LIVERPOOL crashed out of the Champions League after they could only manage a 1-1 draw at home to Basle on Tuesday night, sparking calls for Brendan Rodgers to lose his job as manager.

In some ways, such calls are understandable. While Real Madrid were always likely to win the group, Liverpool should have had too much for Basle and Ludogorets.

Rodgers’ decision to play a second-string team for the away game against Madrid was a brave but ultimately flawed one as they lost not only that match, but also the following fixture against Chelsea that he was resting players for.

However, it was his side’s performances against the other teams in the group that really cost them a place in the next round. Taking just one point from two games against Basle was the tipping point, but they also failed to beat minnows Ludogorets away from home, conceding a late equaliser.

When you add in the fact that Liverpool are also struggling in the Premier League, sitting ninth, five points outside the top four, it makes sense that Rodgers is under pressure.

However, you also have to consider what has gone before to get the full picture.

In 2012, Rodgers took over a Liverpool side who had just finished eighth in the Premier League. In his first season at Anfield, they finished seventh.

Then, last season, something clicked. Liverpool were outstanding for most of the season, very nearly winning the title, but considering the squad they had, particularly in defence, they overachieved massively.

If you look at the two seasons that went before, a natural progression for Liverpool would have been a fourth or fifth-placed finish. I don’t think many supporters would have complained, especially if they had managed to qualify for the Champions League.

If they hadn’t done so well last year, would people be calling for his head now? I don’t think so. I’d imagine that more people would have chalked the Champions League campaign down to experience, as it was Rodgers’ first time managing at that level.

In effect, he’s being penalised for doing well last year, despite losing one of the best players in the world over the summer.

Rodgers has come in for criticism for the way he spent the money Liverpool got for Luis Suarez and, like Spurs the season before, it does look like he has splashed the cash on several duds.

Getting a massive fee for a star player gives managers a rare set of problems that they are only likely to encounter once or twice in their careers.

Not only did Rodgers have to replace Suarez, which was impossible, but he had to use the money to rebuild his squad at a time when every other team in the world knew he had cash to burn.

In such a situation, it’s little surprise that managers act like kids in a sweet shop, but more often than not they end up buying penny chews for massively inflated prices.

Taking a gamble on Mario Balotelli was understandable. He’s a talented player when he’s on song and who else could Rodgers have got to replace Suarez, who is a total one-off?

Diego Costa and Robert Lewandowski both moved clubs in the summer, but their transfers were probably all but done before Liverpool got a chance to bid. The only striker they possibly missed out on was Mario Mandzukic, who was usurped by Lewandowski at Bayern Munich and replaced Costa at Athletic Madrid for around £20m.

Even he is a very different player to Suarez and unfortunately for Rodgers, Balotelli doesn’t look like finding any sort of form at the moment, while Daniel Sturridge has had an injury-plagued campaign, leaving them short in attack.

Elsewhere, Rodgers really needed to improve his side’s defence, but he failed badly, spending too much money in midfield, where he already had plenty of options.

As a result, the defence is still weak, and without Suarez and Sturridge, they cannot outscore opponents any more.

Mistakes have clearly been made, but in my opinion, it’s too early to talk about Rodgers getting the sack. He needs time to bed in his new signings and learn to cope without Suarez, who was such a massive part of the team last year.

If things fail to improve over the course of the second half of the season, and Liverpool are unable to qualify for the Champions League, that may well be the time for Rodgers to move on.

The good news for the Liverpool boss is that the winners of the Europa League now qualify for the following year’s Champions League.

When the Europa League begins again, Rodgers will have a much better idea of whether a top-four finish in the Premier League could be achievable. If it’s looking doubtful, he can give the Europa League a really good go.