In a post match interview yesterday, Brendan Rodgers asserted that his Liverpool side have to start dealing with increased expectations as a result of their achievements last season. Of course he's correct but I think he left out an important part of the equation in that statement:
Himself.
Yesterday against a West Ham, side led by the wily Sam Allerdyce, Rodgers demonstrated how much he has to learn. To start with he began the game with Lucas Leiva and Fabio Borini in his side. OK, I know he has some injured players missing and we'll come to that later, but Adam Lallana isn't injured. Why pay £25m for a player and leave him on the bench in preference to a Lucas or a Borini, the latter of which, from what I saw this week, only performs in training as evidenced by the Mirror.
In Rodgers' position, you have to start with your best players whenever possible, and neither Borini nor Lucas fit that description. The outcome was a result befitting the team he put out. Quite rightly, he changed things around after 20 minutes when he realised he'd got it seriously wrong, but this was arguably 30 minutes too late. The introduction of Lallana on 45 minutes, 50 minutes too late and Rickie Lambert on 77 minutes... You see what I'm getting at. Sarcasm may well be the lowest form of wit, but if it gets the point across, then why not? General expectations are that those two should have started. An away game at Upton Park on a wet Saturday evening in September is tailor made for Lallana and Lambert. Not two struggling squad players that you can't get shot of.
Steven Gerrard is now a shadow of the player he was a few years ago. I doubt many would argue with that. Playing in front of the back four evidently isn't having the desired effect. Perhaps he can lose the ball when he's playing further up the pitch and making a barnstorming run into the opposition area, but not when he's supposed to be protecting a back line that's shaky on the day. This has been his flaw all season, and even toward the end of last season too. Remember Chelsea? Remember Uruguay in the World Cup?. I wouldn't go so far as to say the blind leading the blind, but it does describe the predicament. In fairness to Gerrard, he doesn't pick and deploy himself so for this, Rodgers needs to hold his hands up.
The manager's defensive selection also doesn't escape criticism. Dejan Lovren and Martin Skrtel make a poor partnership because they're both quite similar players. I've often heard that Lovren's purchase would add some "leadership" to the back line but in reality, I think Skrtel generally does a good job of marshalling the defence. He just plays too dirty on occasion thus conceding a penalty or scoring an own goal. Mamadou Sakho and Lovren would have been the perfect foil for the opposition yesterday. Let's not forget, the pairing of Sakho and Lovren has only conceded two goals in the previous three games, so then why bring in Skrtel? Is he really that vital to the side? The last time Skrtel played, the side lost 1-3 to Manchester City so go figure. Again Lovren and Skrtel didn't pick themselves.
Overall the defence isn't the main problem. Alberto Moreno held his own yesterday in a typically physical, English affair. Javi Manquillo, on the other hand struggled and had Jon Flanagan been fit, he'd probably have started and here we can see where Rodgers has just been unlucky. Injuries to Joe Allen, Emre Can and Daniel Sturridge has hit the team hard, and at exactly the wrong time. Had they been fit, Rodgers would have played Allen and Sturridge, and the hapless pairing of Lucas and Borini would have made the bench at best.
Injuries aside, one would expect the squad - with all the investment made - to have been able to cope with West Ham yesterday. One would also expect Rodgers to have been able to better utilise the players at his disposal. In line with greater expectations, Rodgers should have perhaps bought better than Lazar Maarkovic who'd have been eaten alive yesterday! Expectations are that the team will be challenging for the title this season. Expectations that Rodgers needs to be living up to himself if the team is going to get anywhere near last term's level. Top four remains a realistic expectation on this showing. Or does it?
Follow Ben on Twitter @Mrbengreen