Those two concerns were, firstly, that Blues hadn't actually performed that impressively and were a long way off the standards set last season and, secondly, that Blues had conceded seven goals in four games (including two against Rochdale) when last season the whole campaign was based on a rock-solid foundation at the back. The results had been decent enough, but those were two genuine concerns.
Well, those two concerns were brushed aside in pretty emphatic fashion with this performance. Blues didn't just compete with Liverpool, but they completely outplayed them. Blues didn't need to rely on elements of luck in keeping a clean sheet - they were pretty much untroubled, such was the performance of all ten outfield players in front of Ben Foster (who probably won't have as quiet a game for the rest of his Blues career).
When Alex McLeish selected the same team that started at Bolton, people probably expected the same 4-5-1 formation as at the Reebok Stadium. That's not what happened though as Lee Bowyer played wide left and James McFadden played alongside (or just off) Cameron Jerome up front.
For the opening fifteen minutes or so matters were fairly even. Liverpool's main threat (which was minmal, in truth) was Glen Johnson down their right as Bowyer naturally kept drifting inside and leaving Liam Ridgewell exposed down that flank. Johnson had, to coin a phrase, ripped Ridgewell a new one at Anfield last season, but he failed to do the same again here.
In the last half hour of the first half, Blues really opened up and, perhaps sensing that Liverpool weren't quite what they once were, really began to get at them. In fact, the first half display was probably as good a half of football as I have seen from Blues since that first half display at Villa Park in 2004. Ten Liverpool players couldn't cope. Unfortunately the only one who could was Pepe Reina. Three times he saved his side, saving from a Jerome header, punching away a Seb Larsson cross that Jerome seemed to be about to nod in and then saving from a Craig Gardner header. The two saves from headers were superb - Jerome's never been great in the air, but couldn't have done much more with his effort, whilst the only criticism of Gardner was that he never found a corner, although for Reina to make the save that he did was still incredible.
Blues started the second half a little sluggishly, but that only lasted for a couple of minutes when some sloppy defending saw Steven Gerrard finally give Foster something to do (in making a save that I could make with both arms tied behind my back). That seemed to spark the usual suspects (Barry Ferguson, Roger Johnson and Lee Bowyer) into life by questioning how the chance came about, and that then led to Blues picking up their game again.
On a few occasions yesterday I noticed the number of discussions going on in the Blues side. I know that players always speak amongst themselves during a game, but there do seem to be lots of little conferences within the Blues side at many stages of the game. If a chance is a little easy to come by for the opposition, Ferguson will speak to the centre halves and others will discuss how it came about. There's never much shouting and bawling (apart from Johnson, on occasions), but plenty of communication. It has to be a good thing. McLeish goes on about the spirit in the camp, but there really does seem to be a healthy set of communication lines on the pitch. When things need to be said, there's plenty of people saying them.
Blues never quite hit the heights of the first half during the second period, although Scott Dann missed a glorious chance with a header and Jerome displayed his more natural heading ability in finding the side netting late on. Both sides seemed to tire, although McLeish never used any substitutions until bringing Nikola Zigic on right at the death. Perhaps he could have freshened things up a little earlier to look for the killer blow, but at the same time Blues were so very much on top, even late on, that you can understand not wanting to change things. Liverpool were the more tired side near the end, so for all the signs of tiredness in the Blues camp, they were still the fresher team.
Zigic replaced McFadden who received a standing ovation from the Blues fans, and rightly so. This was comfortably his best performance for Blues since the back end of the last relegation season when he came in. If aliens with an appreciation of the art of football had landed in Small Heath pre-match and you'd told them that both sides had players playing just off the main striker, one of whom is considered world class and the focal point for his club whilst the other is considered to be a lazy Scot who makes no effort, they'd have been thinking that the world class one was McFadden and that Gerrard was a lazy Scot. McFadden's workrate, skill and attitude were all superb and follow some positive early season performances from him already. He's looking the part more and more. Whether that's the pressure that the likes of Hleb and Beausejour coming in bring, who knows, but whatever it is, it's worked. He looked fitter too. He normally struggles to manage 65 minutes, but he did about 89 minutes here and was still chasing around up until then.
Any number of Blues players could be singled out for praise. Indeed, the only one who probably didn't impress was Foster. That wasn't down to him though - it was just that he had nothing to do. Johnson and Dann were absolutely immense. Stephen Carr was superb. Bowyer, Gardner and Ferguson absolutely bossed the midfield. Gardner really set the tone early on by snapping into tackles, chasing everything and making clever runs. Jerome, whilst still frustrating at times, put himself about far, far more and was the stand-out centre forward on the pitch, which, when you consider that Fernando Torres was at the other end, is credit to him. Liam Ridgewell continues to amaze me by being a more than competent left-back.
The only one I haven't mentioned, in fact, is Larsson, and he was generally good too. I did just want to mention one frustration that I have raised before though, and that's his apparent reluctance to go down the outside himself and his insistence that Carr does so on the overlap. When the ball comes out to Carr on the right, Larsson without fail tucks inside and gives only one option - the short ball into him as Carr bombs down the outside. Larsson, for me, needs to offer something more. It is always Carr doing the attacking work down the right. He had to do it twice in about 60 seconds in the second half and having done so he literally turned green and looked as if he was about to die. This isn't about him being old or unfit - anyone having to do the work Larsson makes him do would be knackered. As I say, otherwise Larsson was fine and contributed well, but it is a frustration of mine.
Liverpool now aren't the Liverpool of old, or even the Liverpool of a couple of years back. The likes of Lucas Leiva (which isn't an anagram of "cheating diving little runt", but should be), Paul Konchesky, Maxi Rodriguez and that Jovanovic bloke are all average at best. If you put them into the Blackburn, Bolton or Wigan sides, they wouldn't stand out. They still do have some incredible talent at their disposal though. Reina is a great, great goalkeeper, whilst everyone knows how good Gerrard and Torres are. Glen Johnson too, if you get over this misconception that he "can't defend" (which isn't true anyway - he's not the finest defender in the world but he's far better than the vast majority), is a fine full-back. To keep those players (except Reina) so, so quiet is an absolute credit to Blues and McLeish. Keith Fahey and GarryO'Connor would have been more effective than Gerrard and Torres.
All that was (quite obviously) missing was a goal or two to cap such a fantastic display, but unfortunately it never came. Had Blues won 2-0 or 3-0, it wouldn't have flattered them. That the disappointed travelling fans sang Reina's name at the end only highlighted what everyone knew anyway - he had single-handedly (his right hand) saved them a point.
Blues have to push on from this now. I've said before that, at times, they seem reluctant to throw off the shackles and impose themselves on the opposition. Too often the football is about being resolute and durable, rather than expansive and creative. I'm not saying that Blues have been dull - the football's been good over the past year - but often they do seem to prefer being the demolishers rather than the architects. What this should show them is that they can come up against decent opposition, take the game to them and impose their own game on that opposition. They can worry more about themselves than the opposition. They can comprehensively outplay teams. It's hugely positive.
It's now mid-September and Blues are still unbeaten and kept a clean sheet fairly comfortably. They needed that, after last season, but they also needed to remind themselves that they can actually be quite good. It never quite feels right saying that about Blues, but when they play like this, there's genuinely not many sides who can compete with them. Blues can, when they want, be a very, very good side. Seriously. I know it doesn't sound right, but it's true.
With Albion away, Wigan at home and Everton at home the next three league fixtures before an international break, it's not beyond the realms of possibility that Blues may be unbeaten in mid-October too, and five, six or seven points from those three games would be very welcome indeed. Add in the likes of Hleb and Beausejour as additional options, plus Zigic who will no doubt improve and Matt Derbyshire who I'm sure will get more game-time and there's plenty of reasons to be cheeful.
One final note - it was good to see Mark Halsey back refereeing. Well done to him on a great recovery from his illness and being able to return to the game. He had a pretty decent game, actually. He made one or two errors - who doesn't? - but was excellent in dealing with Liverpool's gamesmanship and was ahving none of Lucas', Gerrard's or Torres' "simulation". Well done to him.