With rested starters, Liverpool has no excuses when facing Chelsea

In the classic British sitcom "Yes, Prime Minister," there is a repeated joke made by Sir Humphrey, the cabinet secretary, that the best way to divert a politician from a course on which he seems set is to agree with him and tell him he’s being brave.

Brendan Rodgers’ team selection on Tuesday against Real Madrid was brave in that sense: whatever you think of the rights and wrongs of playing a much-changed starting lineup, whether you think he was letting down fans who had traveled and surrendering the game, or that he was sending a necessary message to players who had under-performed at Newcastle the previous Saturday, or even that it was necessary pragmatism, he was taking an enormous risk.

It’s not just that if Liverpool had been hammered, he would have shouldered the blame, but that he has removed all the excuses for Saturday’s game against Chelsea. The major players in his side – Steven Gerrard, Raheem Sterling, Jordan Henderson, Dejan Lovren, Mario Balotelli – are all fully rested. There’s no moaning that the players are weary from a difficult midweek trip. For better or for worse, it’s in some ways heartening that Rodgers has been so prepared to lay that on the line.

Self-confidence has never been a problem for the Liverpool manager, and perhaps his boldness may encourage his players to take more responsibility – as Kolo Toure did on Tuesday, producing in the Bernabeu probably his best performance for the club. This was always going to be a difficult season, not just in learning how to play without Luis Suarez, but in trying to deal with expectations elevated by last season’s run at the title – which, as Rodgers acknowledged, came far earlier than he had expected it to.

Up to a point, Suarez is the issue. It’s not just that without his goals – and those of Daniel Sturridge, restricted to just three league starts so far this campaign with his thigh and hamstring problems – the defensive laxity of last season is more of a problem;,it’s that without him, the whole dynamic of the team has changed.

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Liverpool last season was all about rapid transitions, winning the ball packing in midfield and overwhelming opponents with the pace of Suarez, Sturridge and Sterling. All the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Henderson had to do was roll the ball ahead of one of the forwards and watch them go. That pace simply isn’t there any more.

Balotelli is quick over the ground, but seems not yet to have adjusted to that way of playing: twice in the first 10 minutes of the home game against Real Madrid, he received the ball from just such a turnover, and plodded head down along a blind alley. Lazar Markovic hasn’t settled yet. Adam Lallana, for all his technical ability, just isn’t that quick.

New players – especially when signed in a glut – often take time to settle, but at Liverpool there seems a need to amend the strategy as well: everybody is learning. The question is what is being learned. Last season’s highly dynamic style was a reaction to having Suarez, Sturridge and Sterling in such fine form; it was a move away from the more possession-based approach Rodgers had previously favored.

The summer signings seemed a chance to move back to that sort of style; after all, finding a direct replacement for Suarez is impossible. Greater possession should equal greater control, which in turn should help protect the back four. Perhaps that is the ultimate goal, and possession stats have risen, although only from 54.8 percent last season to 55.3 percent this one.

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Lovren has arrived, but the defense looks no more secure than it did; moreover, he is demonstrably not as good a passer of the ball as Daniel Agger was. Set plays pose a particular problem, which, at this level, is a matter of coaching. But there is also surely an issue of structure. Liverpool has tried a host of defenders over the past two seasons and none has looked comfortable.

With a pattern like that, you have to look at other factors – at the goalkeeper and at the midfield. Simon Mignolet, although he played well at the Bernabeu, is not having a good season. He often looks jittery, although cause and effect are hard to disentangle – is it him unsettling the defense or the defense unsettling him?

The midfield is a more fundamental issue: Gerrard and Henderson, even with the addition of a third player – be that Lucas, Emre Can or Joe Allen – simply don’t offer sufficient protection, just as they left Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka exposed when playing for England in the summer.

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That is not something that is readily soluble unless Rodgers takes the step he took away to Queens Park Rangers when he started with Can and Henderson deep in midfield, with Gerrard more advanced. That, though, ended up stymying the flow of ball from back to front. More tinkering is required. It may be that Liverpool, in Rodgers’s third season, needs another year of transition. A key player has gone, a lot of new players have arrived, and the style is changing.

Gerrard, at 34, may soon be phased out. Chelsea, though, even if the past week’s events – a scrappy 2-1 win over QPR and a draw in Maribor – have dinted its sheen of remorselessness, is not an opponent likely to show mercy. Rodgers has left himself without excuses for Saturday: this is Liverpool in its best possible state (injures notwithstanding) pitting itself against the league leader, seeing just how far behind it is.

And that is an act that is unquestionably brave.

GALLERY: Tifos from Around the World

Best soccer tifos from around the world

Galatasaray fans display a sensational "Rocky" tifo ahead of their clash against rival Fenerbahce. It didn't inspire a victory, though. The Turkish rivals played to a 0-0 draw.

Borussia Dortmund fans channel their 1963 cup triumph over Benfica ahead of the teams' second leg in the Champions League round of 16 at Signal Iduna Park.

Hapoel Be'er Sheva fans turn to Moses for tifo inspiration, with his splitting the Red Sea illustrating how "impossible is nothing" in their Europa League series against Besiktas.

Fans of Tunisia's Club Africain display this pointed tifo at a friendly against PSG, whose Qatari owners have pumped millions and millions into the club.

U.S. fans in Columbus, Ohio, make a "One Nation, One Team" statement ahead of the USMNT's World Cup qualifying match against Mexico on November 11, 2016.

Germany fans display their heart for the team colors ahead of a World Cup qualifier against Czech Republic in October 2016.

Italy fans spell out their support for the Azzurri ahead of a massive World Cup qualifier vs. Spain in October 2018.

Iceland fans keep up their world-famous passion for the national team during a World Cup qualifier against Turkey in October 2016.

Fans in the United Arab Emirates set their sights on reaching the 2018 World Cup in Russia during a qualifying match vs. Australia in September 2016.

Colombia fans send a massive jersey around the stadium during a World Cup qualifier vs. Venezuela in September 2016.

Seattle Sounders fans turn to Game Of Thrones for inspiration in a game against the Cascadia rival Vancouver Whitecaps in September 2016.

Djurgardens fans go all out in Sweden for a match against AIK in September 2016.

Zulte Waregem fans prepare Kortrijk for the absolute worst in this Belgian top-flight match in September 2016.

Seattle Sounders fans turn their pop culture reference to Poltergeist in March 2016 ahead of the season home opener against Sporting Kansas City.

The Timbers Army doubles down on their Eastbound and Down theme, adding another wrinkle during the club's MLS Western Conference final first leg vs. FC Dallas on November 22, 2015 at Providence Park.

Fans make a French flag tifo at Wembley Stadium during the singing of Le Marseillaise ahead of England's friendly vs. France, which took place days after the terrorist attacks in Paris.

The Timbers Army referenced Eastbound & Down's Kenny Powers with their "Cup Bound and Down" tifo for the Portland Timbers' MLS playoff elimination game against Sporting Kansas City on October 29, 2015.

Brondby IF fans display a gladiator holding up a lion's head during the team's Danish Alka Superliga match against FC Copenhagen, whose logo is a lion's head, on September 27, 2015.

New England Revolution fans equate Jermaine Jones to Indiana Jones on their quest to capture the 2015 MLS Cup on September 26, 2015.

New England Revolution fans display a Lion King theme in honor of Orlando City FC's first visit to Gillette Stadium on September 5, 2015.

Red Bulls fans take a shot at NYCFC's two summer arrivals, 37-year-old Frank Lampard and 36-year-old Andrea Pirlo, ahead of their third MLS meeting of 2015.

Germany fans in Cologne salute their World Cup champions ahead of a friendly against the United States in June, 2015.

Real Madrid fans went all out prior to the second leg of the 2014-15 Champions League semifinal vs. Juventus.

Lazio fans display a stunning eagle tifo ahead of the Rome derby against AS Roma in their penultimate Serie A match of the 2014-15 season.

Barcelona fans bid farewell to veteran midfielder Xavi with this banner at his last league game at Camp Nou before he departs for Qatari club Al Sadd.

Fans at Anfield pay tribute to Steven Gerrard in his final home match as a Liverpool player in May 2015.

Juventus fans state their case to beat Real Madrid in the 2014-15 Champions League semifinals and reach the final in Berlin.

Fans at Benfica's Estadio da Luz remind rival Porto who the Primeira Liga reigning champion is during an April 2015 match in Portugal.

New York Red Bulls fans send a pointed message to their NYCFC counterparts prior to the teams' first MLS meeting in May, 2015.

Inter Milan's Curva Nord announces its presence ahead of the April 2015 Derby della Madonnina–the annual clashes between city rivals Inter and AC Milan.

Bayern Munich fans implore their club to (translated) "Never give up" in the Champions League quarterfinal second leg vs. Porto. Bayern then turned a 3-1 first-leg deficit into a 7-4 aggregate win and a place in the semifinals.

Dortmund fans commemorate their 1997 Champions League trophy in the club's clash vs. Juventus–the opponent on the wrong side of that title bout.

Portland Timbers fans speak out against homophobia with this tifo in a 2013 match against Chivas USA

Atletico's supporters display a banner reading "Atleti crushes" before the Spanish league match between Atletico Madrid and FC Barcelona at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid,

Borussia Dortmund fans put on a remarkable display ahead of a UEFA Champions League quarterfinal second leg match.

Brondby IF fans unveil a tifo ahead of a match in Denmark against Randers FC.

FC Barcelona fans display a huge banner in memory of former head coach Tito Vilanova.

Galatasaray fans support their team during the UEFA Champions League Group D match between Borussia Dortmund and Galatasaray at the Turk Telekom Arena in Istanbul.

The American Outlaws unveil a huge tifo ahead of a 2014 World Cup send-off match between the USA and Turkey at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J.

Marseille's supporters use paper sheets to create an "OM" (Olympique de Marseille) tifo at the beginning of the French L1 football match between Marseille and Genoble.

Seattle Sounders fans display their tifo that shows coach Sigi Schmid playing cards and holding a Royal Flush before a match against the Portland Timbers.

Panathinaikos Athens fans display a banner during the UEFA Europa League match against Dynamo Moscow.

Fans of the Saudi Al-Hilal team celebrate after the scoring of a goal against Uzbekistan's Bunyodkor.

Seattle Sounders fans unveil a tifo inspired from the “Build a Bonfire” chant, featuring Sounder players holding torches on horseback ahead of a game against the Portland Timbers.

Fans of Hertha BSC before the Bundesliga match between Hertha BSC and Werder Bremen in Berlin.

Sporting Kansas City fans channel their inner Mario ahead of the 2013 MLS Cup final vs. Real Salt Lake.

Brondby IF fans.

Thousands of Barcelona fans hold up cards to spell out "Barca! Orgull," which translates to "Barcelona pride" ahead of a Champions League clash with Bayern Munich at Camp Nou.

Fans raise a tifo celebrating “Community, Club and Country” ahead of a CONCACAF Gold Cup match between the USA and Belize in Portland, Oregon.

Vitesse fans unfurl a massive Eagle banner at the Dutch Eredivisie match against Ajax at the GelreDome.

Valencia fans drape a banner featuring a king for a Copa del Rey ("The King's Cup) match against Atletico Madrid.

Juventus fans make a statement in Turin in a match vs. Inter Milan.

Dortmund fans put on another strong display at a Bundesliga match against Mainz 05.

German fans boast the newest star earned by the national team, symbolizing its 2014 World Cup triumph, at a Euro 2016 qualifying match in Dortmund.

Real Madrid fans make a point to display the club's 10 European championships ahead of the October 2014 clash against rival Barcelona at the Bernabeu.

San Jose Earthquakes fans unleash a massive tifo to mark the opening of Avaya Stadium, MLS's newest soccer-specific venue, in March 2015.

Barcelona fans show all who the real 12th man is ahead of the March 2015 Clásico vs. Real Madrid.

Ahead of a clash with Mexican foe Monterrey, Tigres players are treated by this message by its fervent supporters.

Standard Liege fans have a pointed message for Steven Defour, who departed the club for Belgian rival Anderlecht.

Orlando City fans mark their club's inaugural MLS game vs. fellow expansion side New York City FC with a statement that the Lions' "reign begins now."

Real Madrid fans salute Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo after he captured the most prestigious individual prize in world soccer again.

Vitesse fans pay homage to Operation Market Garden ahead of an Eredivisie match against SC Heerenveen.

Sevilla's fans deploy a giant banner in the stands before the UEFA Europa league final match between Benfica and Sevilla.

Fans in Liverpool’s Kop End at Anfield commemorate those lost in the Hillsborough disaster.

Lyon fans during a game against Saint Etienne.