Circumstances can often mean certain defeats are felt more acutely than others. Just 48 hours before their greatest rivals’ showdown with Real Madrid, the last thing Liverpool needed was a chastening experience against West Brom.
While it wasn’t as bad as the night in April 1999 when Liverpool were vanquished at Anfield by Leicester City, as Manchester United were coming from behind in Turin to reach the Champions League final, it still brought the current situation sharply into focus.
After all, in 13 days’ time, it will be the fourth anniversary of Yossi Benayoun’s winning goal in the Bernabeu, a night that cemented Liverpool’s positions as one of the pre-eminent forces in Europe’s most distinguished competition.
Heading in different directions: The contrast in fortunes between Liverpool and Real Madrid since Yossi Benayoun's winner in the Bernabeu four years ago is a stark one
That Liverpool currently sit 29 points off the relentless pace being set by United at the top of the Barclays Premier League following Monday’s 1-0 setback against West Brom merely illustrates how long the road back to the top will be.
United may be setting an unprecedented pace for how quickly they are accruing victories but that doesn’t make the statistics, or the situation, any easier for Liverpudlians and the meek response they offered after falling behind to Gareth McAuley’s header merely exacerbated concerns.
History demands that Liverpool and United should go head-to-head for the major prizes but, for the moment, the work in progress at Anfield means the rivalry that was apparent four years ago, when the two teams were going head-to-head for the title, has been slightly diluted.
This was always going to be a difficult campaign for Brendan Rodgers and 11 defeats in all competitions illustrates how consistency has remained painfully elusive; what will frustrate the manager even more, though, is the fact Liverpool have shown they are capable of excellent football.
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Rodgers, undoubtedly, would have backed his players against West Brom; their three previous league games at Anfield had yielded 12 unopposed goals, while they had received credit for vibrant displays against Arsenal and Manchester City. It is little wonder, then, that Rodgers was seething.
‘It is something that left the players disappointed but they will react in the right manner,’ said Rodgers. ‘They're good guys here, they want to work well and they are very good at moving on. That's something we'll have to do if we want to progress.’
In fairness to Rodgers, he has a point. When they lost against Aston Villa before Christmas, they demolished Fulham in the next game; defeat at Stoke was followed by a thumping of Queens Park Rangers. Failing miserably against Oldham in the FA Cup came before a spirited effort at Arsenal.
So it would be no surprise if Liverpool bounced back in their next assignment in St Petersburg and what could be more timely than securing an impressive away victory in Europe to answer the critics?
What will really help Liverpool in the coming months, as they attempt to claw back some of that deficit, will be the return of Daniel Sturridge. He was sorely missed against West Brom and Luis Suarez, in particular, looked lost without his sidekick.
Focal point: Daniel Sturridge has four goals in his six Liverpool appearances and was a noteable absentee at Anfield, with Luis Suarez forced into deep positions, often without supportSturridge had been the catalyst for Liverpool’s good form in January and he can give more of the same when he recovers from a niggling thigh injury. He won’t be firing Liverpool back into games against Real Madrid just yet but Steven Gerrard, for one, is confident of what he can do.
‘Like everyone, I have been impressed with Daniel Sturridge since he arrived in January,’ Gerrard wrote in his programme notes before West Brom’s visit. ‘His goals have obviously caught the eye, particularly with that strike against City. But it has been more than that.
‘His all-round play has been excellent and he holds the ball up very well, which is something that you really need when playing away from home. If he continues in this form, he will be a big player for Liverpool for a long, long time.’
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