Played 4, Won 2, lost 2. Not the record of Champions, not the record of title contenders. The pre season hype is long gone now among the Anfield faithful, the doors of reality that have beckoned upon us; we lose anymore and this season could all be over. You cant win the title this early on, but you can certainly lose it.So whereare things Jakeem Grant Jersey going wrong? Is this really the team that did the double over United and Chelsea last year?The number one reason for the poor start was the departure of Xabi Alonso. A likeable figure in the dre sing room, his lo s affected team morale and on the pitch it was further noticeable. Against Tottenham Huddlestone and Palacios controlled the midfield like no one has before against Liverpool, Lucas at his best looked inept, and Mascherano showed a desire which had I want to play for Barcelona written all over it. Against Aston Villa, it was the same, Lucas and Mascherano werent able to seize the game and push up, and they were playing too deep, with the attack becoming isolated.It hasnt helped that we have to wait upto 2 months for Aquilani to be match fit, but while we await the little prince, Gerrard should play a deeper role and gain control of the game, something that Lucas struggles to do so and push Benayoun in just behind Torres. We played this way Byron Jones Jersey in the second half of the Villa game, and it was effective.Adding to Alonsos departure Kuyt could not hit water even if he fell off a boat and Gerrard has looked lacklustre, no more so than in the Aston Villa match after which Benitez deservedly criticised him for his poor performances, giving Gerrard a reality check.The defence looks shaky, Skrtel hasnt recovered from the blow he got from Carragher in the Spurs game. Were playing with 2 new wing backs, and against Tottenham I lost count the amount of times Johnson was caught out of position. It forced Carragher out wide to the right, and created space within the middle.Zonal v man to man marking, the old debate. Aston Villa used zonal against us, and it was effective. So it is naive to lament an effective system, but Liverpool genuinely have trouble defending with it. Rafa needs to sort this out, because when Liverpool are at their best, set pieces are the only way they can be attackedThe lack of fire power upfront is worrying. So far Voronin has been coming off the bench, but personally Ill drive him back to Berlin myself if I could. Babel hasnt been Mark Clayton Jersey used since his shocker at the Lane. After the Spurs game Glen Hoddle pointed out how weak Liverpools bench looks compared to Totenhams, and he had a point. The first eleven is strong, but were a couple of injuries away from really struggling.So now the positives to cheer you guys up. The number one positive is that Fernando Torres looks on form. He has scored 3 goals already, and his overall game looks really strong.Glen Johnson is looking strong going forward, and is really adding an extra dimension to the attack. He is another option for scoring goals, something that Liverpool have been lacking after overly relying on Torres and Gerrard. He has 2 already this season, with his predece sor Arbeloa only managing 1 all last season.The 3As are still all out. Agger, Aurelio and Aquilani will all have a place in the first 11. Agger will help bring the ball out from the back, someithng Liverpool are lacking since (you gue sed it) Alonsos departure. Aquilani, when fit will show why we spent 20 million on him. The team will only look stronger with these three.Man utd arent looking that good either. They have been very average so far, their play is predictable, Raheem Mostert Jersey and lacking potency. Ronaldos lo s is bigger to them than Alonsos is to Liverpool. Nani looks no where near a Ronaldo replacement, despite the hype he is getting every time he does a stupid flick or step over. Ferguson doesnt know his strongest 11, Carrick and Anderson dont know whether they are coming or going. Ben Foster looks like he needs a double vodka Tua Tagovailoa Jersey and coke to calm his nerves.Chelsea by far look the strongest team, playing good football with a settled team. However, it may have been a different story if Burnley or Sunderland had taken their chances. But like most teams they will face adversity, they will get injuries to their big players, and then it shall be seen if they pa s the test.This season looks fascinatingly exciting because there will be a lot of shock defeats. Going away to Fulham or at Turfmoor is no longer an easy trip. The quality this year has improved, Man city and Tottenham are a lot stronger. Arsenal look like they will be challenging this year.At Anfield the international break will be timely for Benitez to sort out a few tactics, and allow the players to recover from the injuries. Benitez is adamant that this is the year, so write Liverpool off at your peril, there is still life in this old dog.