Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has admitted his side’s standards have slipped compared to the Reds team which secured a Premier League runner-up spot last season.
The Merseyside outfit seem to feeling the effects of star striker Luis Suarez’s exit to Barcelona this summer, while their attacking force has taken an additional hit with the early injury blow to now-first choice frontman Daniel Sturridge.
That has left Rodgers with summer signing Mario Balotelli as his main man up front, though the Italian failed to really impress at the weekend as the Reds slumped to a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa at Anfield.
The maverick forward finally opened his account for his new club just a few days later though, putting Liverpool in front - with what Rodgers described as a "world-class finish" - in their Champions League opener against Bulgarian minnows Ludogorets on Tuesday night.
But despite Balotelli giving the hosts the lead, it was Steven Gerrard who saved the Merseyside outfit once again as the captain netted a stoppage-time penalty to secure a 2-1 victory after the visitors netted shock equaliser.
It was a nervy night for the Reds, but Rodgers insists his new-look squad, bolstered by over £100million worth of summer arrivals, will improve with time as they start to gel.
“We’re not at the standard we were at last season, that’s for sure,” said the boss. “We’re not at the level yet.
“We’ve got a lot of adaptation going on with new players coming in, and even though they fit the profile and are working hard, it’s still a new team.
“We’re still a work in progress, but we could do no more than win tonight, and we did that.
“It’s important to keep winning games through this period, and winning in the Champions League is always good.
"I think it was a great night for everyone at the club," he added. "Obviously it's been five years so to get first game back in and get the result was excellent.
"Big congratulations to the players because they showed great character and commitment tonight to get the result."
