Wish you hadn’t left, Brendan? His Kop revolution hits the buffers while old club crush QPR

BRENDAN RODGERS saw his Kop revolution crushed and admitted: “I need time to get it right — but I haven’t got it.”

There was little sign of his trademark Barcelona-style football as Liverpool slumped to a shock 3-0 defeat at West Brom.

And just to add to the misery, new Reds boss Rodgers’ old club Swansea showed little sign of missing him as they destroyed QPR 5-0 to go joint-top of the Prem.

The fact that West Brom’s win was masterminded by Steve Clarke — sacked as Liverpool No 2 when Kenny Dalglish was dethroned — rubbed salt in the wounds.

But Rodgers is realistic enough to know he has to sort it out — and fast.

New signings Joe Allen and Fabio Borini — worth £26million in all — made no impact.
Liverpool’s next game is at home to Manchester City.

Rodgers said: “Listen, we’ve got to win games.

“It’s okay hearing lots of talk about patience and all that. Every manager wants that but the reality is you don’t get it. You’ve got to win games. You’re hoping that progress can be made.

“This was a bad day at the office for us. It’s still a work in progress, this was the first game. This is going to be a marathon.”

Liverpool were doomed when centre-back Daniel Agger was sent off for bringing down Shane Long in the box.

Long missed that penalty but Zoltan Gera’s first-half screamer and a Peter Odemwingie penalty, after Albion were awarded a second in three minutes, did the damage.

A debut goal from Chelsea loan striker Romelu Lukaku completed the rout.
Rodgers clearly felt referee Phil Dowd’s decision to award two spot-kicks swung the game Albion’s way.

The Liverpool boss added: “I thought the two decisions were very harsh. Three if you include the sending off.

“That kills you, especially a new team coming together in terms of structure and ideas.

“I don’t think the second one was penalty. If you look at the replay you see Martin (Skrtel) doesn’t connect with Shane.

“In the first one, Shane’s pace gets him in front, there’s slight contact. But I know Shane well and I know how flamin’ strong he is.

“I thought it was harsh. We might appeal the red card.

“With 10 men, chasing the game becomes very difficult. I was still confident at half-time.

“I thought the scoreline was harsh, I’ve got to be honest.”

While Rodgers was cursing, the man who replaced him at Swansea was ecstatic after a stunning 5-0 win at QPR.

Former Real Madrid and Barcelona star Michael Laudrup crowed: “To win 5-0 away from home in my first game in the Premier League — I could not even dream about that.

“In the second half we were perfect in every way.

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