Drawing any conclusions from one game is impossible but there were some indications of how life post Suarez may look and the challenges that face Brendan Rodgers in mounting a successful campaign without him.
The Uruguayan offered more than just his goals; he was the team’s talisman creating doubt and fear in opposition minds and motivating his teammates. Last year Liverpool moved from initial, organized performances to more inspirational stuff following his return from his early season ban. Shorn of the unpredictability that Suarez brought, Sunday saw a return to the former approach.
Rodgers perhaps betrayed a little nervousness with his selection of Lucas Leiva alongside Steven Gerrard as a deep lying mid fielder. Southampton with Ronald Koeman in charge of his first game and a depleted squad, partly the result of Rodger’s raiding it during the summer, on paper were vulnerable to an aggressive style. Instead Liverpool’s tactics were a little ponderous with both Gerrard and the Brazilian collecting the ball from their defenders and often then passing to one another in their own half. It served to allow Southampton to get men behind the ball and deny space to Coutinho, Sterling and Sturridge to use either their pace or guile. It also left Jordan Henderson with a heavy workload in closing down Koeman’s men further up the field.
Despite being an admirer of Lucas, at least his resilience and character, I hope that Rodgers saw on Sunday that his time may have passed. The more mobile Allen or Can alongside Gerrard, whether the tactics are to sit a little deeper or press a little higher, inspire a greater belief that the defence will be less exposed while an attacking threat is maintained.
If Lucas’s inclusion was a strategy aimed at drawing the opposition out it floundered on the back of a disciplined Southampton performance. The one occasion it did work, when Henderson stole the ball and threaded a superb pass through to Raheem Sterling who calmly finished in front of the Kop, was undoubtedly pleasing to Rodgers (and the rest of us). The breakthrough, however, did not lead to either a more dominant Liverpool or a more supine Southampton. The South Coast team maintained their composure and worked their way back into the game and their equalizer was both well deserved and a platform for them to go on and look the more dangerous of the two sides.
Rodger’s response was to introduce Allen and his “plan b” striker Rickie Lambert. The changes shifted the dynamic of the match enough to allow Liverpool to regain and retain enough possession to reassert pressure on the visitors and carve out the chance that led to the otherwise largely ineffective Sturridge glancing home Sterling’s looped header.
Rodger’s fist pumping celebration left no doubt of his relief at turning around what looked like a disappointing opening to the season and Mignolet secured the 3 points with a stunning reflex save from Long minutes before the final whistle.
Based on Sunday’s team selection it appears Rodger’s is going to act cautiously in the first few games. It seems unlikely he will take a more cavalier approach away to Man City or Tottenham in the next two fixtures. It has been a hallmark of Rodgers time so far that the performances and results have improved as the season has unfolded so given the tough start to the season an approach designed to avoid any confidence sapping early defeats has a certain logic to it.
Clearly with City, Chelsea and Arsenal all strengthening over the summer and Champions League football back on the Anfield calendar, repeating last year’s league placing is going to be a big ask. Sturridge,while a prolific goal scorer, does not have Suarez’s aura or the seemingly super human resistance to injury and Coutinho, as was seen on Sunday, can substitute his genius for anonymity. Much is going to rely on the consistency of Henderson and Sterling and the so far untested impact of Lallana and Markovic. The absence of an obvious understudy/alternative to Sturridge remains a concern and if left unaddressed in the next couple of weeks threatens to undermine any confidence in challenging on multiple fronts.
This season may well turn into one of consolidation. Buoyed by an unexpected title challenge last year it is going to be hard for supporters to keep a lid on aspirations for this one. Rodger’s often pointed out during last year’s run in that his side had sped ahead of schedule to be involved in the race for first place. It could have been read as clever man management to protect his young side from pressure but more likely it was a genuine observation of progress exceeding planning. The absence of the irrepressible Suarez may require a return to the previously envisaged and stated schedule where this season is about securing Champions League status via a top four finish. The fact that it brings with it the welcome complication and opportunity of testing a developing team in the competition itself can be seen as a bonus. It may take a little retreat from some of the more exhilarating tactics of the last campaign for a new team to mature but it promises to be a fascinating journey as Rodgers looks to find the right blend.