Post by play on Dec 10, 2014 10:26:53 GMT
Rodgers reflects on Group B elimination
Brendan Rodgers accepted that Liverpool can have no excuses for their elimination from the Champions League, but pledged that his team will put the lessons learned from the competition into practice for the remainder of the season.
The Reds entered Tuesday night's contest with FC Basel fully aware that only a victory at Anfield would allow them to leapfrog the Swiss champions in Group B and join Real Madrid as qualifiers from the section for the knockout rounds.
An away goal from Fabian Frei midway through the first half hugely complicated the challenge, which was further increased following the interval when half-time substitute Lazar Markovic was shown a straight red card on the hour mark in L4.
Steven Gerrard's stunning free-kick at the Kop end hinted at a dream turnaround with 10 minutes remaining in the tie, only for a second strike to elude Rodgers' charges and herald a frustrating exit from the elite club tournament.
"We're obviously disappointed but we can't have any excuses about not qualifying - we had enough games," reflected the Northern Irishman at his post-match press conference from the stadium.
"The big game for us was away in Basel, where we were disappointing, didn't perform well, conceded a poor goal and lost out there. We can have no complaints. If you deserve to go through and get the points, then you go through.
"They're a good side and they are experienced at this level. They're the top side in Swiss football and they regularly qualify for the Champions League. So they have got experience behind them. Over the course of the games, they've deserved to go through.
"We haven't been good enough over the course of the qualification to get through. We have got to take that on the chin now and move into the next competition, and we'll hope to do better in that.
"In the first half we weren't good enough - it's as simple as that. Technically, we were way short. This is a competition, in particular, where technically you've got to be much better than what we were in the first half.
"Our positioning wasn't good, the options for the guy on the ball weren't anywhere near what we would want and expect from a team that is based on a technical game. In the second half, we were much better on that front and showed more courage to go and play.
"In the last 10 minutes it looked like we could maybe get the goal; we got into some good areas but the final pass just let us down. We have all learned from the experience this season and we now go into the Europa League, which is very much a prestigious tournament and we want to do very well in that.
"When that comes around, we'll be really focused and hopefully by that stage our performance level will have improved greatly and we can go on in the second half of the season and do well."
He added: "We'd earned the right to be in it this year after a wonderful season last year, but over the course of the games we weren't good enough, didn't collect enough points and ultimately went out.
"It has been a really good learning experience for us and we'll fight as hard as we possibly can to ensure it's not another five years. We've come a long way in a short period of time.
"But we go out tonight and are bitterly disappointed. There's been a lot of learning over the course of the games and we'll look to fight very hard to be back in it again next year."
In their first campaign back in the Champions League for five years, Liverpool recorded one win, two draws and three defeats, finishing third in the group - a position that offers a berth in the Europa League when continental action resumes in 2015.
Rodgers stressed that the Reds will approach that competition with conviction and vigour next year, alongside a determination to claim a top four place in the Barclays Premier League and a return to European Cup participation.
"We hoped to qualify in this group and that would have kept us in the Champions League, but we didn't do that," said the manager. "The consequence of that is that we go into the Europa League.
"It's a prestigious tournament. We want to be playing in European football - of course we'd prefer the Champions League. But the history of the club is still strong [in the Europa League].
"We want to go in and do our best in the tournament. Our objective alongside that is to finish in the top four and that's something that we have to fight to do.
"We've been out [of the Champions League] for a long time and we came into it this year with excitement and we obviously wanted to do well. We really wanted to qualify and we weren't good enough, it's as simple as that.
"Across the board we've been analysed and looked at. For us, we simply have to be better in our performance level - everyone, the manager or the players.
"We have to realise where we've come from as well. The expectancy coming into this season was very high. It's a different group of players and a different squad. It's something that we have to manage.
"There'll be disappointment tonight because we didn't qualify. But now we'll have to carry on fighting for the rest of the season. We'll have to work hard over the course of the coming games."
source: www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/175990-rodgers-reflects-on-group-b-elimination
www.holagist.com
Brendan Rodgers accepted that Liverpool can have no excuses for their elimination from the Champions League, but pledged that his team will put the lessons learned from the competition into practice for the remainder of the season.
The Reds entered Tuesday night's contest with FC Basel fully aware that only a victory at Anfield would allow them to leapfrog the Swiss champions in Group B and join Real Madrid as qualifiers from the section for the knockout rounds.
An away goal from Fabian Frei midway through the first half hugely complicated the challenge, which was further increased following the interval when half-time substitute Lazar Markovic was shown a straight red card on the hour mark in L4.
Steven Gerrard's stunning free-kick at the Kop end hinted at a dream turnaround with 10 minutes remaining in the tie, only for a second strike to elude Rodgers' charges and herald a frustrating exit from the elite club tournament.
"We're obviously disappointed but we can't have any excuses about not qualifying - we had enough games," reflected the Northern Irishman at his post-match press conference from the stadium.
"The big game for us was away in Basel, where we were disappointing, didn't perform well, conceded a poor goal and lost out there. We can have no complaints. If you deserve to go through and get the points, then you go through.
"They're a good side and they are experienced at this level. They're the top side in Swiss football and they regularly qualify for the Champions League. So they have got experience behind them. Over the course of the games, they've deserved to go through.
"We haven't been good enough over the course of the qualification to get through. We have got to take that on the chin now and move into the next competition, and we'll hope to do better in that.
"In the first half we weren't good enough - it's as simple as that. Technically, we were way short. This is a competition, in particular, where technically you've got to be much better than what we were in the first half.
"Our positioning wasn't good, the options for the guy on the ball weren't anywhere near what we would want and expect from a team that is based on a technical game. In the second half, we were much better on that front and showed more courage to go and play.
"In the last 10 minutes it looked like we could maybe get the goal; we got into some good areas but the final pass just let us down. We have all learned from the experience this season and we now go into the Europa League, which is very much a prestigious tournament and we want to do very well in that.
"When that comes around, we'll be really focused and hopefully by that stage our performance level will have improved greatly and we can go on in the second half of the season and do well."
He added: "We'd earned the right to be in it this year after a wonderful season last year, but over the course of the games we weren't good enough, didn't collect enough points and ultimately went out.
"It has been a really good learning experience for us and we'll fight as hard as we possibly can to ensure it's not another five years. We've come a long way in a short period of time.
"But we go out tonight and are bitterly disappointed. There's been a lot of learning over the course of the games and we'll look to fight very hard to be back in it again next year."
In their first campaign back in the Champions League for five years, Liverpool recorded one win, two draws and three defeats, finishing third in the group - a position that offers a berth in the Europa League when continental action resumes in 2015.
Rodgers stressed that the Reds will approach that competition with conviction and vigour next year, alongside a determination to claim a top four place in the Barclays Premier League and a return to European Cup participation.
"We hoped to qualify in this group and that would have kept us in the Champions League, but we didn't do that," said the manager. "The consequence of that is that we go into the Europa League.
"It's a prestigious tournament. We want to be playing in European football - of course we'd prefer the Champions League. But the history of the club is still strong [in the Europa League].
"We want to go in and do our best in the tournament. Our objective alongside that is to finish in the top four and that's something that we have to fight to do.
"We've been out [of the Champions League] for a long time and we came into it this year with excitement and we obviously wanted to do well. We really wanted to qualify and we weren't good enough, it's as simple as that.
"Across the board we've been analysed and looked at. For us, we simply have to be better in our performance level - everyone, the manager or the players.
"We have to realise where we've come from as well. The expectancy coming into this season was very high. It's a different group of players and a different squad. It's something that we have to manage.
"There'll be disappointment tonight because we didn't qualify. But now we'll have to carry on fighting for the rest of the season. We'll have to work hard over the course of the coming games."
source: www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/175990-rodgers-reflects-on-group-b-elimination
www.holagist.com
