RODGERS IS BACK IN THE FIRING LINE

BRENDAN RODGERS knows how quickly a sense of optimism can evaporate after seeing Liverpool’s promising start to the season brought to a halt. Three clean sheets have been followed by successive three-goal defeats against West Ham and Manchester United, dragging Rodgers back towards the dark days of last May when his position was under threat. Liverpool, who travel to Bordeaux in the Europa League on Thursday, face Norwich and Aston Villa at home in the Premier League before the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park in three weeks’ time. Rodgers can ill-afford too many more performances as lame as this one. A team featuring six of his summer signings lacked creativity at Old Trafford and, worst of all, intensity. Christian Benteke was an isolated figure until he scored a spectacular overhead kick late on, with Roberto Firmino and Danny Ings anonymous in unfamiliar wide roles. David de Gea was barely tested and Liverpool have scored just three goals. ‘Five games in and we have not created anywhere near as much as I would have liked,’ said Rodgers. And defensively, his team were at fault in all three goals. SUPER STAT: Neither side managed a single effort on target before half-time, but United scored with all three of their shots on goal in the second half. MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): De Gea 6; Darmian 6.5, Smalling 7, Blind 8, Shaw 6.5; Schweinsteiger 7, Carrick 6.5 (Schneiderlin 72, 6); Mata 6 (Martial 65, 7.5), Herrera 6.5, Depay 5 (Young 46, 6.5); Fellaini 5. Subs not used: Rojo, Romero, Valencia, McNair. Scorers: Blind 49, Herrera pen 70, Martial 86. Booked: Darmian. LIVERPOOL (4-1-4-1): Mignolet 5; Clyne 5.5, Skrtel 6.5, Lovren 7, Gomez 5.5; Lucas 6 (Moreno 88); Firmino 5 (Ibe 65, 6.5), Milner 5.5, Can 6.5, Ings 5 (Origi 74, 6); Benteke 7. Subs not used: Toure, Sakho, Bogdan, Rossiter. Scorer: Benteke 84. Booked: Clyne, Milner. Man of the match: Daley Blind. Referee: Michael Oliver 7.