Brendan Rodgers Must Stick with Changed Champions League Defence vs. Chelsea

SANTIAGO BERNABEU, MADRID—Liverpool suffered a third successive defeat in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night, going down 1-0 away from home to European champions Real Madrid, but there were plenty of improvements for manager Brendan Rodgers to witness compared to the home defeat against the same opposition two weeks earlier.

Having opted to make a whole host of changes to his regular starting XI for the match, including leaving captain Steven Gerrard on the bench alongside Raheem Sterling, Philippe Coutinho, Jordan Henderson and Mario Balotelli, there was a worry amongst fans that the scoreline might have been far bigger.

However, the Reds defended far better against Real Madrid than in previous matches, leaving the boss to praise the incoming players—Kolo Toure, Fabio Borini and Emre Can chief amongst them—for the effort, desire and quality.

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

Rodgers was right to do so, but now he also needs to acknowledge that his own selections have given cause to stay in the side for the upcoming game against Chelsea in the Premier League.

Saturday/Not Saturday

The Liverpool boss spoke confidently and calmly following the defeat, as is his wont, though a look over his replies to questioning do bring up further questions of their own.

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"I spoke with Steven [Gerrard] over a week ago what I was planning. He was fine, there was no problem. All the players left out were fine, there's no issue and they all understand and respect what we came to do. The team and the squad will be used."

By itself, it suggests more than an element of having already identified the Real Madrid fixture as one that he would rest players for, knowing that the games against Basel and Ludogorets would be particularly key to the progress of the team from the group stage.

However, a second answer contradicted that in part, when he was asked about players who had been left out—indicating that they weren't necessarily "rested" and that not all of them who didn't play against Real Madrid would be straight back into the team at the weekend.

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BR "Irrespective of the Chelsea game, we've picked a team to try and get a result tonight."

— Karl Matchett (@karlmatchett) November 4, 2014"

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BR "all those who didnt play tonight won't necessarily play at the weekend."

— Karl Matchett (@karlmatchett) November 4, 2014"

"I wasn't worried by the team selection. It wasn't a gamble for me, I go with my gut feeling and the performance on Saturday [the defeat to Newcastle United] wasn't what we wanted."

So, planning ahead or a reaction to the dreadful display at St. James' Park? A bit of both? Questions remain, some of which could be answered by the starting XI the manager names to take on table-toppers Chelsea in a few days' time.

Manquillo, Skrtel, Toure, Moreno

Rodgers has stated throughout his tenure that names and ages mean nothing to him; performances, training sessions and quality will dictate who is on the team-sheet come each kick-off. He reiterated that in his Bernabeu press conference, insisting that ability shown on the pitch, not reputations, help him select an XI each match.

Once again, that leads back to Rodgers' selection of players for the upcoming Chelsea game, particularly in defence.

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

Kolo Toure was most fans' man of the match against Real Madrid; he was aggressive, quick in the challenge, talked throughout the game to the likes of Alberto Moreno and Emre Can and, post-game, spoke about how the manager knew he could call upon any of the players to put in big performances in big matches.

If the Ivorian defender wanted to make a statement of intent, this performance was it.

He played on the left of centre in the back four—what has been Dejan Lovren's position this season. And the Croatian has been awful.

Rodgers might or might not have brought in all his changes in personnel against Real Madrid because the usual starters have been poor, or he might have done so to rest them.

Certainly he himself has indicated it was more for the former reason than the latter—and his comments about a meritocracy in the club further indicate that there is one area of the team which, if he holds true to his own statements, shouldn't change against the title favourites this weekend: the back four.

Follow @karlmatchett

All quotes obtained first-hand.