Two games down, two wins and two clean sheets, those stats are in favour of Liverpool as the Reds start the season in much better fettle when compared to last season’s shambles. However, they haven’t been as ruthless or have controlled the two games as much as Liverpool fans would have wanted or even Rodgers would have wanted.
Liverpool, to be completely honest, did not deserve to win either game and should have drawn them, at the best. They were a tad lucky last night when they defeated Bournemouth thanks to a goal which should not have stood, due to the new rule regarding offside. Nevertheless, the Reds are close to the summit of the Premier League and are one of a handful of clubs with a 100% start to the season.
The players are there but where is the flair?
Liverpool lost one of their bright sparks from last season, Raheem Sterling to Manchester City, but they were swift in getting able replacements. Danny Ings, Roberto Firmino, Christian Benteke and James Milner were all brought into the team to give them a bit more bite but so far, the bite seems more like a nibble that a puppy provides.
Liverpool has a beast at the front in Benteke, but they do not seem to be playing to his strengths. Liverpool were never a crossing team, but that would need to change as Benteke thrives on crosses and that was exactly the reason why he scored last night. He could and should have scored two against Bournemouth, but he rattled the crossbar late in the second half. While playing to the strengths of Benteke should help the club get a few more goals, they are sorely missing the movement of Daniel Sturridge.
Once the English striker comes back into the squad, the formation would change and the pace and movement provided by Sturridge should help the club score a few more goals. The other issue with the team, which has been a major fault for a long time, is their reliance on a single player to bail them out. They had Steven Gerrard for many seasons and now it seems that the only player they turn to with regards to doing something magical is Philippe Coutinho.
This over-reliance on the Brazilian has to stop if Liverpool are to get results. They have signed Roberto Firmino, one of the best players in the Bundesliga last season but they are still bedding him into the team. Firmino has played both the games but has only appeared as a substitute, maybe starting him in the next game would help.
The lack of using the other players is another issue that Rodgers needs to address. We saw last night how Alberto Moreno, after he came on in the second half, was fantastic down the left-hand side, in a more attacking role and his cameo should give Rodgers ideas to play more players and make a few more substitutes.
Lazar Markovic, Danny Ings and Divock Origi have barely seen any game time at all and this needs to change fast. Liverpool has the squad to challenge for atop four position, but they don’t seem to have the flair that the club showed when Luis Suarez had that brilliant season for them. Frankly, Liverpool fans wouldn’t care if they continue playing like this and keep on winning 1-0, this won’t happen for long, though. Liverpool still have a tough run of away fixtures and the faster Rodgers gets them playing better football, the better the chances they have of getting a few more points.
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