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| Brendan Rodgers looks set to replace the suspended Philippe Coutinho with Danny Ings at Old Trafford |
BRENDAN RODGERS' mantra all summer has been to move on from the past and slam the door shut on last season.
One wretched result, however, and he has discovered it has been flung wide open again with the ghosts which haunted Liverpool flooding back through.
It serves to highlight the scepticism surrounding Rodgers - and Manchester United's Louis van Gaal for that matter - that a single setback should leave both of them reaching for a tin hat.
Harry Redknapp lambasted this Liverpool as the worst in the club's recent history and Steven Gerrard has said he would have stayed at the club had he been invited to join the backroom staff, while Van Gaal has found his methods questioned by golfer Rory McIlory if not, it seems, his players.
For the vanquished, there is far more than three points to lose in today's heavyweight collision at Old Trafford.
"This is the greatest derby game in the history of our league," said Rodgers. "It's always a huge game and I don't think the rivalry has changed.
"When you can go into these types of games and get the result it can really help your confidence level and the levels of the team. We'll be ready for it."
The problem confronting Rodgers is that he cannot be totally sure of that nor what his team will deliver.
The solidity of the opening three matches, or the kamikaze defending that gifted West Ham their first win at Anfield in 52 years at the end of last month and prompted a mass exodus before the final whistle?
Liverpool have lacked creativity, a fact that will not be helped by the suspension of Philippe Coutinho, who is set to be replaced by Danny Ings, scoring just two goals in four matches.
The revolving door policy of buying and selling means Rodgers can legitimately argue he needs time to forge a convincing formula but, given the manner in which last season alarmingly tapered off, he has less credit in the bank at the start of his fourth term in charge to withstand setbacks.
"We want to be really creative," said Rodgers, who will again be without Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana. "We want to create opportunities to score goals, while having a strong defensive organisation. When you work that way, with that vision, the consequences of that is teams who will gradually improve.
"What we are seeing at the moment is players coming in and adapting to it. So we need to give this group a bit of time.
"That's something ill afforded to you in modern football, but this team will show its worth over the course of the season, not just in these early games."
Liverpool's last two visits to Old Trafford have both brought 3-0 scorelines.
Last December, Rodgers saw his side lose but stated yesterday it was "probably the best defeat I have ever had," given a new formation was trialled which brought around an upturn ironically until Van Gaal and United arrived on Merseyside in March.
Rodgers will have better memories of the trip there 18 months ago when Liverpool swatted aside a United team heading towards the last throes of David Moyes' tenure, although it is a sign of the times that such a heady afternoon also now stands out for more negative reasons.
Just two from that starting line-up that day - Simon Mignolet and Martin Skrtel - are likely to begin again as injuries and high-profile departures from the likes of Luis Suarez, Raheem Sterling and Gerrard leave Liverpool without an X Factor.
Rodgers knows it is time for a new hero to emerge.
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