The Reds were beaten away at Sunderland in a drab affair. This one just didn't happen for the Reds at all and although Sunderland were poor as well they did manage to score on the day and that was good enough to win the points.
The side saw Coates come in at centre back in place of Carragher who had been caught out twice last week whilst Craig Bellamy went to the left of midfield.
On what looked a poor quality pitch in a windy bowl of a ground the two sides failed to produce much of any class at all.
After a decent start from us we quickly dropped a level and the first half holds very little of memory to me. The Reds just didn't click at all and playing a 4-1-4-1 formation we just never looked at the races. We were just lucky that Sunderland weren't at the races as well to be honest.
The best chances the Reds had in the first half came right towards the end of it. McClean was booked for a poor challenge on Kelly down our right and Charlie Adam spotted the ball up. His free kick was swung in but of little danger other than that keeper nearly misjudging it and Mignolet had to claw it over the bar.
In first half stoppage time Suarez finally sprung in to life and beat two men but unlike last season couldn't find the finish and the chance went begging after bouncing back and forth off keeper and striker.
Half time came and we really needed a change to our play - it was all too slow and leggy with no invention whatsoever. We were really struggling to get a grip on the game and dominate it.
The second half was started with Sunderland attacking and neither side making changes.
The one difference for the Reds in the second half to the first really was that we conceded a goal. We did make a couple of subs as well but there was just nothing doing at all - and that was even after the introduction of Gerrard - although it did come at the expense of Bellamy which left Kuyt playing left midfield - beggars belief that one!
The goal came eleven minutes in to the half and just like a few years back it was a bizarre one as well. The ball was knocked forward to Campbell who turned on it and shot on goal. Not one player followed the ball in for the Reds and after the ball hit the post it hit Reina on the head and then hit the post again before coming out and Bendtner knocked it in having been the one player who gambled on something. A poor goal but summed us up on the day - no real gamble for the ball.
The goal didn't really change the Reds either - no wake up call or anything major like that - we just continued to play poorly and that was a big worry. Eventually with a bench of potential it was Gerrard and Carroll who were called back to get ready. Charlie Adam and Craig Bellamy were the ones to go off which was strange for the latter as we lost shape with it. Adam had played poorly and displayed yet again he has no ability to tackle square on. We now had one left sided player on the pitch and that was Enrique at the back.
The change did have some kind of change on the Reds as Gerrard - as ever - forced the pace up a little bit but he can't change the world and this one was drifting away from us. Stewart Downing replaced Henderson and the former Sunderland man was given a generous round of applause by the home fans - although playing poorly again probably aided that.
Martin Skrtel was booked late on for a very strong tackle on Bendtner and the striker ended up going off on a stretcher.
The clock was always ticking away against us though and that proved the final straw really as the ref blew for time on what was simply a poor day all round. We offered very little all afternoon and wherever you looked it could have been better really. Suarez had a poor day but was very isolated on his own. The midfield failed to get a grip on the game whilst the defence stood still as Campbell shot for the only goal of the game.
MotM : Martin Kelly - played well at right back and tried to get forward whenever he could.
