A horrible cycle seems to be forming at Liverpool FC. A series of horrible performances and results are followed by chain of decent wins, then Brendan Rodgers plays up his methods and some players and the team suffers a deflating result in a match they are expected to win.
The performance and result against West Ham may have come too early to form enough bases for any conclusions for this season, but it has happened before so it's not prudent to write it off as a flash in a pan.
Same mistakes strike for Liverpool
Last season, before Manchester United came to Anfield, Rodgers was in loquacious mood about his 3-4-3 formation and how he had used it to turn around the wretched start to the season. Then, United struck a deadly blow to the Reds' Champions League qualification hopes with a 2-1 victory.
Until the United game in March, Liverpool had not lost a league match for three months, but Arsenal followed with a 4-1 trouncing which sent Rodgers back-tracking almost as much as Martin Skrtel for Diafra Sakho's goal on Saturday afternoon.
An inability to break down a very defensive mid or lower table team, lacking attacking creativity, shambolic defensive displays and Rodgers being outwitted tactically by his opposing manager are trends that all sound familiar for any Liverpool fan under the Northern Irishman's tenure.
So rather than being a blip, Liverpool fans are very familiar with the West Ham result and the performance it entailed. Rodgers' response to the result was that it is going to be a "real difficult league" to win at home in this year. This is Liverpool FC, a super power in the world of football, to put it in Rodgers’ own words.
Results and performances like yesterday’s against teams of West Ham’s ilk are becoming one too many under Rodgers, and comments like these are nothing short of an acceptance of mediocrity. Aston Villa (2012/13), Crystal Palace (2014/15, home and away) and Sunderland (2014/15 at Anfield) serve good reminders of Rodgers’ inability to carve out a plan to defeat lower table teams, especially those that set out to defend.
Of the top six teams last season, Liverpool recorded the fewest points against the bottom half teams - with poor results against Hull and West Brom sticking to mind towards the end of the campaign.
Boss needs to put up or shut up
In staying true to type, even though he has seemed more measured about his utterances this season, Rodgers sought to console Liverpool fans with the "seven out of 12 points" narrative.
In essence, Rodgers is telling fans that despite the shocker of a performance and result against West Ham, seven points from the first four games should be acceptable for the club.
The "seven out of 12 points" is this variant of his "par" argument he introduced last season to justify the 5th place the club seemed be headed until the thrashing at Stoke City. Liverpool had a solid but not spectacular start to the league up until the West Ham game, not even impressive.
A stunning strike by Philippe Coutinho at Stoke and an offside goal from Christian Benteke against Bournemouth have given full points to Liverpool even when they have not been at their best. Therefore for Rodgers to throw in the "7/12 points" after a poor showing to West Ham is besides the point completely.
On Friday he was ebullient about James Milner's "winning mentality", Clyne being England's best right back and Lovren and his ability to turn himself into a top-class defender.
All of these high and over the top praise on the basis of just three league matches. He went on about Lovren’s improved performance even when it was obvious his form had been helped by being baby sat by Joe Gomez.
Karma, it seems, never spares the Northern Irishman.
Rodgers needs to learn from his lessons
On Saturday, West Ham tore into Liverpool’s defence and Lovren was at the heart of the poor defensive display. West Ham, like the other lower table teams that have trounced Liverpool, have served up various lessons.
On the evidence of the West Ham performance and results, Rodgers has not used these lessons. Learning from them will almost certainly determine whether Liverpool's progress will yet again be halted again by one of these teams.