Chelsea put the seal on a painful week

As Liverpool fans this has been a painful week.  A week which has seen any remaining hope of winning the Premier League extinguished in no uncertain terms leaving us languishing in mid-table knowing that a top four position, the minimum required from a season which began so promisingly has tapered off alarmingly.

 

Chelsea are the best team in the Premiership, possessing at least four world-class players and a squad littered with world-class talent.  It’s almost seven months since the teams met in the season defining match at Anfield, Chelsea are now a balanced outfit with the signing of Diego Costa while we look disjointed following the loss of Suarez and Daniel Sturridge out with a long-term injury relying on flashes of brilliance from Coutinho and Sterling.

 

I remain firmly of the belief that Brendan Rodgers had every right to make as many changes as he did against Real Madrid, particularly coming of the back of such a dreadful performance against Newcastle.   Former Liverpoolgreat Steve Nicol vilified Rodgers.  His comments may feel unseemly in the house that Shankly built, but put in context is understandable coming from a player who played in an era where every time he laced up his boots his expected to win.  But, these are far from those times.

 

The mistake Rodgers made was failing to state before the Madrid game the reasoning behind his changes.  The very little he did say left his comments wide open to interpretation.

 

After the Madrid game under the spotlight of an interview he intimated that the players had been dropped because of poor form.  Stating that before the game, would have put him on a more solid footing against the critical tidal wave which threatens to engulf him after picking only Emre Chan from the seven changes he made at the Bernabeau.

 

Rodgers risks causing discernment in his squad.  Admittedly, Kolo Toure was brought in to fill in as needs must, but in a season where we have struggled defensively he produced arguably the best performance from a Liverpool defender.  He watched on from the side-lines as his colleagues failed to defend a corner in three segments of play allowing Chelsea to equalise.

 

The silver lining is that Brendan can regroup and come again as the International break affords him time to heal damage egos and instil belief back into his excellent man-management style which has been the bedrock of Liverpool particularly over the last two seasons both on and off the pitch.  

 

The bonus is that Daniel Sturridge will be available for selection in what will a difficult match
returning to Selhurst Park and will give him options last seen winning away at White Hart Lane.

 

Despite being outclassed yesterday, there was a stonewall penalty claim against Gary Cahill and while a draw will have papered over the deficiencies a point would have been something to build on.

 

Emre Can showed enough to get a run in the side displaying physicality and presence along with his footballing qualities which no other Liverpool player, barring Jordan Rossiter and Steven Gerrard in patches comes close to matching in the centre of midfield.