“APOLOGISE” read the headline on the back page of the Liverpool Echo, as the newspaper demanded that Mario Balotelli says sorry to the Liverpool supporters after swapping shirts with Pepe at half time against Real Madrid.

It’s a sensationalist claim, and taking a quick glance at the back page of the paper, you probably wouldn’t have immediately noted the score from the game, such is the focus on the antics of the £16 million man. You certainly wouldn’t have known that the Anfield outfit were 3-0 down prior to the Italian’s faux pas and subsequent substitution.

Once again, Balotelli has been a lightning rod for criticism levied Liverpool’s way. Speaking strictly of his display on the pitch against the European champions, he wasn’t fantastic, neither was he deplorable. But surely anyone who tuned in to sample the Madrid masterclass will see there are far more pertinent issues afoot for Brendan Rodgers and his team.

How about the way Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema ran Liverpool ragged for 20 minutes at the end of the first period? In hindsight, maybe the headline should have read “DEFEND”, as the Reds failed to deal with another rudimentary cross into the box? Maybe they should have gone with “SEVEN”, as this game saw the concession of a seventh goal from a set piece this season?

As Anfield stirred prior to kick off, there was a sense, admittedly based on nothing but an intangible aura of European nostalgia, that Liverpool, despite their erratic early season form, could pull something off in front of the decorated and deafening Kop. And in the early stages, inspired by the wonderfully vibrant Raheem Sterling, they competed with the Spanish giants.

But the minute Madrid managed to establish a foothold in the game, they scythed through Liverpool with an unerring familiar ease. Of course, the first goal was a moment of genial inspiration; once the eminently elusive James Rodriguez found Ronaldo with a sumptuous chipped pass, there was only going to be one outcome. The second two goals were avoidable though, and a microcosm of the problems that have long hampered Liverpool under Rodgers’ watch.

After resembling a cohesive and diligent outfit in the early stages of the match, Ronaldo’s goal was akin to yanking on a stray thread of a loosely sewn tapestry, as Liverpool’s defence disintegrated. Communication and leadership seems to be wholly lacking, the inability to push out is becoming patented and the intense, unyielding pressing—a hallmark of the Reds’ success last season—disintegrated the second the former Manchester United man found the back of the net.

Balotelli hasn’t covered himself in glory during his brief stint in red, but such is his profile, his performances have been overanalysed. All-in-all, his work rate has been decent and he’s offered a regular outlet to his teammates, but there have been singular instances of profligacy and ineptitude that have really blemished his early Anfield career so far.

But to the lay the blame almost squarely at the Italian’s feet is misguided, and to do so is to gloss over some of the incessant issues that Rodgers failed to address in the transfer market.

Luis Suarez’s sublime marriage of industry and ingenuity was always going to be irreplaceable, but the Liverpool boss had both a sizeable war chest and the lure of the Champions League to bolster his squad with some real quality. And while it’d be harsh to appropriately judge any of Rodgers’ summer signings at this early stage of the campaign, the players he’s brought in don’t seem to have plugged any gaps as of yet.

The most notable of which being the need for enforcing, dominant defensive presence at the heart of the back four and at the base of the midfield. When you consider that two of the club’s longstanding leaders—Pepe Reina and Daniel Agger—were surreptitiously eased out of the Anfield exit door in the summer, the transfer dealings seem even more peculiar. Indeed at this juncture, the experience and leadership qualities of both of the aforementioned players would make a massive difference to this current side.

Going forward, Rodgers has some significant decisions to make and with the dizzying heights of last season now but a wistful memory, they’re choices that could ultimately define him as a Liverpool manager.

In the immediacy, the defensive side of this team must be sorted out. There’s little he can do in terms of personnel until January, but to be so accommodating to opponents from set pieces is utterly unforgivable. Simon Mignolet is woefully out of form, and his hesitations have done little to help a central defensive duo of Martin Skrtel and Dejan Lovren that are still getting to grips with each other’s playing style.

In midfield, he’s also faced with a major quandary in the form of Steven Gerrard. The manager has tried adjusting the legendary midfielder’s role in the team, but up to now, the 34-year-old has been unable to make a sustained impression on any game this season. Does he persist with his skipper despite his dwindling influence, or is it time to start phasing him out?

And of course, there’s the concern with Balotelli, the man who according to former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp, “acts like a genius, but he doesn’t play like one”. Rodgers took a gamble on his signature and at this stage, it’s one that is looking increasingly unlikely to pay off. With Liverpool vowing to take action regarding the shirt-swapping incident, it’ll be intriguing to see just how prominent a role Balotelli plays in the weeks to come and whether he has the mettle to bounce back from this turbulent early start.

The exploits of Suarez and Daniel Sturridge hogged the spotlight last season, and in doing so, enduring issues with this squad were not fully addressed or simply ignored; in many respects the Italian is doing the same this season, albeit with a much more negative undertone. And while a fit and firing Balotelli would do plenty to lift the gloom that’s engulfed Anfield, Rodgers has a plethora of much more pressing obstacles to negotiate.

Follow Matt on Twitter @MattJFootball