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“World beaters going forward. Sunday League at the back” was how one poster on Red and White Kop summed up Liverpool’s performance against West Ham. It was a neat little phrase which contained some truth, although deeper analysis revealed problems in both parts of Liverpool’s performance.

The midfield is starting to function well with Mascherano passing the ball as often as Xabi Alonso used to and he and Lucas providing cover defensively.

The real concern is the loss of form of Jamie Carragher. Against West Ham yesterday, he didn’t win a tackle.

I’ve been frustrated by analyses of the reds this season which have said that the difference for Liverpool this season compared with last is the loss of Alonso. That’s not because I don’t miss him but because it just seems too obvious an explanation.We put in some pretty insipid performances last year with him, and some inspired ones without him. This weekend’s game against Bolton Wanderers is as good a starting point as any to ask: how are Liverpool different without Alonso?

What I found out was that there was very little difference in the team performances in the two games. The key difference for Liverpool without Alonso was the role that Mascherano plays in the team and, to a lesser extent, the contribution of Jamie Carragher.