Rise Up, Liverpool

As our stars drove out of Anfield on Saturday after succumbing to a disappointing defeat, I am sure they did not fail to notice the words that emblazoned a section of the Anfield exterior – ‘Rise Up’. I don’t know what those words, and the pictures of Gerrard and co that they come with mean, but that is exactly what the team should do; rise up.

We finally landed on earth on Saturday after flirting with thoughts of heading for Utopia – staying atop the League for a long time and achieving at least a top four berth. The Swans failed to puncture our soaring balloon of hopes and expectations but the Saints soared into the heavens well beyond us to ensure that we landed back on earth.

As one of the club’s many critics said after the united win, we are definitely bound to lose and it will be interesting to see how we react after the loss. A lot of pundits have written off our form in the early part of the season as a fluke. They will be expecting the resumption of normal service; churning out inconsistent results. But I believe we have made too much progress to grant them that wish. Rise up! A lot of pundits have even forgotten that this is our first loss in the league since March.

The strong competition within this league does not allow for any team to write off any fixture. The Saints showed that even though on paper we have a decent run of fixtures in September through to October, we have got to work for it on the pitch. It was a low point for all Kopites on Saturday. An opportunity to consolidate a loose grip at the summit of the table was timidly surrendered on the back of a poor performance.

Painful as the defeat was, it couldn’t have come at a better time. Defeat is always difficult to take and there can never be a good time for defeat. However, the positive thing about this defeat is that it has come at a time when there are many games and points to be won and at a time when our goals are still reachable. This defeat unlike the one at the hands of the Saints in March does not kill off hope of a top four accomplishment. So rise up.

Kolo Toure remarked that the league is a marathon and while victory was the expectation of all it was important for the team to learn from the disappointment and move on. Lessons have been served to all; from fans to the technical team. Rodgers’s hands may have been forced by injuries but I believe four centre backs in defence is not a thought he will entertain again. If it wasn’t apparent from the match with the Swans, the match with Southampton showed clearly how inept we are in terms of creativity and incisiveness in the absence of the little magician, Coutinho.

With Johnson, Enrique, Cissokho, Coutinho, Allen and Suarez available, the starting eleven and the bench looks endowed and capable. But a manager’s job is also to make adjustments to cope with the inevitabilities of injuries while not sacrificing unduly the balance and performance of the team. Easier said than done, But it’s got to be done if we are to fulfil our aspirations for the season.

Rodgers has said it will take a couple more windows to get the team he desires. The window is firmly shut and our concentration can only be on getting the best teams for matches and not whether we were able to get the “number 10” we craved in the window. If we have ambitions of achieving a top four position, we will be tested. Injuries will test us, opponents will test us and so will suspensions challenge the depth and quality of our team. One loss cannot define our season but the reaction to that loss can. Rise up.

A chance at redemption has come early and on the huge platform of Old Trafford. We got to rise up and take this chance to inspire another run of good results. The “rebuke” of the Saints is humbling but let us ensure it is an opportunity rather than a symptom of oncoming decay.

RISE UP!