Rodgers admits need to defend better
The Reds let a three-goal lead slip at Crystal Palace on Monday night and could only leave south London with a draw as they handed the momentum in the title race over to Manchester City.
Goals from Joe Allen, Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez took Liverpool’s league tally to just one shy of 100 for the season but their defensive inefficiencies were once again laid bare as a Damien Delaney strike and a Dwight Gayle brace earned a memorable draw for Palace.
The result left Suarez in floods of tears at the full-time whistle as his contribution of 31 league goals look increasingly likely to be part of a title tilt that falls just short.
Rodgers will now be relying on favours from Aston Villa and West Ham, City’s final two opponents, and knows where he needs to make changes in the summer to come back and fight for silverware next year.
“It (defence) is an area we know we need to be better at,” he said.
“We’ve improved a lot in many aspects of our game and that will be an area I’m sure we’ll look at — and nobody more so than myself.
“That’s 99 goals we’ve scored this season, so to come here and be 3-0 up and concede three goals, as a coach, that’s what you have to look at.
“The players gave everything, as they do. But we just didn’t defend well enough...If you defend like that, you’re going to concede goals and that was the disappointment.”
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher was critical of the defensive efforts at Selhurst Park in his role as a pundit on Sky Sports.
Carragher said the defending was ‘not acceptable’ and that ‘the defensive side of this team is not up to scratch’.
While Rodgers would not been drawn on those remarks after the game, Carragher’s former team-mate Glen Johnson took to Twitter to blast such remarks.
“Absolutely clueless...” he wrote.
“So many sofa experts in this game....Absolutely no idea about football whatsoever! £Jokers.”
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