Rodgers: We can drag this back from the brink

Posted Friday, February 15, 2013 by The Sun

Rodgers: We can drag this back from the brink
OUT OF TUNE ... Liverpool failed to hit the right notes in Russia

BRENDAN RODGERS saw his Reds lose in Russia but said: We can drag this back from the brink.

Zenit struck twice in three second-half minutes in St Petersburg.

But Kop boss Rodgers roared: “It’s not over by any means. We could have led at half-time, then we started the second half well and I was thinking we could go on in the last 25 minutes to win it.

“So we’re all wondering how we’ve lost.

“What gives us great hope is we created loads of chances. The next goal is hugely important for us — if we get that we can create great momentum.

“But there is no way the tie is over. We are more than capable and that’s something we’ll try to do.

“After that opening 10 or 15 minutes, when they had a bit too much space behind our midfield, it was the near-perfect away performance.”

Liverpool wasted at least five golden chances before goals from Hulk and Sergei Semak left the Kop’s Europa League dreams in tatters.

And even Zenit chief Luciano Spalletti reckons the tie is far from won.

The Italian said: “Anfield is like our stadium, it is a very difficult place to play.

“The fans become monsters and the players become real beasts!”

Luis Suarez will certainly need to be in more clinical form for the return leg next Thursday after he blew four chances here.

Yet Rodgers refused to blame the Kop striker, adding: “He could’ve had a hat-trick by half-time but it just wasn’t his night.

“He has been brilliant all season and you could see his work-rate and effort. The key thing was he never got disappointed and kept going.

“He still was in there, so that’s a positive.”

Rodgers was more worried with the defensive errors that led to both goals, Jordan Henderson coughing up possession for the first and then the backline retreating and allowing the ball to come over for the second.

He admitted: “We’ve lost two poor goals and lost the game when really we should have won.”