It’s a decent point. While success breeds confidence, you could say that failure breeds caution. And, over the last 6 months there does seem to be much more caution in the way that Rodgers picks his Liverpool sides.
Of course you could counter that Liverpool have been without two stellar forwards form last season – Suarez has gone and Sturridge has been absent for most of the season – but Scholes argues that even without those guys Liverpool could have picked a more creative line up from what they had.
It was a game he needed to win and yet he picked a midfield of Joe Allen, Jordan Henderson and Lucas Leiva – all solid players but more than two from those three and the side feels defensive.
Liverpool needed to blast Basle out of the way. Instead Rodgers left Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho on the bench. At half-time he brought on a left-back, Alberto Moreno, and a winger, Lazar Markovic, who has done very little for him so far. Then when he did bring on Coutinho, a No 10 to his boots – he even wears the number – he played the Brazilian in central midfield.
Yes Basel have good European experience now and they are decent side. But we totally agree that Liverpool showed them far too much respect. They only started going for it when they were 1-0 down and the first half in particular was horrid to watch.
We spoke to people after the game who said that the Anfield crowd – respected and celebrated throughout the world of football for their passion and volume – weren’t their usual selves on the night.
But the Liverpool team didn’t grab the game by there throat and go for it. They have a duty to get the crowd up for it with some positive intent from the off.
But at the moment there is no confidence in the side and it’s reflected in the timid and reactionary displays.
Liverpool ended up going out of The Champions League this week but the manner of the defeat was the hardest part to take. You can hardly even say that Liverpool went down fighting.
Liverpool fans: does Brendan need to start picking more creators again?
