Brendan Rodgers admits Liverpool were 'very, very lucky' to leave Queens Park Rangers with three points following a dramatic 3-2 win.
The visitors struggled to get going at Loftus Road and failed to match the energy of a home side rooted to the foot of the Premier League table.
QPR twice hit the woodwork in the first-half through Leory Fer, with fortune very much on Liverpool’s side in the capital.
In the end, two own goals from Richard Dunne and Steven Caulker helped Rodgers’ men over the line, with the second of those arriving in the 95th minute following a frantic finale which also saw Philippe Coutinho on target and substitute Eduardo Vargas net twice for the dejected hosts.
Rodgers told Sky Sports afterwards: “They certainly didn’t deserve to lose, QPR. We were very, very lucky to get the win.
“We showed tremendous character and were a little bit better in the second half, but QPR definitely deserved something.”
He added: “We put players on to play a game, which is a technical game. The first half, we didn’t pass the ball, we had no rhythm in our game, movement was too slow, no speed in the game.
“Coutinho coming on gives us that technical lift in the game and we then started to create that bit more.
“I thought Raheem Sterling was outstanding today in his running and desire. It was really quick thinking for the first goal and he broke away on the other one.
“Overall we were fortunate, but it’s a long season and you’re going to not play well in games. You hope to get points and today we got three points, but QPR were unfortunate.”
Sterling was handed a starting berth at the end of a week in which his ‘tiredness’ had led to him dropping to the bench for England’s European qualifier against Estonia, and Rodgers believes that decision was fully justified.
He said: “Good players come alive when the ball goes dead, and he did that – spotted the play. Harry will be disappointed with that (Dunne’s own goal) because they had defended well up until that point. It’s just those moments where you switch off.
“He was excellent. The build-up to the other goal, his speed, his touch, his movement was exceptional.”
Pressed again on whether he will be seeking to speak with England boss Roy Hodgson – who was in attendance at Loftus Road – in an effort to clear the air regarding his handling of Sterling, Rodgers said: “No. It’s all gone and been blown up. My concentration is on Liverpool.
“Roy and I speak through the season. He’s a good man. My focus is on my players now and getting ready for the next game.”
Brendan Rodgers admits Liverpool were 'very, very lucky' to leave Queens Park Rangers with three points following a dramatic 3-2 win.
The visitors struggled to get going at Loftus Road and failed to match the energy of a home side rooted to the foot of the Premier League table.
QPR twice hit the woodwork in the first-half through Leory Fer, with fortune very much on Liverpool’s side in the capital.
In the end, two own goals from Richard Dunne and Steven Caulker helped Rodgers’ men over the line, with the second of those arriving in the 95th minute following a frantic finale which also saw Philippe Coutinho on target and substitute Eduardo Vargas net twice for the dejected hosts.
Rodgers told Sky Sports afterwards: “They certainly didn’t deserve to lose, QPR. We were very, very lucky to get the win.
“We showed tremendous character and were a little bit better in the second half, but QPR definitely deserved something.”
He added: “We put players on to play a game, which is a technical game. The first half, we didn’t pass the ball, we had no rhythm in our game, movement was too slow, no speed in the game.
“Coutinho coming on gives us that technical lift in the game and we then started to create that bit more.
“I thought Raheem Sterling was outstanding today in his running and desire. It was really quick thinking for the first goal and he broke away on the other one.
“Overall we were fortunate, but it’s a long season and you’re going to not play well in games. You hope to get points and today we got three points, but QPR were unfortunate.”
Sterling was handed a starting berth at the end of a week in which his ‘tiredness’ had led to him dropping to the bench for England’s European qualifier against Estonia, and Rodgers believes that decision was fully justified.
He said: “Good players come alive when the ball goes dead, and he did that – spotted the play. Harry will be disappointed with that (Dunne’s own goal) because they had defended well up until that point. It’s just those moments where you switch off.
“He was excellent. The build-up to the other goal, his speed, his touch, his movement was exceptional.”
Pressed again on whether he will be seeking to speak with England boss Roy Hodgson – who was in attendance at Loftus Road – in an effort to clear the air regarding his handling of Sterling, Rodgers said: “No. It’s all gone and been blown up. My concentration is on Liverpool.
“Roy and I speak through the season. He’s a good man. My focus is on my players now and getting ready for the next game.”
Liverpool beat QPR in the dying seconds on a balmy afternoon at Loftus Road. Henry Jackson assesses each Reds performer on an unforgettable day.
QPR 2-3 Liverpool
Premier League
SIMON MIGNOLET- 7 (out of 10)
The Belgian had a good afternoon, especially by his recent standards, making a string of saves to deny Charlie Austin and others. His decision-making led to Leroy Fer hitting the crossbar, but on the whole he had a decent game.
Vote Mignolet as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
GLEN JOHNSON- 5.5
Johnson returned to the side following injury, and he blew hot and cold. Defensively he looked shaky throughout, but he did at least offer something of an attacking thrust. His cross led to Richard Dunne turning the ball into his own net.
Vote Johnson as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
The Slovakian was all at sea at times, and he was fortunate his miss-kick wasn’t punished by Austin in the first-half. Too often he was erratic, and there was absolutely no calm about his play. Made one crucial late clearance, however.
Vote Skrtel as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
DEJAN LOVREN- 5
The 25-year-old was bullied by Bobby Zamora throughout, and looked far from fully fit. He was dominated aerially and pulled out of position too often, while his use of the ball was poor. Must do better.
Vote Lovren as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
JOSE ENRIQUE- 4
The Spaniard is an extremely frustrating player to watch, and his defensive work was very poor throughout. He was lackadaisical on the ball, and lost Eduardo Vargas for QPR’s first goal. Alberto Moreno is a far better option.
Vote Enrique as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
EMRE CAN- 5.5
The 20-year-old struggled to get into the game, and was clearly lacking sharpness. He showed the odd positive sign early on, but on the whole he disappointed. Replaced by Joe Allen in the second-half.
Vote Can as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
Henderson was, once again, one of Liverpool’s standout players. Although far from his greatest display, he offered more running and quality on the ball than almost any other Reds player.
Vote Henderson as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
STEVEN GERRARD- 5.5
The skipper struggled hugely in attacking midfield in the first-half, but dictated the game when moved deeper by Brendan Rodgers after the break. There are flaws in his game now, however, which can hinder the side.
Vote Gerrard as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
ADAM LALLANA- 5.5
The 26-year-old was on the periphery of things throughout. Not the finest display of his short Liverpool career to date.
Vote Lallana as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
RAHEEM STERLING- 7.5
The 19-year-old got better and better as the game went on, and he was the most dangerous player on the pitch from start to finish. He showed some wonderful pace and trickery at times, particularly for Philippe Coutinho‘s goal, and he played a big part in the winner. He responded excellently following the criticism of him over the last week or so.
Vote Sterling as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
MARIO BALOTELLI- 4.5
The Italian was very poor all afternoon, and while it could be argued the service given to him was not great, he simply must do more. His hold-up play was not good enough, he was often too greedy and he missed a sitter in the second-half. Very disappointing.
Vote Balotelli as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
Substitutes
PHILIPPE COUTINHO (on for Lallana 66)- 7.5
The Brazilian changed things when he came on, scoring Liverpool’s second and playing a key role in the winner. He oozed class.
Vote Coutinho as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
JOE ALLEN (on for Can 66)- 6
The Welshman was largely unnoticed.
Vote Allen as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
MAKE YOUR RATINGS
MAKE YOUR RATINGS
Who was your Man of the Match? Let us know in the comments section below.
.
Liverpool beat QPR in the dying seconds on a balmy afternoon at Loftus Road. Henry Jackson assesses each Reds performer on an unforgettable day.
QPR 2-3 Liverpool
Premier League
SIMON MIGNOLET- 7 (out of 10)
The Belgian had a good afternoon, especially by his recent standards, making a string of saves to deny Charlie Austin and others. His decision-making led to Leroy Fer hitting the crossbar, but on the whole he had a decent game.
Vote Mignolet as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
GLEN JOHNSON- 5.5
Johnson returned to the side following injury, and he blew hot and cold. Defensively he looked shaky throughout, but he did at least offer something of an attacking thrust. His cross led to Richard Dunne turning the ball into his own net.
Vote Johnson as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
The Slovakian was all at sea at times, and he was fortunate his miss-kick wasn’t punished by Austin in the first-half. Too often he was erratic, and there was absolutely no calm about his play. Made one crucial late clearance, however.
Vote Skrtel as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
DEJAN LOVREN- 5
The 25-year-old was bullied by Bobby Zamora throughout, and looked far from fully fit. He was dominated aerially and pulled out of position too often, while his use of the ball was poor. Must do better.
Vote Lovren as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
JOSE ENRIQUE- 4
The Spaniard is an extremely frustrating player to watch, and his defensive work was very poor throughout. He was lackadaisical on the ball, and lost Eduardo Vargas for QPR’s first goal. Alberto Moreno is a far better option.
Vote Enrique as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
EMRE CAN- 5.5
The 20-year-old struggled to get into the game, and was clearly lacking sharpness. He showed the odd positive sign early on, but on the whole he disappointed. Replaced by Joe Allen in the second-half.
Vote Can as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
Henderson was, once again, one of Liverpool’s standout players. Although far from his greatest display, he offered more running and quality on the ball than almost any other Reds player.
Vote Henderson as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
STEVEN GERRARD- 5.5
The skipper struggled hugely in attacking midfield in the first-half, but dictated the game when moved deeper by Brendan Rodgers after the break. There are flaws in his game now, however, which can hinder the side.
Vote Gerrard as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
ADAM LALLANA- 5.5
The 26-year-old was on the periphery of things throughout. Not the finest display of his short Liverpool career to date.
Vote Lallana as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
RAHEEM STERLING- 7.5
The 19-year-old got better and better as the game went on, and he was the most dangerous player on the pitch from start to finish. He showed some wonderful pace and trickery at times, particularly for Philippe Coutinho‘s goal, and he played a big part in the winner. He responded excellently following the criticism of him over the last week or so.
Vote Sterling as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
MARIO BALOTELLI- 4.5
The Italian was very poor all afternoon, and while it could be argued the service given to him was not great, he simply must do more. His hold-up play was not good enough, he was often too greedy and he missed a sitter in the second-half. Very disappointing.
Vote Balotelli as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
Substitutes
PHILIPPE COUTINHO (on for Lallana 66)- 7.5
The Brazilian changed things when he came on, scoring Liverpool’s second and playing a key role in the winner. He oozed class.
Vote Coutinho as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
JOE ALLEN (on for Can 66)- 6
The Welshman was largely unnoticed.
Vote Allen as your Man of the Match on Twitter:
MAKE YOUR RATINGS
MAKE YOUR RATINGS
Who was your Man of the Match? Let us know in the comments section below.
.
The best photos from Liverpool's dramatic late win over QPR at Loftus Road.
The best photos from Liverpool's dramatic late win over QPR at Loftus Road.
A last-gasp own goal by Steven Caulker earned Liverpool all three points on an amazing afternoon at Loftus Road, which saw three goals scored in stoppage-time .
QPR 2-3 Liverpool
Premier League / Anfield / Sunday, 19th October 2014
Goals: Dunne OG (67), Coutinho (89), Caulker OG (90) Vargas (86 & 90)
The Premier League returned for Liverpool, following a two-week break for the international break, and Brendan Rodgers made four changes to the side that beat West Brom in their last league game.
Glen Johnson, Jose Enqrique, Emre Can and Mario Balotelli replaced Javier Manquillo, Alberto Moreno, Philippe Coutinho and Rickie Lambert, respectively.
It was Johnson’s first start since August, while Can had been missing since early last month. Moreno was rested ahead of Wednesday’s vital Champions League with Real Madrid at Anfield, while Lambert was dropped.
A win was paramount for the Reds, as they looked to spark a slightly poor start to the season into life.
Charlie Austin fired over after just two minutes for the hosts, and QPR twice threatened aerially in the opening exchanges. Dejan Lovren, in particular, could simply not cope with Bobby Zamora.
Austin was then thwarted by Simon Mignolet and failed to convert the rebound, as the Reds looked shaky at the back once again. Rodgers’ men offered virtually nothing in an attacking sense in the first 15 minutes.
Mario Balotelli and Jordan Henderson both made good runs in behind the QPR defence soon after, with the latter wrongly adjudged to be offside when clean through. It was a real struggle for Liverpool though, with a mixture of poor defending, erratic passing and a lack of fluency.
Leroy Fer somehow missed from six yard outs after 27 minutes, hitting the crossbar with the goal at his mercy, as the Rs continued to dominate proceedings. A tame Johnson effort aside, the Reds didn’t create a thing.
Harry Redknapp’s side somehow didn’t take the lead 10 minutes before the break, as Fer’s header came off the bar, and Austin and Sandro couldn’t bundle the ball over the line.
Just before half-time Steven Gerrard curled an effort wide after good link-up play with Balotelli, and it was the closest they had come to opening the scoring. The interval couldn’t come soon enough for Liverpool though, and their woeful performance could only get better after the break.
There were no changes at the break, as Rodgers’ side looked for a far better performance. Mignolet made a terrific save to deny Sandro two minutes into the second-half, while at the other end Henderson fired over after an excellent flowing move involving Raheem Sterling and Adam Lallana.
There were slight signs that the Reds were beginning to improve, and Rodgers’ decision to move Gerrard deeper looked to be paying dividends.
On the hour mark, Balotelli missed an absolute sitter. Good work by Sterling saw the ball find Lallana, and although his shot was saved, the Italian looked certain to finish the rebound. Instead, he blazed over.
Midway through the second-half Liverpool were ahead. A quickly taken free-kick saw Johnson square the ball, and the unfortunate Richard Dunne turned the ball into his own net. The tide had been turning, and the Reds were ahead.
Mignolet denied Austin once more and Balotelli’s shot was blocked, as the game began to open up. With 15 minutes remaining the match was finely poised.
Armand Traore was denied by the impressive Mignolet, but the hosts were level with four minutes remaining. Substitute Eduardo Vergas fired home from close-range, having lost the hapless Jose Enrique, and Liverpool had once again failed to keep a clean sheet.
Substitute Philippe Coutinho looked to have nicked it in the last minute with a fine effort, but in stoppage-time QPR were level thanks to Vargas.
Unbelievably, there was still time for Liverpool to win it. Sterling’s pass to Balotelli was turned into his own net by Steven Caulker, earning the Reds an amazing but undeserved three points.
Has there ever been a more ridiculous ending to a Liverpool game?
Man of the Match: Jordan Henderson
Tactical Overview
Rodgers opted for a 4-3-3 formation, with Gerrard occupying the same attacking midfield role he did in the second-half against West Brom. Emre Can sat deep in the middle of the park, while Lallana and Sterling supported Balotelli on either flank.
There was no cohesion about the system, however, and Gerrard never looked comfortable in a more attacking position. Things changed for the better when the skipper dropped deeper after the break, and he dictated the game more than Emre Can had managed to in the first-half.
Much improvement is needed, however.
Liverpool: Mignolet, Johnson, Lovren, Skrtel, Enrique, Gerrard, Can (Allen 66), Henderson, Lallana (Coutinho 66), Sterling, Balotelli.
Subs not used: Jones, Toure, Manquillo, Markovic, Lambert
QPR starting XI: McCarthy, Isla, Onuoha, Dunne, Caulker, Suk-Young, Henry, Fer, Sandro, Austin, Zamora
.
A last-gasp own goal by Steven Caulker earned Liverpool all three points on an amazing afternoon at Loftus Road, which saw three goals scored in stoppage-time .
QPR 2-3 Liverpool
Premier League / Anfield / Sunday, 19th October 2014
Goals: Dunne OG (67), Coutinho (89), Caulker OG (90) Vargas (86 & 90)
The Premier League returned for Liverpool, following a two-week break for the international break, and Brendan Rodgers made four changes to the side that beat West Brom in their last league game.
Glen Johnson, Jose Enqrique, Emre Can and Mario Balotelli replaced Javier Manquillo, Alberto Moreno, Philippe Coutinho and Rickie Lambert, respectively.
It was Johnson’s first start since August, while Can had been missing since early last month. Moreno was rested ahead of Wednesday’s vital Champions League with Real Madrid at Anfield, while Lambert was dropped.
A win was paramount for the Reds, as they looked to spark a slightly poor start to the season into life.
Charlie Austin fired over after just two minutes for the hosts, and QPR twice threatened aerially in the opening exchanges. Dejan Lovren, in particular, could simply not cope with Bobby Zamora.
Austin was then thwarted by Simon Mignolet and failed to convert the rebound, as the Reds looked shaky at the back once again. Rodgers’ men offered virtually nothing in an attacking sense in the first 15 minutes.
Mario Balotelli and Jordan Henderson both made good runs in behind the QPR defence soon after, with the latter wrongly adjudged to be offside when clean through. It was a real struggle for Liverpool though, with a mixture of poor defending, erratic passing and a lack of fluency.
Leroy Fer somehow missed from six yard outs after 27 minutes, hitting the crossbar with the goal at his mercy, as the Rs continued to dominate proceedings. A tame Johnson effort aside, the Reds didn’t create a thing.
Harry Redknapp’s side somehow didn’t take the lead 10 minutes before the break, as Fer’s header came off the bar, and Austin and Sandro couldn’t bundle the ball over the line.
Just before half-time Steven Gerrard curled an effort wide after good link-up play with Balotelli, and it was the closest they had come to opening the scoring. The interval couldn’t come soon enough for Liverpool though, and their woeful performance could only get better after the break.
There were no changes at the break, as Rodgers’ side looked for a far better performance. Mignolet made a terrific save to deny Sandro two minutes into the second-half, while at the other end Henderson fired over after an excellent flowing move involving Raheem Sterling and Adam Lallana.
There were slight signs that the Reds were beginning to improve, and Rodgers’ decision to move Gerrard deeper looked to be paying dividends.
On the hour mark, Balotelli missed an absolute sitter. Good work by Sterling saw the ball find Lallana, and although his shot was saved, the Italian looked certain to finish the rebound. Instead, he blazed over.
Midway through the second-half Liverpool were ahead. A quickly taken free-kick saw Johnson square the ball, and the unfortunate Richard Dunne turned the ball into his own net. The tide had been turning, and the Reds were ahead.
Mignolet denied Austin once more and Balotelli’s shot was blocked, as the game began to open up. With 15 minutes remaining the match was finely poised.
Armand Traore was denied by the impressive Mignolet, but the hosts were level with four minutes remaining. Substitute Eduardo Vergas fired home from close-range, having lost the hapless Jose Enrique, and Liverpool had once again failed to keep a clean sheet.
Substitute Philippe Coutinho looked to have nicked it in the last minute with a fine effort, but in stoppage-time QPR were level thanks to Vargas.
Unbelievably, there was still time for Liverpool to win it. Sterling’s pass to Balotelli was turned into his own net by Steven Caulker, earning the Reds an amazing but undeserved three points.
Has there ever been a more ridiculous ending to a Liverpool game?
Man of the Match: Jordan Henderson
Tactical Overview
Rodgers opted for a 4-3-3 formation, with Gerrard occupying the same attacking midfield role he did in the second-half against West Brom. Emre Can sat deep in the middle of the park, while Lallana and Sterling supported Balotelli on either flank.
There was no cohesion about the system, however, and Gerrard never looked comfortable in a more attacking position. Things changed for the better when the skipper dropped deeper after the break, and he dictated the game more than Emre Can had managed to in the first-half.
Much improvement is needed, however.
Liverpool: Mignolet, Johnson, Lovren, Skrtel, Enrique, Gerrard, Can (Allen 66), Henderson, Lallana (Coutinho 66), Sterling, Balotelli.
Subs not used: Jones, Toure, Manquillo, Markovic, Lambert
QPR starting XI: McCarthy, Isla, Onuoha, Dunne, Caulker, Suk-Young, Henry, Fer, Sandro, Austin, Zamora
.
Liverpool left Loftus Road on Sunday with all three points following a remarkable finish to a meeting with Queens Park Rangers which ended 3-2.
Two own goals, the first from Richard Dunne and the second from Steven Caulker in the 95th minute, left the hosts cursing their luck and rooted to the foot of the Premier League table.
Eduardo Vargas had stepped off the bench to give Harry Redknapp’s men hope late on, as he netted either side of a Philippe Coutinho effort, but it was to be Brendan Rodgers celebrating at the final whistle.
He will be a relieved man to be heading home with the points after seeing his side put in a disjointed display in the capital.
Bobby Zamora was a thorn in Liverpool’s side from the off, with the powerful frontman crossing for Leroy Fer to crack the ball off the top of the crossbar just before the half-hour mark.
The Dutchman hit the woodwork again shortly afterwards as he nodded over Simon Mignolet and Glen Johnson had to scramble clear from in front of Charlie Austin and Sandro as the visitors rode their luck.
It appeared destined that the game would end goalless as QPR continued to toil at the start of the second half and Mario Balotelli lifted a volley over a gaping net after Alex McCarthy had parried an effort from Adam Lallana.
A moment of misfortune on 67 minutes brought the contest to life, though, with Johnson latching onto a quickly-taken free-kick to fire across the face of goal and force a disorientated Dunne to poke over his own line.
That was how things stayed until three minutes from time when Austin cushioned a cross fed to the back post into the path of Vargas to volley in from close range.
The tie was suddenly swinging from end to end, with Coutinho finishing off a flowing counter-attack with a low drive that flicked off Caulker before Vargas once again restored parity with a glancing header from a corner which beat Mignolet at his near post before he could claw clear.
Liverpool were not to be denied, though, and as Raheem Sterling raced through, his square pass intended for Balotelli was bundled into an unguarded net by the back-tracking Caulker.
More to follow…
Liverpool left Loftus Road on Sunday with all three points following a remarkable finish to a meeting with Queens Park Rangers which ended 3-2.
Two own goals, the first from Richard Dunne and the second from Steven Caulker in the 95th minute, left the hosts cursing their luck and rooted to the foot of the Premier League table.
Eduardo Vargas had stepped off the bench to give Harry Redknapp’s men hope late on, as he netted either side of a Philippe Coutinho effort, but it was to be Brendan Rodgers celebrating at the final whistle.
He will be a relieved man to be heading home with the points after seeing his side put in a disjointed display in the capital.
Bobby Zamora was a thorn in Liverpool’s side from the off, with the powerful frontman crossing for Leroy Fer to crack the ball off the top of the crossbar just before the half-hour mark.
The Dutchman hit the woodwork again shortly afterwards as he nodded over Simon Mignolet and Glen Johnson had to scramble clear from in front of Charlie Austin and Sandro as the visitors rode their luck.
It appeared destined that the game would end goalless as QPR continued to toil at the start of the second half and Mario Balotelli lifted a volley over a gaping net after Alex McCarthy had parried an effort from Adam Lallana.
A moment of misfortune on 67 minutes brought the contest to life, though, with Johnson latching onto a quickly-taken free-kick to fire across the face of goal and force a disorientated Dunne to poke over his own line.
That was how things stayed until three minutes from time when Austin cushioned a cross fed to the back post into the path of Vargas to volley in from close range.
The tie was suddenly swinging from end to end, with Coutinho finishing off a flowing counter-attack with a low drive that flicked off Caulker before Vargas once again restored parity with a glancing header from a corner which beat Mignolet at his near post before he could claw clear.
Liverpool were not to be denied, though, and as Raheem Sterling raced through, his square pass intended for Balotelli was bundled into an unguarded net by the back-tracking Caulker.
More to follow…
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