Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has admitted that being in the FA Cup semi final got to his players on Sunday, reports The Guardian.
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Relegation threatened Aston Villa managed to beat the Reds 2-1 in the match, with the Merseyside team playing nowhere near the best. It was especially important for the Anfield outfit as they were looking to help club legend Steven Gerrard have the perfect end to his Liverpool career in the FA Cup final.
However, they were unable to do so and it isn’t the first time they have failed in a big match this season. Rodgers’ side also lost in the semi finals of the League Cup to Chelsea, and lost to Manchester United in the Premier League recently to leave them way off the pace in the race for Champions League qualification.
Should the Northern Irishman have prepared his team more for the big game?
The 42-year-old said: “We have reached two semi-finals, we need to have the courage and bravery to play better in the big games. We didn’t play well enough today, technically we weren’t quite on it, we looked as if the occasion and the energy got to us a wee bit. But that’s what can happen sometimes.”
He added on their big game mentality: “We’ve come up short in a few games. That’s something we’d certainly need to improve. We’re a team that’s grown and changed quite a bit in the summer. But all these experiences will hopefully help in the future.”
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