History Repeats Itself but Not in the Way Liverpool Wanted in Basel Draw

ANFIELD, LIVERPOOL—It was supposed to be the perfect group; one glamour tie, one minnow and a side who Liverpool should comfortably beat to second place in the group.

It turned into a nightmare for Brendan Rodgers' side, and after five years away from Europe's elite competition, they're out—having won just one game.

It was another dramatic night at Anfield, with Lazar Markovic's controversial dismissal being the main talking point—although, by then, Rodgers' side were already 1-0 down and had been outplayed for the whole of the first half.

Steven Gerrard's superb trademark free-kick with 10 minutes remaining gave the hosts hope, but unlike 10 years and a day ago, against Olympiakos, there was no happy ending in front of the Kop.

Instead, the history that repeated itself here was that Liverpool were eliminated at the Champions League group stages for the third time in their history—both times previously after finishing second in the Premier League, in 2002 and 2009.

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The Europa League now awaits, and who knows when Champions League nights will return to Anfield, with Rodgers' side suffering in the Premier League, too. We could have witnessed Gerrard's final act as a Liverpool player in the Champions League.

The irony is that it's the Europa League that could be Liverpool's saving grace, with the winners of this year's competition taking their place in next season's Champions League. Should Rodgers therefore prioritise that over league form? It would certainly be a huge gamble.

Both of those aforementioned second-place finishes, under Gerard Houllier and Rafa Benitez, saw terrible transfer business in the summer following.

So bad was Liverpool's transfer business this summer gone that Rodgers has abandoned his eight new recruits in recent weeks and did so again for this must-win match.

Left-back Alberto Moreno, a £12 million addition from Sevilla, was left out in favour of Jose Enrique, only to be brought on at half-time after his compatriot endured a woeful opening 45.

Rickie Lambert, another summer arrival, was hooked at half-time, too—although largely due to having played six games in a little over a fortnight.

Adam Lallana, the £25 million man, was an unused sub.

Markovic, a £20 million arrival, added some pace and energy until he was harshly dismissed. Rodgers described the decision post-match as a "really, really disappointing decision from the referee."

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"Markovic’s fingernail barely touches the nose of the defender," said a visibly disappointed Rodgers.

The events of the night will do little for the confidence of anyone at Anfield but especially those new signings who were left out of the side and then Markovic, a 20-year-old in a new country, let's remember.

The repercussions of Champions League elimination could be huge, especially with the increased TV revenue that participants will receive next season.  Questions must be asked as to what has gone so wrong—and that begins with the summer transfer strategy and acquisitions.

Last time owners FSG felt their money had been wasted—on Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing and Charlie Adam—the two men responsible, Kenny Dalglish and Damien Comolli, were both sacked.

Will FSG now look to the faults of the transfer committee?

* All quotes collected firsthand unless otherwise stated.