Liverpool struck late to see off Blackburn in their FA Cup quarter-final…
A single goal from Philippe Coutinho was enough to see off Championship side Blackburn Rovers, with the Brazilian’s strike 20 minutes from time the difference between the two teams in a close fought encounter.
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It was an encouraging night all round for the Reds, as we ended our recent slide in form. Our defeats against Manchester United and Arsenal had left us in even greater need of a victory and tonight the boys delivered!
Here are five things we learned…
5) Dejan Lovren and Glen Johnson shouldn’t be written off
Neither player made the team for Saturday’s defeat to Arsenal but both impressed tonight. Johnson looked solid both at the back and going forward on the right, while Lovren was dominant in the air. With Martin Skrtel and Emre Can both suspended and Mamadou Sakho seemingly joining the list of sidelined stars after liming out of the game against Rovers, Lovren and Johnson could both be needed in the upcoming game against Newcastle United.
4) Philippe Coutinho is always capable of magic
The Brazilian was quiet for much of the evening, after equally isolated performances against both Manchester United and Arsenal. However, he still popped up with a moment of brilliance to decide the tie tonight. The 22-year-old has plenty of room to grow and continuing to improve. We shouldn’t expect his transformation into a world-beater to happen overnight, but the important thing is that he makes the difference when it counts.
3) The change in formation came at the right time
Alberto Moreno looked far more comfortable at full-back that he did at wing-back. Jordan Henderson was back where he belongs in central midfield and Raheem Sterling was causing problems in the final third, playing behind a central striker in Daniel Sturridge. A lack of natural width in our squad makes playing with wing-backs difficult, particularly when you consider our mounting injury problems. We should proceed with the 4-3-3 for now.
2) Brendan Rodgers’ sacking rumours are completely ridiculous
The Daily Star attempted to claim in the build-up to the match that Rodgers could be sacked if we’d lost tonight. Thankfully, tonight’s victory will go a long way to silencing his critics. It wasn’t pretty but his side got the job done and a semi-final at Wembley awaits. The initial reports were of course overblown – two league defeats in three months definitely don’t make him a bad manager. Only at the end of the season should we review the situation.
1) Steven Gerrard’s FA Cup dream is still alive
Just two matches separate Steven Gerrard from his fairytale Liverpool ending. Will he play a part in the semi-final? He will have completed his suspension for the red card against Manchester United and will be available for selection. Brendan Rodgers will certainly be grateful to have his skipper available for selection after a host of other injuries and suspensions, so let’s hope he can reward his manager with some top level performances.
