Simon Mignolet: “I’ll look into my game” after error in Norwich draw

Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet insists he will not change his approach despite the error which cost his side victory against Norwich.

The Reds were leading through Danny Ings‘ first goal for the club when the Belgium international came for a corner but could only punch the ball as far as the penalty spot from where Russell Martin hooked home the equaliser, and the match finished 1-1.

Early in his Anfield career Mignolet was criticised for not commanding his area enough but after being dropped last December he returned with a more positive attitude and has been much improved at coming for crosses. That is why he sees no reason to change despite one mistake.

“I came for the ball, it was a whipped-in cross, and I tried to get a fist to it,” said the goalkeeper.

“It’s one of those that comes out, they picked up the second ball and scored from it.

“It’s always disappointing to concede from a set-piece, especially as we’ve been working hard on defending them this week.

“We knew they are a threat from them. We have to learn lessons from that.

“Unfortunately, that goal has cost us. That’s how it goes.

“I’ll look into my game on Monday – see what was positive and what I could have done better. That’s what I always do.

“The next time a ball comes in like that I’ll still come for it and try to get something on it.”

More dropped points at home – Liverpool have taken just four from three matches at Anfield this season – was frustrating especially as they had created more chances than they had done recently.

Ings, a half-time substitute for Christian Benteke who was removed as a precaution after complaining of a tight hamstring, was the one major positive while the return of Daniel Sturridge after five months on the sideline offers more cause for optimism.

His energy offered a liveliness up front the side had been lacking and he scored less than three minutes after coming on and almost snatched a winner late on.

“Danny Ings came on and did well. That will do his confidence good,” added Mignolet, who is likely to be rested to give Adam Bogdan his debut in this week’s Capital One Cup tie at home to League Two Carlisle.

“Danny Ings does that every single day in training. He put in a real shift for the team, he doesn’t save his sweat.

“He helps us not just going in attack but how he presses the opponents as well.

“He doesn’t give defenders time to settle, puts them under pressure and he’s a good finisher as well.

“And the sight of Daniel being back fit was also a positive for the team because we all know what he can do and how he can help the club. That can only be positive for the coming weeks.

“He’s been training for a while now and having that option is better for the team.”

• Read more: Liverpool 1-1 Norwich – 5 talking points as Reds fail to take their chances

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Brendan Rodgers: Liverpool need a boost in confidence

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers admits his side need to rebuild their confidence after more problems at Anfield.

The 1-1 draw against Norwich, in which they had taken the lead, followed on the back of a 3-0 humbling by West Ham.

In three home games they have scored just twice and earned four points and with four matches without a win in all competitions, Rodgers accepts morale needs a boost.

“We have to build that confidence through training and games. It is just step by step,” he said.

“You have to have courage and bravery to play here.

“There is a great history but embrace it. You have to play positive football.

“There was a feeling of anxiety when I came in. We made it a fortress. Now we are having to build it again.”

Half-time substitute Danny Ings, who scored his first goal for the club, offered some positivity with a much-needed injection of energy while Alberto Moreno, on his first start of the campaign, was also lively.

The sight of Daniel Sturridge back on the field after five months on the sidelines after a hip operation was another welcome boost.

“He is a way off full fitness. His presence and stature will give us something. It is about building his fitness. There is no pressure on him to do that,” he added.

Norwich captain Russell Martin had a “sensational” 24 hours after a mad dash home from Merseyside for the birth of his third child before returning to score the equaliser at Anfield.

The 29-year-old had travelled up with the team and was preparing for the game against Liverpool when he got the call to go home.

He made it in time for the arrival of his yet-to-be-named son, weighing in at 8lbs, and then had a swift turnaround to get back for the 4pm kick-off after no sleep and then promptly scored.

“It has been a long but sensational 24 hours,” said the defender, after covering 750 miles with another 250 still to do to get back to the newborn.

“I flew up with the squad yesterday. My wife had had no twinges at that point and then she rang me at 7 o’clock to say she had started to feel some contractions but wasn’t sure whether they were Braxton Hicks false ones or not.

“I said ‘Give it a couple of hours’ and then she rang me at 10.30 to say ‘This is it, this is happening’.

“One of the sports scientists had brought my car fortunately in case I had to get back.

“Me and the player liaison took two hours each in the car driving back and I took her (his wife) to hospital and we got there about four in the morning and she gave birth at 9.25am.

“I had to leave at half-10 as I spoke to the management and they were keen for me to play.

“I got here a bit late, missed the captains’ meeting, ran in, got dressed, was ready with the lads, scored a goal – brilliant. It will be a great story to tell the wee man.

“I hadn’t slept a wink. I was running on empty towards the end – I was absolutely gone – but it was a great day and it makes it all worth it.”

• Read more: “You have to play positive football” – Rodgers on Liverpool’s need to dominate at Anfield

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“It was not supposed to be like this” – Morning newspapers react to Liverpool 1-1 Norwich

Liverpool drew 1-1 at home to Norwich on Sunday afternoon, and we bring you the best of the morning newspaper reaction to the game.

It’s not exactly been a happy few weeks for the Reds, and the draw with the Canaries was another low point in a season under threat of going to pieces.

Although the performance was actually reasonable for large parts, the finishing was poor and Russell Martin’s equaliser was predictably soft.

Danny Ings‘ second-half cameo was certainly a positive, with the Englishman taking his goal well, but there were some poor displays too. James Milner stands out in that respect.

The draw leaves Liverpool 13th in the Premier League, with Brendan Rodgers under increasing pressure to keep his job.

Here is how the morning newspapers saw the game:

The Liverpool Echo‘s James Pearce tried to focus on the positives, but bemoaned Simon Mignolet‘s goalkeeping for Norwich’s goal:

There was a barnstorming cameo from substitute Danny Ings, who endeared himself to the Kop as he opened his account for his new club. There was also the welcome sight of Daniel Sturridge back in a Liverpool shirt for the first time in five months.

Mamadou Sakho and the impressive Alberto Moreno both justified their selections after catching the eye in Bordeaux in midweek.

[…]

Once Ings’ neat finish had lifted the anxiety levels inside Anfield early in the second half, the stage was set for Liverpool to go on and deliver the victory Rodgers craved in order to lift the weight of pressure on his shoulders.

But rather than blossom, the Reds shot themselves in the foot. This time Simon Mignolet presented the gift as his weak punch from Robbie Brady’s corner was hooked in by Russell Martin.

Chris Bascombe of the Telegraph believes Rodgers needs to starting emulating Rafa Benitez in terms of grinding out results in must-win matches:

It was the habit of former Liverpool manager Rafa Benítez to stare into the abyss only to secure the victory that edged him back from the brink.

Whenever the hell-fires were raging and a must-win game arrived, his players duly obliged with a safety harness and three points, thus ensuring serenity returned until the next crisis.

It’s a habit Brendan Rodgers needs to learn sooner rather than later after Liverpool’s winless run extended to five games against Norwich City. The failure to secure three points was hardly worthy of pushing him over the precipice, but it still keeps him in a precarious position seeking a momentum shift.

Rodgers needed a performance and craved a positive result following successive league defeats. This turned into an inconclusive afternoon as he oversaw the former but not the latter. But for a series of wasted chances and the customary defensive error – this time from Simon Mignolet – he’d have been in a position to argue the early season hysteria was misplaced.

Paul Joyce of the Express highlighted how far Liverpool have fallen by looking at how dominant they used to be against Norwich:

Where Brendan Rodgers could once count on these same opponents being routinely swatted aside, usually courtesy of a Luis Suarez hat-trick amid his team’s slick and incisive approach, here the visitors were spared a spanking, allowed to clamber off the canvas and even bite back.

Norwich used to be whipping boys. Rewind to April 2014 and the teams’ last meeting and Rodgers’ side had moved five points clear at the summit with three to play, a first league title in 24 years apparently within touching distance.

They awake this morning listless in 13th place and as far off mounting a challenge as at any point in a quarter of a century. It was not supposed to be like this.

Liverpool could even count on the return of another striking talisman yesterday but, while Daniel Sturridge would bring a new dimension to their play according to the manager, it was an inability to shake bad old habits which reared.

The Guardian‘s Andy Hunter was impressed by the returning Daniel Sturridge, but lamented the Reds’ ability to kick on:

Sturridge’s first start since 8 April and the overdue selection of Mamadou Sakho in place of Dejan Lovren enthused the home crowd more than Liverpool’s first-half display. Despite his touch being inevitably rusty after so long out, Sturridge’s pace and movement brought more intent to Liverpool’s game.

[…]

Liverpool were slow in possession until the introduction of Ings for Christian Benteke, nursing a tight hamstring, sparked some urgency. Ings’ running and alertness suited the home side’s approach better than their £32.5m summer signing from Aston Villa and, within three minutes of entering the fray, the former Burnley forward had his first Liverpool goal.

[…]

It should have been the platform that Liverpool craved. Instead they handed Norwich an equaliser when Mignolet made a hash of dealing with a Brady corner and allowed Martin to atone for his earlier error.

ESPN‘s Richard Jolly was impressed by Ings, and feels he may be underrated by many:

It would be an exaggeration to call Danny Ings the forgotten forward at Anfield. At times, however, he feels like an overlooked, underappreciated attacker. After Liverpool signed him in the summer, they bought a costlier striker in Christian Benteke. Ings was an unused substitute in their first two games of the season. His debut came in a 3-0 defeat, his first start on the left wing.

Had he not scored against Norwich, his participation may have been ignored. But on Daniel Sturridge’s comeback, Ings opened his Liverpool account. Yet with Russell Martin scoring a still better goal, Brendan Rodgers was denied a victory to ease the pressure on him and improve the mood among the fan base.

Since winning their first two league games, Liverpool’s past four have produced two points and two goals. Both are unsatisfactory tallies, even though Ings improved the latter within three minutes of his introduction.

[…]

He was, as he often looked for Burnley, razor-sharp.

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“You have to play positive football” – Rodgers on Liverpool’s need to dominate at Anfield

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers admits his side have to play with more bravery at home after another Anfield disappointment.

Despite Danny Ings‘ first goal for the club after coming on at half-time the Reds could not hang on to their advantage with Russell Martin equalising after a mistake by goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, as the Norwich man made a mockery of spending the morning with his wife who gave birth to their third child in Norfolk.

It was a second successive poor performance at home after the 3-0 defeat to West Ham and with this game signalling the start of four Anfield games in 11 days Rodgers knows they have to start making their home advantage count.

“We have got these four games here to get our performance level to where we want them to be,” he said.

“Anfield is a real special place to play. You have to have courage and bravery to play here.

“There is a great history but embrace it. You have to play positive football.

“There was a feeling of anxiety when I came in. We made it a fortress. Now we are having to build it again.

“I am disappointed and frustrated with the result but I thought the second half there were more signs of fluency and creativity.

“We were a bit static when we had the ball in decent positions, the movement in front of the ball wasn’t what we would like.

“Second half we freed ourselves up. Danny Ings came on and was outstanding, his ability running in behind was there to see.

“It was important to get the first goal, we did, but lost our concentration for their goal.

“We lost concentration and Russell Martin hooks it in so that shouldn’t happen.”

On the positive front Daniel Sturridge returned after more than five months out after a hip operation while the displays of Ings and wing-back Alberto Moreno, making his first start of the season, were encouraging.

Much has been pinned on the significance of Sturridge’s comeback but Rodgers cautioned expecting too much, too soon.

“He is a way off full fitness. His presence and stature will give us something. It is about building his fitness. There is no pressure on him to do that,” he added.

Norwich boss Alex Neil was happy with the result, which could have been even better had Mignolet not redeemed himself somewhat with a good save from Matt Jarvis.

“I am pleased. Not just with the result, I thought the performance was good,” he said.

“We were brave, tried to put our foot on the ball. You need to ride your luck and rely on your goalkeeper, who made some great saves but we could have nicked it at the end when Matt Jarvis had his chance.

“I thought we deserved a draw.”

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Video: Jamie Carragher questions Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool future

Another game without victory has added to the pressure on Brendan Rodgers after his side failed to beat newly promoted Norwich City at Anfield on Sunday.

Jamie Carragher discussed the manager’s future on Sky Sports after the match, suggesting that the owners, by not sacking him in the summer, will now have to give him until Christmas time to turn things around.

“If you give him that much money and then say after eight league games ‘we’re gonna make a change’ you just think ‘you should have done it in the summer’.

“If you’ve backed him with the money, he’s got to get longer than eight to 10 games, probably to Christmas.

“The home games will determine it, and another poor one today.

Carragher spoke of when incredibly poor statistic, that Liverpool have failed to score more than one goal in 18 of their last 20 games – this from a supposedly attacking manager.

“In the last 20 games, 18 of them we haven’t scored more than one goal and that’s a problem for a manager who is meant to be an attacking manager.

> 5 talking points as LFC have more formations than goals, again

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Video: Our movement was better second half – Brendan Rodgers on Norwich draw

Brendan Rodgers was disappointed with the draw but pleased his side created more opportunities than in recent games, he also admitted his side had better movement up front after half time.

Rodgers said: “Bit disappointed, bit frustrated that we couldn’t get the three points, in particular after going in front.

“We lost our concentration on a corner which was disappointing, a poor goal from that aspect.

“But in fairness to the players they kept fighting, kept looking to get the winning goal but unfortunately we just couldn’t get it.”

Rodgers’ side created more opportunities, but failed to take them, with Philippe Coutinho and James Milner in particular wasting the best ones in each half.

Half-time saw Christian Benteke removed for Danny Ings, who scored within minutes, and Rodgers said his side had better movement after the change.

“We had a number of opportunities to score more than the one goal. And that was the pleasing aspect. Since the beginning of the season we haven’t created as much, it was more important we got some flow into our game today.

“It was much better in the second half, first half the movement in front of the ball wasn’t as we would wish. Second half was much better, better flow in terms of our intensity going forward.

Rodgers praised Danny Ings – “outstanding” – and Alberto Moreno – “excellent”.

The boss confirmed Benteke had a tight hamstring and will be assessed.

> 5 talking points as LFC have more formations than goals, again

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“Far from good enough” – Liverpool fans react to home draw with Norwich City

Liverpool could only draw 1-1 with Norwich at Anfield on Sunday, and we round-up the best of the social media reaction from the game.

Yet more dropped points for the Reds, who were punished for a lack of ruthlessness in front of goal.

Substitute Danny Ings scored his first Anfield goal just after half-time, but defender Russell Martin finished impressively after 61 minutes to earn Norwich a share of the spoils.

It wasn’t a bad performance in many ways, but once again the pressure will increase on manager Brendan Rodgers following another poor result.

Here’s how social media reacted to the game:

‘ptt’ on the forum:

In short, a good performance from the players. A thoroughly lifeless one from BR. If you’re inanimate on the touchline, wtf do you expect on the pitch?

‘A True Red From NZ’ on the forum:

Sakho, Lucas, Moreno all brilliant. Baffling how the manager wanted rid of all three. Ings off the bench was superb too.

Coutinho’s finishing poor, but was lively. Great to see Sturridge back. Rodgers? Don’t see how he survives this.

‘Zinedine Biscan’ on the forum:

Good points first:

Ings’ goal was a lovely finish. Hopefully the sign of things to come. Moreno.

Bad things:

Everything else. I’ve given up hope of reading the headlines tomorrow and seeing that BR has gone. It’s going to have to get a lot worse, I fear.

Let us know your thoughts on the game in the comments below.

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Liverpool 1-1 Norwich – 5 talking points as Reds fail to take their chances

Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw by Norwich City at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, extending the Reds’ run of games without a victory to five.

There were a smattering of boos at full-time, as the pressure increased on Brendan Rodgers – his side have now scored four in six league games, have a goal difference of minus three, and sit 13th in the Premier League table.

It’s fine margins though; Simon Mignolet makes an error that allowed Norwich to equalise through Russell Martin off a corner, while there were several good chances missed at the other end.

Here are our five talking points from the game.

1. Not clinical enough – again

It was a problem that beset Liverpool last season, especially without proper centre-forwards. All the talk pre-match was about Daniel Sturridge‘s long-awaited return, starting up front alongside Christian Benteke, but it was Danny Ings who upstaged them for the only show of clinical finishing in the game.

Sturridge was understandably rusty, but certainly lively, while Benteke was withdrawn at half-time with a tight hamstring.

Ings finished superbly for his first goal for the club, but thereafter Liverpool failed to take their chances.

Philippe Coutinho endured a poor game and he wasted the best chance. He was through two vs. one with Ings alongside him, but opted to try to beat John Ruddy at the near post and completely fluffed his lines.

Ings had a chance late on but couldn’t quite get the shot away after rounding Ruddy at the Kop end. There were certainly enough chances to have won the game.

2. Clear favouritism from Rodgers?

When Sturridge departed just after the hour mark, Rodgers opted for Adam Lallana from the bench, meaning a slight chance in formation. The boss overlooked Roberto Firmino, who could have been a more like-for-like replacement and worked alongside Ings up front instead.

Once Firmino did come on, it was Lucas who made way for his fellow Brazilian – despite Lucas having played far better than James Milner in midfield.

Lallana and Milner are clear favourites of Rodgers and the boss’ insistence on playing the likes of them will likely end up costing him his job.

Firmino outshone Lallana in the final 20 minutes with a very lively cameo, always looking to create, get on the ball and make things happen. He needs to be starting games now.

3. Formation, formation, formation

It was another game where Rodgers changed formation multiple times. The Reds started with 3-4-1-2, moved to 3-4-2-1 after Lallana replaced Sturridge, then moved to a flat back four once Lucas was replaced by Firmino 10 minutes later.

One game, three formations, we’ve been here before.

4. Moreno provides natural width

One huge positive, especially in the first hour, was the performance of recalled Alberto Moreno.

The Spaniard provided natural width and was constantly the outlet for Liverpool on the left, creating several half chances for Benteke and Sturridge in the first half.

Joe Gomez has done well in his first games for the club, but Moreno offers natural width on that side.

5. Yet another wasted corner

There used to be an old LFC fanzine called ‘Yet another wasted corner’ – six corners here, all of which were nothing more than catching practice for the Norwich ‘keeper. It was baaffling why Milner continued to take them while Coutinho – who had proven to be a decent corner taker on occasion last season – didn’t.

At the other end, it was more poor defensive play that ultimately allowed Martin to equalise – Mignolet flapped at the corner and Martin finished well. Again, we’ve been here before. The same mistakes over and over.

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