Liverpool levels ahead but it's right to expect more from Rangers - Joshua Barrie

They have, after all, dropped points in five of seven league games, a tally that would read six if not for a last-minute winner against Newcastle. An apologetic Jurgen Klopp admitted his side needed to “reinvent themselves” following a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Napoli just last month. During his pre-match press conference on Monday, the German drew parallels between the current spell and a tumultuous run of form in 2020, the worst of his tenure. He spoke at length of the difficulties his side have faced when pressing opponents. A word that usually only connotes strength if mentioned in the same breath as Liverpool has not been quite so secure this season.

And yet, from the moment Trent Alexander-Arnold steadied himself 25-yards out in the opening minutes last night a less appealing story started to play out for Rangers. The hosts’ relentless, pulsating start was capped with a world-class, unstoppable free-kick and suddenly, it very much did not seem like a good time to be playing Liverpool. The two-goal scoreline and failure to net from open play does not tell of the superiority enjoyed by the hosts. If not for Allan McGregor it could well have been many more.

“Everyone was saying ‘Liverpool are out of form it is going to be an easy game’,” Giovanni van Bronckhorst said after the game.

“But today, you can see today the level they can reach. The gap is obvious. Look at the squads we both have. We are competing against one of the best sides in Europe. The gap is there but it doesn’t mean you have to lose the game.

“I think we have improved in the Champions League from the first game. But the level we face is very high and the level we had today wasn’t enough to get something from the game.”

Alexander-Arnold’s goal had a certain inevitability about it. Just days after being omitted from the England squad he responded to personal adversity in the way he knows how, by performing on the pitch. His goal and overall performance merited a standing ovation in injury time. Similarly, his teammates reacted to their further dropped points against Brighton at the weekend by resorting to the “basics” their manager highlighted pre-match. Unlike recent games, their pressure on the ball was aggressive and even if gaps opened up, as Klopp depicted pre-match, Rangers did not possess the possession or incision to play into them.

Rangers Review (Image: Rangers Review)

Liverpool hustled, harried and overpowered their opponents for the entire match. Klopp’s team selection, effectively opting for a 4-2-4 in possession with Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota, Mo Salah and Luis Diaz on from the start, spoke to his intentions. There is no shame in losing to a starting XI with such talent, particularly away from home. There is frustration when you don’t reach your own levels, however, and it’s hard to argue that Rangers did last night.

Van Bronckhorst tried to approach the game aggressively without the ball as his team marked man-for-man at points. Against Liverpool’s athleticism, the approach’s impact was largely lost and left the defence exposed. Malik Tillman endured a challenging evening on the right-hand side and a midfield pairing of Steven Davis and John Lundstram was constantly overloaded by Jota’s movement into midfield. The fact that Rangers’ best performers were in the defence and that a number of substitutes provided an upgrade tells its own story. Leon King can be happy with his performance on his first Champions League start aged 18, despite conceding a penalty.

Alfredo Morelos, so used to setting the tone in physical battles with defenders, dwarfed in comparison to the commanding Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip. Ryan Kent outplayed his opponents on two or three occasions but eventually ran down a closed road. The home front four rotated and interchanged with telepathic speed to constantly disrupt the defensive block protecting McGregor’s goal. 

“We did better than the first game [Ajax] but you know, it is a level where you have to think quicker, pass quicker, move quicker. In the first half, there were many moments when we won the ball but had a sloppy pass or our first touch wasn’t good,” van Bronckhorst added.

“That’s an experience we are facing at the moment and we need to improve in these next three games.”

A late Antonio Colak chance summed up the game’s speed that sometimes sped past Rangers. Waiting a moment too long to pull the trigger, James Milner came clattering into the back of the Croatian and retrieved the ball. Before he and his team knew it the moment was gone and Salah was bearing down in a one-v-one once again.

After three matchdays in the Champions League Rangers are yet to score, yet to earn a point and have conceded nine goals. Performances against Napoli and Liverpool were better than Ajax, but this was a team that looked limitless in Europe just months ago. You can’t criticise them for losing to Liverpool. You can’t disagree with van Bronckhorst’s judgement that this is a step up. Perhaps Rangers ended up catching Liverpool at the worst of times rather than the best.

And still, when such heights have been achieved in Europe of late, when supporters have been accustomed to punching upwards, expectations will remain in the upper echelons. It’s fair to accept Liverpool are a level above and still expect more from van Bronckhorst’s men. Particularly when the manager defied the odds so consistently last season.

Rangers need points in their second round of Champions League fixtures not only to try and secure European football after Christmas but to prove that the “experience” van Bronckhorst alludes to can improve performances.