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Lavish investment from around the globe dominates the agenda at Liverpool, but it was the more modest English purchases made this summer that edged the club towards the Europa League group stage tonight.

Roy Hodgson’s serene start as manager continued against FK Rabotnicki while Joe Cole sparked the Kop’s imagination with a dominant display on his Anfield debut. The club seems far removed from the internecine warfare of recent times on nights like this.

Even without the prospect of being released from the dispiriting grip of Tom Hicks and George Gillett later this month, there were more reasons for optimism among the Liverpool faithful here than they could ever have envisaged when Rafael Benítez’s team folded abjectly against Chelsea during the final home game of last season. Chief among them was the continued presence in a red shirt of Steven Gerrard and a vibrant home debut for Cole, with the promise of more to come.

There was no spectacular entrance on his first appearance at Anfield as Liverpool manager by Hodgson, just as he had promised and in keeping with the refreshing dose of common sense he has infused in the club since his arrival from Fulham. Hodgson’s other pledge, that a 2-0 first-leg lead from Macedonia had afforded him “a soft debut” – with the real thing to come against Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday week – was also upheld.

Liverpool welcomed back their England World Cup contingent for the second leg. Gerrard, Cole, Glen Johnson and Jamie Carragher eased their way back against compliant opponents. A competitive fixture that demanded application and concentration this may have been, but it also had the unmistakable air of a pre-season friendly in what was Liverpool’s final run-out before the Premier League commences.

The day had begun shamefully for Rabotnicki, when they were charged by Uefa over allegations of racist chanting during their first meeting with Liverpool last week.

David Ngog and 19-year-old Liverpool winger David Amoo were both allegedly targeted by home supporters in Skopje, and Uefa’s Control and Disciplinary Body will meet to consider the case on 19 August. No doubt a minuscule fine awaits if the Macedonians are found guilty. Their punishment over two legs by Liverpool was undeniably emphatic.

Having handled a difficult night in Skopje in the most eloquent manner possible, scoring twice to give Hodgson’s side a seemingly unassailable lead, Ngog continued in his role as the scourge of Rabotnicki with a well-taken header to open the scoring at Anfield. It was a goal crafted by the right boot of Cole. Taking Gerrard’s short corner in his stride, the former Chelsea forward arced a perfectly weighted cross in between two visiting defenders for the unmarked Ngog to convert via the underside of the bar.

The French striker proved a potent if occasionally erratic lone target man for Liverpool, and should have delivered his first hat-trick for the club on the night – not over the course of two legs.

He was denied a goal at the end of a fine run from Johnson by a close but correct offside call, squandered a glorious chance when he collected Gerrard’s threaded pass and clumsily attempted to round the goalkeeper, and was unable to find his captain following a flowing move that left the Liverpool pair with only Martin Bogatinov to beat.

Yet Ngog was also instrumental in Liverpool’s second of the night. Lucas, who was getting a difficult night out of the system early, headed into the area towards Ngog, who spun away from his marker, Fernando Lopes, and was hauled to the floor for a blatant penalty.

Gerrard sent Bogatinov the wrong way from the spot and raised an arm in celebration of his 35th goal in European football for the club.

The focus remained on Cole, however. Liverpool’s high-profile free-transfer recruit from Stamford Bridge was at the heart of several encouraging moves, and went close to opening his account for his new club on numerous occasions.

The England international’s goals in the warm-up received rapturous ovations but, try as he might, the real thing will have to wait.

Cole was inches away from a spectacular goal from distance in the first half and was twice denied by the Rabotnicki keeper at his near post in the second.

He was also unable to convert an awkward header from close range with moments remaining, and still had time to see a goalbound shot deflected agonisingly over Bogatinov but also over the bar.

Europa LeagueLiverpoolAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk

As an avid reader of some pretty heavyweight fiction, Roy Hodgson knows opening chapters are extremely important. Just like novelists, football managers benefit from good starts and he will be suitably satisfied with tonight’s assured formal opening to his Liverpool reign.

Two polished finishes – one dinked, one volleyed – from David Ngog on a balmy Balkan evening ensures that the first leg of this Europa League third-round qualifier was anything but the ordeal Hodgson had privately feared.

He asked a young, makeshift side to “swim” and, perhaps to his surprise, they generally did – none better than Ngog and David Amoo, a winger Liverpool fans are unlikely to have heard the last of.

Granted Rabotnicki were unexpectedly obliging hosts, but with his albeit at times understandably ring-rusty visitors playing with real width and intelligence, Hodgson’s Liverpool story could be worth sticking with.

On Tuesday locals here marked the anniversary of the earthquake which flattened large areas of Skopje in 1963, killing 1,066 people. Forty seven years on, the clock at the city’s former train station still has its hands frozen at 5.17am, the moment the quake struck in one of Europe’s seismically most unstable regions.

Two days after a series of services of remembrance, residents were ready for diversion and duly received some. Liverpool’s visit marked the biggest game in the 73-year history of FK Rabotnicki, last season’s Macedonian league runners-up, with the occasion only spiced up by the fact Hodgson had made it clear this was a debut he could definitely have done without.

The need for post-World Cup holidays dictated Liverpool’s new manager was without 10 senior players for his first competitive game in charge of the club he took over only a month ago, but it soon appeared he might just have been exaggerating the Macedonian threat.

Lucas, Hodgson’s captain for the night, is not every Liverpool fan’s favourite but the Brazilian was soon cutting an assured figure in the heart of a five-man midfield, winning some key interceptions. He also took the 17th-minute free-kick which was completely misread by two Rabotnicki defenders, thereby permitting the unattended Ngog to lift the ball over the advancing goalkeeper Martin Bogatinov. Goals rarely come softer.

Although young Jay Spearing was sometimes too easily dispossessed and novice right-back Martin Kelly found himself turned by Rabotnicki’s Brazilian forward Wandeir, the Macedonians found Martin Skrtel and Sotirios Kyrgiakos an obdurate defensive barrier.

Much as the 20,000 who had crammed into a stadium undergoing radical refurbishment and currently boasting just two stands delighted in booing the latter’s every touch – Macedonians are not generally over-fond of their Greek neighbours – Diego Cavalieri could have been forgiven for dozing off in the first half. The Liverpool goalkeeper’s most taxing moment was dealing with an extremely straightforward 30th-minute long-range, gently bouncing strike from Ze Carlos, Rabotnicki’s first shot on target.

Not that Bogatinov was exactly overworked. Despite the odd adroit touch from Milan Jovanovic, the Serbia winger newly signed from Standard Liège, and with Alberto Aquilani along with Amoo’s raw energy down the flanks, it is unlikely Steven Gerrard, Joe Cole and Fernando Torres will be sweating on their places.

On this evidence there could be some interesting cameos from Amoo this season, though. The former Millwall youth winger enthused the 100-odd Merseysiders who made the trek to a Balkan outpost twinned with Bradford courtesy of some exciting pace and fierce crossing ability. If Jovanovic and Aquilani were big on economy of effort, Amoo’s high-intensity exertions suggested he saw this as an important audition.

Ngog, too, is clearly anxious to please his new manager and Hodgson must have been delighted to see the young French striker arrive in the right place at the right time to claim his second goal.

Overlapping down the right, Kelly drove in a splendid cross weighted perfectly for Ngog to connect with. All that remained was for the forward to volley it right-footed into the top corner from around six yards. It was the sort of instinctive, first-time, poacher’s finish which indicated he may yet confound his many doubters.

Shortly afterwards the recently installed floodlights dimmed alarmingly. Fortunately for Hodgson’s peace of mind, power was at least partially restored, leaving Liverpool set fair for the return.

LiverpoolEuropa LeagueLouise Taylorguardian.co.uk