Rodgers: Reds can compete on three fronts

FA Cup Fifth Round: Crystal Palace 1 Liverpool 2: The FA Cup may have lost some of its allure for some fans and managers in the modern game, but do not count Brendan Rodgers among them.

The Liverpool boss knows his side are in with a real chance of bringing some silverware back to an Anfield trophy room that has had fewer additions in recent years than in the glorious heyday of the Reds, when winning at least one trophy a season was a minimum expectation.

Having gone so close to ending a 24 year drought in the league last season, Rodgers knows the Reds will not win that title but have good prospects in both the FA Cup and Europa League. Besitkas visit Anfield on Thursday, and the Turks will find a Liverpool side in fine form after this latest victory put to bed their Palace hoodoo and put them into the FA Cup quarter-finals.

And, for the first time in two years, Rodgers feels he has a strong enough squad to compete on three fronts, with players such as Mario Balotelli who can make an impact off the subs’ bench.

Balotelli went on to score a late winner against Spurs last Tuesday and again made a difference at Selhurst Park on Saturday. Palace had taken an early lead when Fraizer Campbell volleyed home in the 15th minute after Simon Mignolet failed to hold a header from Dwight Gayle, who would have made it 2-0 soon afterwards.

The Reds equalised early in the second-half when Daniel Sturridge met Jordan Henderson’s cross with a sumptuous volley, and then Balotelli set up the winner, firing a free-kick through Palace’s flimsy defensive wall and leaving Adam Lallana the simple task of following up Julian Speroni’s fumbled save to drill the ball home. Liverpool were in cruise control with Rodgers having sent out an almost full-strength side.

“It (the FA Cup) is important for us,” he declared. “I said at the beginning of the season the objective was to win a trophy and be as strong as we can. The team is in good condition mentally and physically. We made a couple of changes but the team has been consistent.”

Liverpool are the form team of 2015, and have now won three away games in a row in the cup. “It is still tough. This was a tough away game at Palace many probably expected us to lose because of what happened the last times we were here but it was a great performance by the players.”

Rodgers has a bigger squad than last year because the sale of Luis Suarez allowed him to sign nine new players, and he adds: “For the first two years we didn’t have the possibility to change the momentum of a game. This year we plainly do. It’s so important in the modern game to have players on the bench that can come on and affect the game. That happened today, which was great.”

And he is not fazed by the dreaded Europa League, with its disruptive diet of Thursday night football. “There’s no doubt you’re always playing catch-up. It can be tough. But it’s a European competition and a very prestigious tournament. Certainly we’re focused on doing well in it. We have a tough game with Besiktas but we’ll be ready. The players are hungry and this is a group that can grow over the next few years. We would like to get a trophy to signify that growth so this competition we’ll take seriously. We want to play as many games as we can. When you’re winning games it gives you energy. We had tough games this week but the players have been brilliant and come through it well. Now we’re ll recover and really look forward to the Europa League because it’s a competition that, like the FA Cup, we want to do well in.

Alan Pardew knows all about the demands of the Europa League, having struggled to keep Newcastle in the top half of the table while competing in it two seasons ago. The requirement in his new role at Palace is different – to lift them away from the relegation zone, where other clubs have also recently changed manager. Pardew acknowledges the changing dynamics at WBA, QPR and Aston Villa with the appointments of Tony Pulis, Chris Ramsey and now Tim Sherwood. “Of course, a new manager is going to have an impact at some stage. Players have got a new challenge, and those managers will be using those factors. It is going to be a real tough race.

“The prize is getting bigger and bigger each year and the pressure on the managers gets bigger and bigger.”

CRYSTAL PALACE: 4-3-3 Speroni 7; Kelly 6, Dann 6, Hangeland 7, Souare 6; Ward 6, Chamakh 6, Ledley 6; Bolasie 7, Campbell 6, Gayle 6.

Subs: Puncheon for Chamakh 46, Guedioura for Kelly 63, Zaha for Bolasie 72

LIVERPOOL 4-4-1-1 Mignolet 7; Can 6, Skrtel 6, Sakho 6, Moreno 6; Markovic 7, Henderson 7, Allen 6, Lallana 7; Coutinho 8; Sturridge 7

Subs: Balotelli for Markovic 46, Lambert for Sturridge 78, Lovren for Coutinho 78

Referee: R Madley.