Breaking Down What Liverpool Must Do to Bounce Back from Opening Day Loss

If Liverpool had a plan for the start of the 2012-13 English Premier League season, it is not working. The Reds must find their form fast, as they will take the pitch against the top three teams from a year ago in the next month.

The first challenge may be the most difficult, as they take on reigning champions Manchester City at Anfield this weekend. As ESPN’s Roger Bennett writes, “Suggesting Sunday's clash between Manchester City and Liverpool is just a game of football is like claiming ‘Animal Farm’ is merely a book about horses and pigs.”

The Reds’ performance against City could have profound effects on the psyche of a team in a fragile situation. The expectations for the club were forged during 18 title-winning seasons, but the last time Liverpool topped the table was in 1990. Now, the third new manager in three seasons must hold the squad together through a brutal opening to its Premiership campaign. Starting with an embarrassing 3-0 defeat to West Bromwich Albion did not help. 

The team must make important changes before charging into a grueling set of fixtures, but most of all, the club and supporters must adjust its expectations. Here is how Liverpool can bounce back and enjoy a successful season.

Stay Active in the Transfer Market 

There is still some time left in the transfer window, and one or two more players could significantly help the Reds going forward.

Several players on the Liverpool roster do not fit Rodgers’ preferred tactics. Steven Gerrard is the most glaring example of a player who is talented but may not be able to reform his style in order to be effective with the new-look Reds.

Gerrard’s accuracy on long balls, his thundering strikes from distance and his ability to carry the ball forward have made him a favorite during his long Liverpool career. But Rodgers’ emphasis on short passing and possession requires a level of patience from the central players that Gerrard did not show against West Brom.

Liverpool is rumored to be on the verge of signing Real Madrid’s Nuri Sahin on loan, according to the BBC’s Ben Smith, and his deft touch will be a much better fit for the team.

Steward Downing is another player who started against the Baggies and is cause for concern. If he remains in the form he showed last season, then he is a terrible fit for any style or system. The Reds appear to have lost out on Manchester City’s Adam Johnson, according to Wayne Veysey of Goal.com, but another winger could significantly help this side.

Remain Disciplined

There was a significant amount of positive play in Liverpool’s opening match, especially in the first half. However, the second half showed a shocking lack of motivation from Liverpool’s players. 

Luis Suarez was able to create eight shots in the match, despite often receiving little support from the midfield. But he was not sharp in front of goal, missing all of his chances. 

The first goal the Reds allowed was a magnificent strike from West Brom’s Zoltan Gera, and Liverpool was still very much in the match going into halftime. But the referee then awarded two penalty kicks to the Baggies and sent off Daniel Agger.

At this point, the Reds folded. Shoulders were slumped and the remaining play was uninspired. It was extremely disappointing to see a side that has so much on the line give up during a match.

Much of the responsibility does fall on the players, but all of the blame will be heaped on to Rodgers if this becomes a pattern. There will be more games where everything appears to be working against Liverpool, and the team cannot lose discipline and show the level of immaturity that was present in the opening fixture.

Reform Expectations

The most challenging part of having a successful season will be defining what the word successful actually means in this context. If the Reds finished sixth, will supporters be clamoring for Rodgers to be sacked? Will management heed those calls?

The club must realize that it is in a rebuilding process, and that this is no longer the side that won the Champions League in 2004-05. Rodgers has done well already to add young talent like Fabio Borini and Joe Allen.

He is attempting to implement a new system and add players who possess skill sets that complement his tactics. There will be bumps along the road to success, and the worst move that management can make is pulling the plug on Rodgers before he has had a fair shake.

If the club does not improve its eighth-place finish or if there is a rash of disciplinary problems, then management can seriously consider firing a manger for the third consecutive year. But if Rodgers gets this team to play positive football, show well in important matches and the team still misses out on top four, he should be given another year at the helm. 

This weekend will reveal some telling signs. Manchester City had the most potent attack and the stingiest defense in English football last season. Liverpool’s attack has been floundering and the team will be missing Agger, its best defender. 

Beating or even tying City will be a monumentally difficult task, and Rodgers does not deserve to be thrown immediately onto the hot seat if the Reds lose. Patience must be exercised with this club, and that must start this weekend.