No need to panic yet

A bolt from the blue. That’s how media outlets all over the world are describing Phil Jagielka’s last-minute strike at Anfield, which ensured that Both Everton and Liverpool walked away from their match with a point. One thing that must be said (even as a Liverpool fan) is, what a goal! That strike from Jagielka was phenomenal. The Everton captain caught the ball so sweetly with the outside of his boot. As soon as he hit it, everyone knew it was going in. Liverpool didn't deserve to draw that match. We should have taken all three points but that is football. You can be on “cloud nine” and be brought back to earth with a thud just moments later. Saturday’s derby wasn't really what I expected. Normally in derby games, form goes out of the window. However, this one was a boring affair. Yes, there were some glimpses of brilliance, like Gerrard’s goal or Jagielka’s, but most of the match was dull. A few questions have sprung up since Saturday and I need to chat about them here: Is Balotelli capable of filling the Luis Suarez gap up front? Stepping into the shoes of someone like Luis Suarez is a tough task for any footballer. Suarez was fantastic last season, hammering in 31 goals. We all knew his absence would cause Liverpool to struggle. Balotelli, in his own right, is a fantastic footballer, though he isn't in the Luis Suarez mould. I remember last season. Luis would be all over the pitch and, if he lost the ball, he would do his utmost to win it back. Balotelli seems to be quite lazy on the pitch and his body language doesn't seem right. Maybe it’s because of the way Brendan is playing him up front as a lone striker. I think, to get the best out of Balotelli, Brendan Rodgers needs to change his tactics. His current formation, with Sterling and Couthino on the wings and Balotelli in the middle, isn't giving us much joy. I’m sure the return of Daniel Sturridge will help Balotelli immensely and I hope we get to see Sturridge sooner rather than later. Is our defence good enough? I have said it time and time again this season, and the simple answer is NO. Or should I say, not at the moment. One thing we are all (yes, including me) quick to forget, is that three out of four players are new. Rodgers brought in wing-backs Manquillo and Moreno as well as centre-back Dejan Lovren this summer and it will take some time for them to gel. Manquillo and Moreno have hit the ground galloping and have been two of our best new signings so far. Their pace and crossing ability has been something we have been missing. Meanwhile, Lovren was brought in to be a Jamie Carragher sort of figure. However, that hasn't panned out yet. He needs to be more dynamic and take on the responsibility of marshalling his defenders. We clearly saw the kind of player he is capable of being last season at Southampton but the pressure of donning the famous red shirt seems to be getting to him. Once he can get his head around this, he will improve. I also feel that Mignolet needs to have someone putting the pressure on him. I really wish we didn't sell Pepe Reina. I feel that teams need to have two world-class keepers in the side. Hopefully the rumours about Victor Valdes are true and we will see him at Anfield very soon. Can we still challenge this season? With only six games played and three points off fourth place, I don’t think we need to start panicking just yet. September has been an awful month for us and I’m glad to see the back of it. We have some easier ties coming up in the Premier League, with the likes of West Brom, QPR, Hull and Newcastle up next. At the beginning of the season, I never thought that we could repeat last season’s heroics, or even go one better and win the league. I think we are still one or two seasons away from that. Our main aim this term is to at least win some silverware and ensure that we are in the Champions League next season. Or else we may go down the Leeds United route. This Wednesday we are away in Switzerland to face FC Basle in a match you can catch LIVE on your world of Champions. What do you think the score will be? Send me a tweet @JunaV or comment below.