Simon Wilkes feels Brendan Rodgers is the right man for the job at Liverpool and has urged fans not to panic about their lowly league standing.

The Premier League table looks pretty grim for Liverpool fans at present and they're still still licking their wounds after Sunday's Anfield defeat - but the future is bright for the Reds and they've got the right man at the helm.

It's seemingly a case of deja vu after Roy Hodgson's disastrous start to his ill-fated tenure on Merseyside - but things are different this time around, as the club is united on the pitch, in the boardroom and on the terraces.

Manchester United fans taunted their arch rivals' new gaffer with chants of 'you're getting sacked in the morning' despite seeing their side outplayed and outfought in their 2-1 win.

But the response of 'there's only one Brendan Rodgers' from The Kop was both loud and proud - and much appreciated by the Northern Irishman, who acknowledged their support.

Kenny Dalglish had been parachuted in by John Henry to galvanise a club which had become disjointed under Hodgson - but Rodgers is the man charged with the long-term task of returning to the Reds to the top of the English pile, and although tangible results have not been delivered as yet, the green shoots of recovery are there for all to see.

Rodgers' Reds are yet to taste victory in the league, meaning the panic button is looming large for some pundits - but having dominated the defending champions in a 2-2 draw and largely bossed proceedings against Sir Alex Ferguson's men, the former Swansea boss is clearly starting to get his message across to his squad.

Liverpool were the dominant force on Sunday despite the dismissal of Jonjo Shelvey for a reckless challenge on United defender Jonny Evans, who had been equally committed in a 50-50 tackle but visibly came off worse, leading referee Mark Halsey to send the young Reds midfielder for an early bath.

My view on the much-debated tackle which proved such a turning point in a fiercely-contested game is that both players deserved to be dealt with in exactly the same manner. Both players showed great commitment in the challenge, and Halsey should either have sent both men off, or booked them both. Shelvey paid the price for the fact the technique of his tackle 'looked' worse than Evans', and both players went for the ball with two feet. The same cannot be said for David Luiz's terrible tackle on Stoke's Jon Walters at Stamford Bridge, which was far, far worse yet generated far less vitriol.

Shelvey didn't help himself with his reaction to his dismissal and subsequent spat with Sir Alex - but his departure didn't derail Rodgers from his commitment to playing effective, possession-based football, with the introduction of Suso ensuring the United defenders had plenty of headaches to deal with despite their team's numerical supremacy.

Rodgers was caught with his pants down - not on Channel 5's Being Liverpool thankfully - following the club's disastrous dealings in the summer transfer window, which saw a deal for Clint Dempsey fall through despite the decision to let £35million striker Andy Carroll leave for London on loan.

But he has regrouped and gone on record to admit he needs a striker who is 'not afraid to shoot' in January - and "will go with what we've got until" then.

Luis Suarez, with a record of 81 goals in 110 games for Ajax, arrived with a prolific reputation but is a scorer of great goals rather than a great goalscorer.

He is also a creator of chances, standing toe to toe with skipper Steven Gerrard in creating 13 opportunites so far this season, so a natural finisher to sit in the middle of Suarez and Raheem Sterling needs to be top of Rodgers' January shopping list - and the boss has recognised this.

Demba Ba, Jermain Defoe and Peter Odemwingie all fit the bill for the role - but in the meantime £10.5million capture Fabio Borini could be the man in the middle once his head has stopped spinning from four moves in 16 months, having played for Swansea, Parma and Roma before arriving at Anfield.

A record of nine goals in 20 games for the Romans proves he knows where the net is, and at 21 he deserves time to settle into his new surroundings once he recovers from his bruised foot and swollen ankle.

The last time a Liverpool striker scored over 20 league goals in a season was back in 2007-08, when a fresh-faced Fernando Torres banged in 24 in his debut season, then another 18 in his second.

So Rodgers' biggest task is to find a new goal-scoring hero.

Much has been made of Liverpool's lack of luck in front of goal under Dalglish and the early stages of Rodgers' reign - but whereas Dalglish let this affect his body language on the touchline and in press conferences, Rodgers is standing firm in his belief that the Reds will get their rewards.

The majority of Liverpool fans are standing firm too, and Rodgers should only truly be judged once he has had time to shape a squad he is happy with.

You can follow me on Twitter @SimonJWilkes