage time gave us a final chance to push forward but by now we had given everything and were visibly tired.  Just to make matters worse, Martin Kelly had to come off through injury as well.  This was one of those horrible ones in which there was no contact from the other player but his studs went into the ground at a bad angle and looked to have done some serious damage to his knee.  Immense frustration greeted the final whistle, most of it directed at the referee who'd had more influence on the game than any player.  We now stand in the bottom three having played five games with very little to show for it.  Things aren't great but this isn't over.  The way I see it, we've only just begun.

Martin Kelly: All The Right Moves In All The Wrong Places

At the heart of every iconic moment in the history of Liverpool Football Club, there are those who stand out.  Fom Billy Liddell to Steven Gerrard and beyond, we exalt their exploits as if they are the stuff of legend.  Despite our support and favouritism, the truly great are very few in number.  We are lucky in that some of the great exponents of this simple game have pressed their studs into the Anfield turf and we watch from the stands in awe.  That still leaves a very large number of people - even those whom we think of fondly - who don't posses those unparalleled talents.

There is a great need in the world of football to label things.  Fast and small? You're the new Theo Walcott.  Any half decent scoring midfielder/striker with a good agent these days has been compared to Messi at least once.  Almost ten years ago, Liverpool had on their books a versatile defender.  He didn't excel at anything in particular but had more than a grasp for the art of defending and gave you everything he had.  The arrival of a new manager with a different philosophy to all those before it spelled a change in Jamie Carragher's career that saw him - briefly - become one of the best defenders in Europe.  Could the same happen again with Brendan Rodgers and Martin Kelly?

If they are to make good on their childhood dreams of being a footballer, there are inevitably roadblocks that must be overcome along the way.  In Martin Kelly's case that obstacle came early on in the form of a serious back injury, which stunted his development by almost two years.  Spotted by the Liverpool scouts at the tender age of seven years old, he was originally a centre midfielder but his height and composure on the ball saw him move back to defence, where - throughout his years at Melwood - he has played every position along the back-line.  After receiving rave reviews as a member of Gary Ablett's title winning reserve team in 2008, Kelly would go that one step further and make his Liverpool bow, coming on in the last few minutes for Jamie Carragher in a Champions League game in Eindhoven.

Having made enough of an impression on Rafa Benitez to include him in a few Champions League squads, the focus now was on whether or not he could push for a place in the regular first eleven.  In an attempt to get some first team football behind him, the last six months of the 2008-09 season saw Kelly loaned out to Huddersfield town, during which he scored his first ever competitive goal.  This continual progress, coupled with the departure of Sami Hyypiä led Benitez to claim that there would be a chance for one of the youth team players to make that step up and he again found himself in the team for a Champions League game, only this time in the starting line up.  Being awarded Man of the Match was a step in the right direction but unfortunately it came at a price.  A groin injury picked up in that game sidelined Kelly for four months.

The summer of 2010 saw major change at Liverpool as Rafa went out and Roy came in.  Kelly's chances were limited to Europa League games although a starting role in a two goal victory over Chelsea at Anfield was quickly followed by a new three year contract shortly after ward.  When Kenny Dalglish came in the following January, things began to pick up quickly for both Martin and the rest of the team. An extended run in the first team made it so that first choice right back Glen Johnson was moved over to the left side of defence, such were his performances.  When it was all going so well, injury struck again.  A hamstring tear against West Ham would be the end of his season.  He had shown the Liverpool faithful what he was capable of, and was also in the process of doing it on an international level.

Ashton Gate versus Uzbekistan.  Hardly the most glamorous of opponents and locations, nevertheless Martin Kelly made his England Under 21 debut and scored in the 2-0 victory in August 2010.  Just over a year later and he netted two goals in as many games to take his tally to three in five.  He underlined his potential for goalscoring by netting the second against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge just a week later.  These performances - coupled with one against Arsenal at the start of the season which drew plaudits from Fabio Capello himself - saw him firmly on the international radar.  He had come back from injury time and again, each time determined to come back stronger.  He had never had a particularly bad game for Liverpool and so, an even bigger challenge was on the horizon.  Despite all of this, nothing could prepare him for the fury that was about to come.

Injuries along the back line had deterred England's preparation for Euro 2012.  Micah Richards had ruled himself out because he didn't want to be on any standby list.  Roy Hodgson turned to Kelly - someone he had worked with before and quite probably the best option of those who were left.  It was as if Hodgdon had picked a short sighted alpaca.  Radio phone ins and internet forums added fuel to the fire, questioning the decision.  It was as if the rest of the country as one stood up and said "I have never seen Martin Kelly play." coupled with the fact that Liverpool had underachieved the season prior - as well as a severe undercurrent of dislike for the club in general - saw Kelly as a scapegoat for a side that hadn't even played a game yet.  Which brings us neatly to what's happening now.

Brendan Rodgers' arrival and subsequent change of philosophy, coupled with the performance against West Brom at the weekend has seen Kelly at the heart of another debate.  Those writing off his ability are almost certainly writing premature obituaries, because there is room for him at Liverpool Football Club.  If Martin were playing for a mid table club, someone like Tottenham, Chelsea or Arsenal would have likely snapped him up during this transfer window, so we must be careful in not discarding or tarring him.  Scapegoat tags are very hard to get rid of and after the summer he's just had it would be unfair to add to any of that.  That being said, there is a conversation that needs to be had.  Sooner rather than later, Kelly has to be moved to the centre.

Maybe it's the comparisons with Jamie Carragher that put people off Kelly long term.  Even though these days people only ever talk about him in a negative light, while the comparisons are still valid they don't resonate as much in a Brendan Rodgers side.  The flaws in Kelly's game out wide are arguably as great as those in Carra's game in the middle of this system, but playing Martin in the middle negates both of those aspects.  He's much more comfortable with the ball at his feet however, and carries a far greater aerial threat.  I see no reason why moving him centrally shouldn't at least be attempted, other than the fact that it leaves us very light in the wing back positions - although this could be rectified in the coming week.  If Liverpool insist on leaving him out wide, there's a possibility they may hinder themselves in two positions rather than just the one.

It's unlikely that Martin Kelly will ever score a hat-trick in four minutes or inspire an Istanbul like comeback.  His career at Anfield to date has been largely inconspicuous, but every club needs players like this.  People who will give their all and get on with whatever it is they have to do, without being conscious of the limelight.  Over the course of a season contributions will be made by everyone, some will have to be greater than others because not everybody can be a superstar.  To ignore that input would be foolish because the likes of Gerrard and Suarez wouldn't be able to do what they do were it not for the contribution of a Kelly or Lucas.  Even the smallest star still shines brightly in the sky.

(A) West Brom - Post Match Thoughts

Final Score: West Brom 3-0 Liverpool
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.

Making A Case For The Defence

"You stay back". They are the words every child hates to hear. Being told to defend is the footballing equivalent of sitting in at home while your friends got to have all the fun up front. At fault for seemingly everything that went wrong and never quite given enough credit whatever went right - it was always much more fun to laugh at the misfortunes of the opposition striker - it's a wonder anybody grows up and wants to be a defender. On pitches all up and down the country, our first introduction into the role of a defender is nothing more than those silhouette like frames they put in front of goal to replicate a wall during training. You're an obstacle to be gotten around, a spoiler, somebody who wasn't talented enough to score the goals that everyone loves. At least goalkeepers get to use their hands.

Twelve months of frustration and false dawns. Crossbars, cup runs and Coates' goal at QPR all combined to lay out a path that made us smile, but all too briefly. Of all the problems we had last season - which grew to pandemic proportions as the season stuttered to a close - the defence for the most part anyway, was not one of them. Liverpool conceded only fourteen league goals in the first half of the season. That's including the four goal horror show at White Hart Lane. It would be easy - and also true to some degree - to point out that the absence of Lucas protecting the back four as the season went on contributed to what became a torrid league campaign but there were other factors at hand. Before we take a look at each player individually, let's have a look at the defence as a whole.

Consistency is more than just a byword when it comes to the art of defending and even though - José Enrique apart - everyone is more than comfortable and used to each other it's more to do with partnerships all across the park. Toward the back end of the season - a completely understandable - rotation set in and as such a lot of chopping and changing came in toward the latter part of April, to the point where a stretch of five games saw nine different defenders used and no two line ups the same. It could also be argued that our failures in front of goal contributed to our increased fragility at the back, purely in the sense that there was added pressure to keep things tight while we struggled to score ourselves. Collectively I think it's fair to say that defensively we were solid enough save for one or two lapses of concentration (QPR, West Brom). As a group they pass the test. How do they do individually, and what roles do they have to play in the future?

Jamie Carragher

Our opinionated vice captain was not so long ago enjoying god-like status. No more. The body that made him one of the best defenders in Europe for a period (2005-07) has long gone. Now his mere inclusion in the line up is more likely to induce groans than confidence. I love Jamie Carragher. His name is on the back of my lucky shirt and was also the nickname I was given for years playing five a side football (it was endearing, honest) but as Liverpool Football Club moves forward he must realise that his time is up. It feels horrible that I would ever grow to dislike the man, almost betrayal even on a subconscious level, but things like hearing him talk about Rafa leave a very sour taste in my mouth. His playing time will be severely restricted next season, not least of all because he fits in with Rodgers' tactics about as well as I fit in with a group of South American drag artists. Having said that, I have no doubt that both his experience and passion for the club would make sure he would answer the call if required.

Jon Flanagan

After a couple of incredible filled to the brim with promise when Kenny returned at the back end of last season, this year was very difficult. Took a lot of flack on the opening day of the season for Seb Larsson's equaliser and was taken out of the firing line until the needs of the squad called for it as FA Cup duty took precedence over the league. Even then, there was still time for a real nightmare against Blackburn, during which he should probably have seen red. It's amazing how when you first come into the side and nobody expects anything someone can become a legend overnight, unfortunately the fall is just as fast - maybe even faster for a defender. Taking everything into account it's very possible we have a decent player on our hands but we have to handle him carefully. Loaning him out would certainly be an option but if we are going to adopt a certain style right throughout, maybe his football development might be better off right here with the added bonus of knowing he has first team experience if necessary.

Danny Wilson 
Short of anybody who frequented Rangers in 2009/10 or a regular viewer of the Liverpool reserves, it's really hard to make any kind of judgement about Wilson. There is a danger with the suggestion that he's been in and around the club now long enough to have made some kind of impact but I think Rodgers will at the very least give him a chance. He's a capped international and has fledgling experience at a lower level (sorry Rangers fans, although I'm sure you've got bigger things to be worrying about) so with that in mind given the schedule we're likely to be playing this year I see no harm in having a player like this around. The most likely scenario is a loan to a Championship club with Blackpool again being the likely candidate.

Glen Johnson
Theseus and the Minotaur. Jason and the Argonauts. Glen Johnson can't defend. I don't know which one of those is you're favourite myth but I do enjoy tales of fantasy nonetheless. Has had a rough year through injury but of the twenty three league games he did manage this season, we conceded eighteen goals and had nine clean sheets in that time. Our best football does seem to coincide with Glen being on the pitch as he contributes on both ends. I would like to see him get to the byline a little more but that's something that could be said of all our wide players - the few we do have.

José Enrique
Two days passed between Newcastle announcing we had agreed a fee and his debut at Anfield. He looked like he'd been in the team for years. For the first few months he was our best piece of business. With no real cover for him other than to play Glen Johnson out of position, it's no surprise that as games went on he looked visibly tired compared to his early season performances. Despite the fact that his tenancies to try and play the ball out from defence caught him out a few times, it's something I think will fit the style we're likely to play this season. Costing comparatively little for the talent we have and the fact that it was his first season, I think he did very well. Needs some help though.

Sebastián Coates
Despite my affinity for defenders, I can't ever remember being that excited by one. Even the iconic big Finn Sami Hyypiä came to us with minimal fanfare. Having grown an attachment to watching Uruguay for all their attacking prowess, I did get to see Coates play in the Copa America. At the moment he is incredibly talented, albeit somewhat raw as a defender. You never want for anybody to get injured during the course of a season, it's a natural occurrence however hence why it's a squad game. Maybe I'm expecting too much for him to be the direct cover for Agger or Škrtel but I'm chomping on the bit to see him play. It will be very interesting to see how he fits into our style of play under Rodgers.

Jack Robinson
Cautious though I may be to over hype or put any undue expectation on someone so young, it's still very hard to shake his debut performance from my mind. To be thrown in at the Emirates against Theo Walcott, I can imagine there would have been some players who would have walked off the pitch and straight into an asylum such was their torment. The hunger for first team football may urge him to look for a loan move but I'd want him in and around the squad as much as possible. Given the demands of Thursday-Sunday football that we're going to have this season as well as any additional cup games - along with Flanagan - is likely to feature a lot more next year.

Martin Kelly
There's something to be said for consistency. Being able to perform not necessarily at the highest level but still doing everything right on a regular basis. Kelly has barely put a foot wrong since coming into the side and is very unfortunate to be behind anyone in the pecking order as when he gets into the team looks very hard to dislodge on merit. Whether or not he ends up playing out wide or in the middle - something that at least needs to be tried - is open to debate. He is right now for me our next in line if anybody goes down injured. My only hope is that he comes home from Euro 2012 a better player for having the experience of being with an international squad in a tournament like this, rather than a scapegoat for a team full of excuses.

Martin Škrtel and Daniel Agger: The Monster and The Maestro

I put these two together because that's where they belong. Everybody knows that Agger is class. If it wasn't for injuries I genuinely think he'd be in the top five defenders worldwide. Having him in the side is like taking Valium before boarding a plane, you just feel so much more relaxed. His assurance, accuracy of passing and all around ability on the ball is something more befitting a midfielder, with one hell of a powerful shot on top of all that. Pretty much the complete package for a defender, he will fit into our new way of playing perfectly with Brendan loving defenders who are comfortable on the ball. Finally we come to the final piece of the jigsaw. Liverpool Football Club's player of the year. Harder than a diamond Chuck Norris. Martin Škrtel. It's been something of a bumpy ride for our skinheaded Slovakian over the last few years. In a rich vein of form before a horrific cruciate injury at Man City, he was then knocked out by Carra on the opening day of the following season and it looked like he'd never get back to anything like his best. This year he's been a one man wrecking crew. Not withstanding, there is still that tendency to lunge into tackles he can't possibly win which leads to unnecessary free kicks but other than that he was more than deserving of the award. Don't believe me? Watch this

Outlined magnificently in this article here, we perhaps have the blueprint for our future. We are moving into an age where set positions are becoming less rigid all the time and as such if this is the way in which Rodgers will be setting up then we certainly have the players capable of fitting that mould. Agger we know is immaculate in possession and Skrtel on occasions has shown to be more than capable of striding forward with the ball. Johnson and Enrique will have a heavy burden placed upon them as it appears the wide players will have a heavy workload but both are quick and athletic so that shouldn't be a problem. It's important to note that while we may be looking to emulate the way in which Rodgers got his Swansea team to perform, because of what we want to challenge for we must outperform them in certain areas. One that has become key in recent seasons for any side wishing to finish high up in the table is not one that may immediately spring to mind. Goalscoring.

We ask a lot of our footballers these days. Forwards must track back, provide and score goals. The midfield should possess the unique ability of being in two different places at once, helping out at both ends of the pitch. Once upon a time it was considered useful if somebody was able to assist in areas other than their own, now it's become a necessity. At the very highest level it doesn't matter how good the player is, he must be able to do it all. As the game has moved forward in this respect so has what's been required of our defenders. Very much based around utilizing all aspects of the squad, as crazy as it sounds the defence now needs to chip in with a certain amount goals itself.  Swansea only managed to combine one goal from the seven players that played in defence for them last year and that's fine because they were only looking for survival.  If we are to push forward however - and we aren't lacking in players with the capablities of doing so - then our back four need to find the net more often.

In the nineties, goalscoring defenders came in one mould. South American who were more concerned about scoring than preventing. To some extent that's still true but as with everyone else, they've improved on that aspect also - Dani Alves being the rightful heir to Cafu's throne. The other stereotype was a burly centre half who would take full advantage of his size on set peices. Again that type of player is more prevalent than ever, to the point where Ryan Shawcross averages a goal every ten games. They're not just big lumps anymore however, Vertonghen and Vermalen both examples of players who affect the play dramatically on both ends of the pitch. Taking the Arsenal centre half as an example, he scored as many goals last season in the league as Torres, Ashley Young, David Silva and one more than Nasri, Drogba and Steven Gerrard. The difference this can have cannot be understated. Below are two tables. The first shows the amount of clean sheets in a season between the champions, those that finished fourth and Liverpool. Secondly is a table showing the amount of goals from the back. You'll notice that there appears to be no real difference in terms of clean sheets but a distinct line in terms goalscoring and where you end up. Even for defenders, it's all about sticking the ball in the net.

While the rest of the side may be open to various changes, there appears to be very little that needs changing at the back.  I would rate our best defence (Johnson-Škrtel-Agger-Enrique) as one of the more watertight in the league who are capable of contributing enough for us further up the field aswell.  Added to this the talent we have in reserve (Kelly & Coates) as well as those coming through (Robinson & Flanagan) it's hard to see anybody else coming into that.  Despite that, there is a chance we may be in the market for a left back as with Aurelio's departure we have no real cover for José Enrique.  Unless a player became available at the right price then it's very unlikely we'll be doing any buisness as it's not that high of a priority.  The right peices appear to be in place.  It remains to be seen what we do with them.