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Brendan Rodgers praised his Leicester team for “restoring pride” after their FA Cup humiliation, even though he admitted a key issue needs to be addressed.
Leicester made sweeping changes to the team that humbly left the FA Cup for Nottingham Forest last week. Rodgers left several of his more established stars on the bench in hopes of getting a reaction, but after an encouraging opening half-hour, it was all Liverpool at Anfield.
Luis Diaz looked dangerous on his Premier League debut, while Diogo Jota promoted his cause to become incapable in red.
Kasper Schmeichel did his part to keep the goal line down with a series of saves, especially from Mohamed Salah in a one-on-one in the second half.
Still, the 2-0 defeat would not have done much to ease the pressure on Rodgers, whose season at King Power is fast unraveling.
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Talking to BT Sport after the match, Rodgers said: “Tonight it was not just about the result, but about restoring pride.
“You saw the fans applaud the players. They provide everything and had moments of quality. We kept a really hard team in it until the very end.
“We just lacked that little bit of care in the last third of the pitch, otherwise we could have made more chances.
“You have to be tight and organized, and when you have the ball, then have the courage to play, and I thought the boys did.”
Brendan Rodgers will tackle set pieces
Leicester were canceled from a set piece again for the first goal.
Wilfred Ndidi lost Virgil van Dijk in shuffle from a corner, causing James Justin to challenge the Dutchman in the air. But in doing so, Justin Diogo left Jota unmarked, with Schmeichel’s parry from Van Dijk’s header falling straight to the Portuguese’s feet.
As for their dismal set-piece record, Rodgers initially said, “I think our two midfielders did great.
“Wilfred Ndidi was caught in the pack for the first goal and Virgil van Dijk had a free header. It has been a persistent problem for us. This is definitely an area we need to improve on.
“You have to grind it through. The players are very happy with that performance and the spirit.
“It is a challenge after a challenge. When you get that connection with the central defenses, it gives you balance, and unfortunately it has been difficult for us.
“We will continue to push and take that spirit into next weekend.”
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