Real Madrid 1 Liverpool 0 "Three thoughts" by Paul Natton

1. At last - a modicum of positivity!

I know that sounds bizarre after a 1-0 defeat, but I even haven't felt able to put hand to keyboard for the last month, so abject have we been. At least now I feel like there is something vaguely positive to cling to. In fielding a "white flag 11" (There are some proper drama queens writing for the national press, aren't there? Yes, Henry Winter - I'm looking at you!) that actually put in a disciplined and composed performance, we finally have a bit of food for thought about who should play and who shouldn't. For me, the fact that the so called fringe players could come in at the Bernabeu and acquit themselves well showed all is not as gloomy as I'd previously thought.

I'm certainly not having all this "embarrassed a great club" nonsense the media are throwing around in relation to Brendan's team selection. I actually thought it was incredibly brave as the potential for utter humiliation was immense. Clearly, it wasn't a wild success either - we lost, after all - but I have to say that those harping on about leaving our best players out have clearly not been watching Liverpool this season: those "best players" have been almost entirely abject and Brendan was right to shake things up.

Whether that was his actual motivation remains to be seen in his team selection for Chelsea at the weekend, but I'd be amazed if he didn't stick with quite a few of these players on Saturday.

2. Ironic defending...

It seemed sadly apposite that what was arguably the best defensive performance of Brendan Rodgers' tenure came in a 1-0 defeat. However, when you look at the composure, disciplined shape and controlled aggression on display from virtually the entire team, it was actually reminiscent of the best of Gerard Houllier's time as manager when clean sheets were a constant and recurring source of pride. Unlike the previous game where no-one seemed even remotely clear about his position or role in the team, we set up as a compact unit and made Madrid try and play through us.

Clearly tactics such as those are highly risky when you're facing arguably the best side in the world, but we were only breached in the end by a truly magnificent goal from two top class players and, when you're clutching to find positives in a season, I'm all over this particular straw. It wasn't all bodies on the line stuff either, although the magnificent Kolo Toure in what was easily his best ever performance for Liverpool, threw himself around. No, there was lots of composed positioning and great interceptions as well as good pressure on the ball and nicked tackles. Furthermore, when we did win it back, it wasn't all launched aimlessly away; Lucas was instrumental in playing out through Madrid and I was delighted to see players want and indeed accept the ball under pressure for the first time this season. All in all, it was heartening after the shambollic rubbish we've seen for too long.

The absence of the aerial bombardment that we've endured in the league was probably a factor in our relative parsimony, as was Madrid's lack of an imperative to go all out to beat us. However, this was no first gear display from the Spaniards: we definitely frustrated them. The key now, of course is to learn from that and take it into the matches ahead.

3. The lack of goals in the squad remains troubling

The reason last night's performance can't be celebrated, no matter how improved the defending, is that we lost. And for me, therein lies the biggest worry going forward. I have now seen that we can defend stoutly as a unit and I would be very loathe to watch the back five from last night broken up in the aftermath of such a display. Certainly, I'd expect the players to see it as a platform to build on and seek to go one better by shutting out Chelsea entirely on Saturday.

However, ultimately even a draw is not ambitious enough a target for a club of our stature and tradition, no matter who the opposition. And yet that must surely remain the height of our expectations in the complete absence of a goal threat. Yes we've lost Suarez and of course that's been horribly compounded by the never-ending injury Daniel Sturridge is suffering from. However, it is just not right that we find ourselves in this position after last season: we knew Luis was off and we should have got a deal done for Alexis Sanchez, the very best of the Luis-lite players there are out there right now.

I'm not having this whole "the missus wants London" rubbish though; it was more a case of "Arsenal will give me an extra million pounds a season to play for them, so I'm going there" if truth be told. I'm all for our prudent approach to transfers and I certainly like the idea of developing/improving young talent. However, I'd love someone to tell me how it's financially imprudent to buy a top class goal scorer on lesser wages than the one we let go. It's not of course; it's the complete opposite - and I'm as certain as I can be that Alexis Sanchez in a Liverpool shirt this season would have seen us comfortably on Chelsea's heels, defensive mess and missing Sturridge or not.

So, whilst it's great to see some semblance of obduracy on the rise (let's not get carried away though - we need to see much more), goals are even more pressing for me. English football is all about the three points and if you can't have both, a great attack will carry you further than a great defence simply because one favours wins and the other favours draws - as the evidence of the Houllier/Benitez years shows when set next to last season.

In short, those scouts and that ridiculous committee had better have some serious targets in their sights for January or no amount of defensive improvement will see us back into the CL next season when the money goes even more stratospheric.