By Tom Finn
Before the start of yesterday’s big match between Manchester United and Liverpool the talk amongst all the press and television pundits was about Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers decision to drop goalkeeper Simon Mignolet and play backup keeper, Australian Brad Jones in his place.
“I felt I had to change it because we have to find solutions throughout the squad to be better,” Rodgers told the BBC.
“I said to Simon that it’s for an indefinite period.”
Despite losing 3-0 Rodgers was happy with 32-year-old Jones’s performance, but hope Mignolet can recover his form now he is no longer under the spotlight.
He said: “Simon’s been fine; he’s a really good professional. I spoke to him the other day and he accepted it and understood it.
“It can sometimes happen to a keeper where you come out of the firing line and it can help you and allow you time to reflect.
“Brad’s a very capable keeper so he was always going to play in the Bournemouth game anyway.” (Liverpool plays Bournemouth in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday night.)
Despite the loss to United Rodgers was happy with the teams overall performance having nine shots on target which were all saved by ma-of-the-match David De Gea.
“The most important thing for me today was we looked like scoring,” said Rodgers. “Over the course of the season we haven’t been creative enough.
“I didn’t think it was a 3-0 game. I thought we were the better team in the first half but we gave away disappointing goals.
“I think it tells you everything that their goalkeeper was man of the match. Our creativity was good today, probably the best all season.
“We know what the solutions are but we have to keep working and hopefully the confidence will return.”
Liverpool must now build on the chances they created Sunday before facing Arsenal at Anfield next Saturday.
