Persevering with Simon Mignolet in the Liverpool goal does not rate as the boldest decision of Brendan Rodgers’ tenure given that in Brad Jones the Liverpool manager is not exactly blessed with a proven alternative. That said, after a miserable spell for the Belgium international and unrelenting criticism, Saturday was a time to give credit where it is due and demonstrated that sometimes a subtle change can work as effectively as a dramatic axe. Mignolet may have flapped at a late corner and almost allowed Ryan Shawcross to equalise for Stoke City at Anfield as a consequence but that corner stemmed from a superb save by the Liverpool keeper from Bojan Krkic’s exquisite volley. He also saved well from Charlie Adam and prompted some ironic cheers when commanding his area to claim a cross in the dying seconds. Having demanded a reaction to his mistake against Ludogorets in the Champions League and a clean sheet against Stoke, Rodgers took Mignolet aside in training on Friday and asked him “to simplify his game”. The Liverpool manager later elaborated: “You have to deal with what you’ve got. You’ve got a goalkeeper who is struggling with the ball at his feet to play out, so you can’t expose him. Even though it was probably not how he wants to work and hopefully in time he will get to a point where he is comfortable again playing, it was just important to win. That’s what we are paid to do. The flowing football will come but first we’ve got to get our confidence back into the team.” Andy Hunter
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via Chelsea | The Guardian http://ift.tt/1yAbH1P
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