After an international break it is always important to come back fighting and get a run of good results going - because as previously shown, international breaks can disrupt a teams form in the Premier League.
Liverpool are a good example of how internationals can affect form and performances but of late the Reds have turned it round and have begun to lose less games on returning from the breaks. This should give fans confidence but are draws really any better?
The Derby Showdown!
The Merseyside Derby is undeniably one of the biggest games in the Premier League, even more so for the supporters.
With the latest Merseyside Derby coming after the international break you could of forgiven it for being a little lacklustre - like previous meetings - but lacklustre it was not! It was a high energy, open game with both sides having the opportunity to take the three points.
The game itself was a fantastic watch - especially if you were a neutral, with both red and blue going for the win and constantly attacking even when at 2-2 you thought they may settle for a draw and call it evens.
To be honest, a draw was probably a fair result although both sets of fans may tell you that their side deserved it a little more.
As you would expect with a Derby game, there were issues and controversies galore.
The first being Daniel Sturridges' exclusion to the bench on grounds that he was 100% fit after playing the 90 minutes for England in a friendly although he had been carrying an injury for the past 3-4 weeks.
Next was the contentious decisions on the pitch - mainly Everton player Kevin Mirallas' miraculous stay on the pitch even when most thought he should have been red carded following a nasty tackle on Liverpool's Luis Suarez - which left the reds striker with a nasty looking cut on his knee and the suggestion from reds boss Rodgers that it could of been much worse. Considering the blues man had escaped with a yellow for the Suarez incident you would have thought he may of kept his head down, right? No, not Mirallas as he continued to make risky tackles and movements all over the pitch, even smacking Liverpool's Jordan Henderson in the face with his elbow as the pair went up for a header - which left the reds midfielder a little bloodied and bruised.
Even though Sturridge wasn't 100% fit and it was clear his management weren't happy with exertions for England earlier in the week, it was inevitable that he would be brought into the fray for the final minutes to try and help Liverpool secure a point. And that's exactly what he did!
At the end of it all a point was obviously better for Liverpool as it kept them in the race for top 4 and showed fans that they don't need to worry as much about Liverpool's performances after internationals as they have clearly worked out a formula to gain a least one point instead of none.
Hull disappointment
After the Derby draw, Liverpool went to Hull looking for a win and all 3 points so that they could keep up with the league leaders Arsenal who had won earlier on to take them 7 points clear at the top.
However, it wasn't to be for Liverpool as their day at the KC stadium ended in disappointment and question marks about whether they were really top 4 contenders.
As the line up was announced, it left many fans with many questions, most of which were still left at the end of the 90 minutes. With Sturridge ruled out through injury the day before, many were left wondering who would fill the void not wondering who would be in defence. When it was announced that Toure would be starting and Agger was benched - many fans were wondering why? As when Agger hasn't played so far this season, the reds have slipped to defeat.
As for the void in attack, Rodgers went with young winger Raheem Sterling and on loan Victor Moses who had stated earlier on in the week that he needed to be played more to score goals for the team.
Liverpool weren't just bad for 20 minutes of the game, the were bad for the whole 90 minutes. The team lack concentration, creativity and players who were willing to be brave and fight for the win. It says something when one of the best players on the pitch was one that contributed to Hull's third goal.
After the 90 minutes, you would have to say that Hull were the ones who deserved to be walking away with the 3 point and the win because they were the team who showed fighting spirit, passion and the hunger to win the game. Liverpool had none of that and it is a shame that Steven Gerrard's stunning free kick got overshadowed by the fact we got beat by a team, that in all honesty we should be beating if we want to finish in the top 4 come May.
I guess there is not much Liverpool can really do about the Hull result except come out fighting during all of the games in a very busy December fixture list and try their best to get all of the points available. Although a lot of that will rely on players stepping up to the plate and the manager picking the correct players for the job.
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