Liverpool players, coaches and fans expected to build on last weekend’s win over Aston Villa and deliver a show-stopping performance Thursday against Sion in the UEFA Europa League.
Instead, Liverpool remained stuck in place, despite making seven changes to the starting lineup. Manager Brendan Rodgers offered a number of young players the chance to play alongside veterans in an “Anfield night,” while resting others ahead of Sunday’s crunch Premier League game against Everton.
We’ll have to wait three more days to learn whether Rodgers’ risk paid off. It doesn’t look too good at this point in time, as Sion held Liverpool to a 1-1 draw and maintained the top spot in Group B.
While young players like Joe Gomez, 18, Jordan Rossiter, 18, Jordon Ibe, 19, and Divock Origi, 20, gain high-level experience and the likes of Joe Allen and Adam Lallana play their way back into peak fitness, Liverpool is struggling to kick-start its European campaign. This isn’t to blame the young and returning players. The other Reds aren’t exactly setting the Premier League alight, and both starters and squad players are making similar types of mistakes.
Adam Lallana fired the Reds to an early lead, highlighting his impressive overall outing. Lallana now has scored in consecutive Europa League games, and Liverpool desperately needs him to maintain his best form. The Reds claimed six points from their first two games with Lallana in the lineup, and their downturn in form coincided with the groin injury that felled the 27-year-old schemer for a month.
Young players’ continued development and Lallana’s presence won’t address Liverpool’s most pressing concern. Liverpool continues to concede goals from winning positions, and Sion’s comeback extends the Reds’ unwanted streak to four games.
Liverpool has shown increased verve in its attacking play, but its once-sturdy defense has crumbled at the moment the attack has come to life. Rodgers must return to the drawing to correct this mental imbalance. Otherwise, the Reds will continue to sputter, and the pace of progress will remain too slow for many to stomach.
Liverpool-Sion Wrap: Reds rue missed chances >>
Thumbnail photo via Jon Super/The Associated Press