This was not what people had expected – certainly not amongst the away section at the Hawthorns. The exorbitance of short-sleeved shirts and shorts seemed a bad choice from the travelling Liverpool contingent: at two o’clock, as the skies turned grey and rain fell over the West Midlands, many wished for a rethink of their choice of attire; at five o’clock, they just wished they had not bothered at all. It was supposed to be the warmest day of the year. It was supposed to be the start of Brendan Rodgers’ Anfield revolution.
The sun eventually shone, but by that time Liverpool were 3-0 behind and withering in the heat. It was a scoreline that perhaps did a disservice to Rodgers’ side though, particularly in the first half. Having produced a controlled performed for 43 minutes - aided by the impressive Joe Allen in midfield - Zoltan Gera’s magnificent strike from 25 yards shifted the balance of the game. Daniel Agger’s red card 12 minutes into the second half and a pair of penalties stopped it dead. The tide had turned with no chance of recovery, both on and off the pitch.
In the stands, optimism swings like a paper pendulum in a hurricane, flitting from side to side with every tackle, pass and goal. The whirlwind of hysteria has already started. With every passing minute that Liverpool remained behind in the game, the more Brendan Rodgers’ appointment became a mistake. It matters not that this game represented just three points of a possible 114 throughout season’s duration, nor the mitigating circumstances dealt by the hand of referee Phil Dowd. In those 90 minutes of football, Liverpool’s fate was sealed, their course unalterable.
The more level-headed supporters recognise that is not the case, as does the manager. “It was a bad day at the office for us, but I thought we showed signs, particularly in the first half, that the players have coped very well with the ideas,” Rodgers told reporters in the post-match press conference. “In the second half when we went down to 10 men, it was difficult for us.”
37 Premier League games still remain; West Bromwich Albion are not preparing for Europe next season just yet and Liverpool won’t be playing Championship football. But Rodgers knows his side must improve over the course of those 37 games - and soon, with Liverpool hosting last season’s top three in their first three games at Anfield.
Rodgers will know the issues his side faced in the opener against West Brom. He will know the pressing mantra his set-up lives and dies by looked laboured, with Lucas – lacking genuine, intense match practice – flailing in the second half; he will know the defensive high line didn’t quite work at times, with both Agger and Skrtel looking exposed at times and lacking the majesty observers have become accustomed to. Issues from last season were prevalent too: the profligacy in front of goal being the most concerning, with Luis Suarez still proving an attacking enigma, a conundrum yet to be solved.
The complexities of Rodgers’ ideas are hidden at first glance. The notion of retaining possession, and working hard to win it back when it’s relinquished, should be basic principles for most sides with aspirations of success. But the problems in implementing it fully come when the side go a goal behind. As players chase the equaliser, gaps in the pressing appear; Swansea won just seven points after conceding first last season, showing it is a formula Rodgers hasn’t quite solved yet.
Rodgers will know there is room for improvement from himself too, particularly with his substitutions. Joe Cole was the wrong replacement for Lucas, even with hindsight; hindsight isn’t needed to know Cole’s arrival would push Gerrard deeper and nullify what was already a fairly toothless threat. Carragher’s introduction after Agger’s sending off raised eyebrows too - the flexibility and astuteness so well-reported of Rodgers deserting him.
The key for Rodgers is to rectify the defeat. He will know solutions can be found both on the training ground and in the transfer market, but he knows they won’t come easily. The former is in his control and can be worked on over time, something the pragmatic coach will relish the challenge of - but the same cannot be said for the latter. Failure to capture targets such as Nuri Sahin, Theo Walcott and Christian Tello leave Liverpool’s squad short with just 10 days of the transfer window left. It is a squad that still lacks another full back comfortable playing as an auxiliary winger and, more significantly, one that still lacks a goalscorer, be that from out wide or through the centre.
But Rodgers is also a manager who won’t ignore the positives, even in a comprehensive 3-0 defeat. He can take solace from the first 43 minutes, for starters. Joe Allen showed why Rodgers was willing to renege on a gentleman’s agreement with his former club, putting in a performance that belies his 22 years and allays concerns over his ability to perform in the Liverpool midfield; Glen Johnson showed his versatility at left back and promised much for his eventual return to his favoured position; Luis Suarez showed that he is just one final twist of the Rubik’s Cube from being one of the world’s most complete players.
The thing Rodgers got most right on Saturday was his assessment: a bad day at the office indeed - it was Liverpool’s worst day on the opening day since a 6-1 loss to Chelsea in 1937. Yet some would still do well to remember it was his first day of Premier League work with Liverpool, and one that started with the news of academy manager Pep Segura quitting. It was not the best 24 hours for Brendan Rodgers; he knows he’ll have worse, but he knows he’ll also have better. Much like the weather on Saturday, he will hope the gloominess makes way for glorious sunshine at some point, even if only for a while.
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