Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers: ‘We must make Anfield a fortress again’

“I think the adrenaline helped him through”. My wife had had no twinges at that point and then she rang me at 7 o’clock to say she had started to feel some contractions but wasn’t sure whether they were Braxton Hicks false ones or not. Those were all things that Martin had to do as usual, but the Norwich captain had something else on his plate: the birth of his son.

Former Liverpool defender Phil Babb does not believe Daniel Sturridge was playing at 100 per cent yesterday against Norwich City. The absence of Luis Suarez posed a new dilemma for Rodgers’ Liverpool, as the Merseyside club would now have to rely on another to not only become their leading goalscorer but also produce the same tenacity from up front. The Liverpool number 15 was making his long awaited return and Liverpool fans (and management) hoped he’d be one to light the fire for the Liverpool attack that’s been terribly lacking in the opening five games. Norwich City will celebrate the result.

Emre Can, meanwhile, was shunted back into defence having struggled in midfield where he tends to run with the ball rather than passing it.

But Liverpool lost concentration and the visitors stunned Anfield.

Top managers tend to succeed when a solid plan is put in place, but I question whether the players Liverpool have signed in the past year fit into a jigsaw that could produce a successful team.

“You have to play positive football“. He has the characteristics, the style and the dogged fight in his play that means it’s an easy comparison to make and he shouldn’t be a player we as fans overlook.

Liverpool surged forward in search of a victor , but John Ruddy made a string of brilliant saves to deny Brendan Rodgers’ side victory. How badly does he want to succeed?

Still, it was an improvement on Liverpool’s last Anfield outing, the 3-0 humbling at the hands of West Ham, with the Canaries’ first-half threat limited to a late cross-shot from Cameron Jerome that was easily dealt with by Mignolet. Mignolet lapsed into bad old habits against Norwich. But it was his mistake from the Norwich corner which cost his team much-needed points. Our season may hinge once again on Daniel Sturridge but let’s not forget about the other Danny we have.

But despite Sturridge’s phenomenal career goal-scoring record of 35 in 44 league starts for Liverpool, early indications were not particularly promising and and he left the game after just over an hour. “That made me feel a bit uneasy as I didn’t feel like he got a fair crack on his debut”.

Next up the potential banana skin of a cup tie against League Two side Carlisle United.