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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2015/apr/08/blackburn-rovers-v-liverpool-fa-cup-quarter-final-replay-live
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| Blackburn Rovers v Liverpool: FA Cup quarter-final replay – live! | Blackburn Rovers v Liverpool: FA Cup quarter-final replay – live! |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 9.34pm BST21:34 | |
| 90 min: Strong defending by Touré, who got his positioning right and then leapt well to clear a menacing cross with a powerful header. | |
| 9.32pm BST21:32 | |
| 89 min: That’s better from the home team! A couple of dangerous crosses put Liverpool under pressure. But when they clear the second, Liverpool have a chance to pour forward on the counter. Sterling ducks and dodges his way into the box before doffing a weak shot over from 15 yards. | |
| 9.31pm BST21:31 | |
| 88 min: Slack game-management by Liverpool as they cough up possession and allow Eastwood to launch a long ball forward. But Liverpool defend it well. Blackburn are struggling to stage any kind of last hurrah here. | |
| 9.29pm BST21:29 | |
| 86 min: Henderson curls in a freekick from the right. Lambert meets it at the back post but nods wide. he should have scored with his first touch! | |
| 9.28pm BST21:28 | |
| Liverpool substitution: Sturridge off, Lambert on. The new arrival gets a warm reception from the visiting fans. He is, as they say, one of their own. | |
| Updated at 9.29pm BST | |
| 9.26pm BST21:26 | |
| 83 min: Gestede wins another flick-on, but Touré reads it it and tidies up before Rhodes can race on to it. Liverpool looking as comfortable as a team can with a one goal lead and a iffy backline. | |
| 9.23pm BST21:23 | |
| 80 min: Blackburn launch one long. Gestede does the his job and flicks it on. Cairney tries a hasty shot but it sails way over from 20 yards. | |
| 9.23pm BST21:23 | |
| Blackburn substitution: Baptiste off, Spurr on. Baptiste has been excellent but appears to have picked up an injury. | |
| 9.22pm BST21:22 | |
| 78 min: Liverpool players protest as Williams downs Sterling off the ball with a rugby-style hand-off to the face. The ref is unmoved. | |
| 9.20pm BST21:20 | |
| 76 min: Cairney hares down the right and then cuts into the Liverpool box before trying to pick out Rhodes. But Moreno makes a good block and Liverpool clear. | |
| 9.19pm BST21:19 | |
| 75 min: The goal seems to have freed Liverpool’s minds and they’re playing with style now. Sterling sends Sturridge through with a lovely pass and the striker lifts it over the out-rushing keeper from close range ... but it drifts wide! That should have been the sealer. | |
| Updated at 9.21pm BST | |
| 9.16pm BST21:16 | |
| 72 min: A break in play as Lucas receives treatment after being clobbered from behind by his own goalkeeper as Mignolet came to claim a cross. | |
| 9.15pm BST21:15 | |
| GOAL! Blackburn 0-1 Liverpool (Coutinho 69) | |
| A lovely finish from the Brazilian! He took a corner on the right, which Blackburn cleared. He retrieved it and then played a nifty one-two with Sterling and spanked a low shot through a slew of bodies and into the far corner from seven yards! A moment of class from the Premier Leaguers at last! | |
| Updated at 9.27pm BST | |
| 9.10pm BST21:10 | |
| 66 min: Migonlet does well to punch away a cross from the left aimed at Gestede. Evans then gets a deserved booking for pulling down Sterling as Liverpool tried to launch a counter-attack. | |
| Updated at 9.25pm BST | |
| 9.09pm BST21:09 | |
| 64 min: Gestede outjumps Lovren to get his first touch, flicking the ball on to Rhodes, who wins a corner as Touré diverts his shot behind. The volume has suddenly been raised at Ewood Park, as the home crowd sense glory ... | |
| Updated at 9.18pm BST | |
| 9.08pm BST21:08 | |
| Blackburn substitution: Conway off, Gestede on. The Ewood Paerk crowd acclaim the arrival of the man who just might plunder the winner. Liverpool’s defenders, meanwhile, might be trembling .. | |
| 9.07pm BST21:07 | |
| 62 min: Coutinho attempts a shot from 35 yards and it almost turns into a flukey through-ball to Sturridge, but Baptiste intervenes as usual. Liverpool’s look fresh out of ideas. | |
| 9.04pm BST21:04 | |
| 60 min: Henderson sends in a duff corner that Rhodes clears at the near post. | |
| 9.03pm BST21:03 | |
| 57 min: Another hefty touch sees Sturridge turn a glimmer of a chance into a sloppy waste. He’s trying hard, but Sturridge is clearly still rough around the edges. It’s a shame for Liverpool that they are so dependent on him for goals despite the investment in other strikers last summer. | |
| 9.00pm BST21:00 | |
| 56 min: Evans lets fly from 30 yards after a Blackburn corner was cleared that far. Mignolet saves, and hangs on to it too, which is just as well because Olsson was following up in anticipation of a rebound. | |
| 8.58pm BST20:58 | 8.58pm BST20:58 |
| 55 min: I can’t see the sidelines but I strongly hope that Markovic and/or Lambert are warming up. Persisting with both Allen and Lucas amounts to inexcusable acceptance of Liverpool’s creativity deficit. | 55 min: I can’t see the sidelines but I strongly hope that Markovic and/or Lambert are warming up. Persisting with both Allen and Lucas amounts to inexcusable acceptance of Liverpool’s creativity deficit. |
| 8.56pm BST20:56 | 8.56pm BST20:56 |
| 52 min: Sterling tries to trick his way past Henley down the left but has to settle for a corner. Henderson swings it in. Lovren jumps to try to get his head to it, but Kilgallon is on hand again to foil Liverpool. He’s been outstanding so far. | 52 min: Sterling tries to trick his way past Henley down the left but has to settle for a corner. Henderson swings it in. Lovren jumps to try to get his head to it, but Kilgallon is on hand again to foil Liverpool. He’s been outstanding so far. |
| Updated at 9.05pm BST | |
| 8.53pm BST20:53 | 8.53pm BST20:53 |
| 50 min: Moreno tries to pick out Sturridge with a lofted cut-back from the byline, but the striker is surrounded by four defenders and, inevitably, it’s Kilgallon who nuts the ball clear. | 50 min: Moreno tries to pick out Sturridge with a lofted cut-back from the byline, but the striker is surrounded by four defenders and, inevitably, it’s Kilgallon who nuts the ball clear. |
| 8.52pm BST20:52 | 8.52pm BST20:52 |
| 48 min: It’s as if Bowyer spent half-time pointing out to his players that Liverpool are there for the taking: Marshall scampers down the left and fires in a ball that sparks chaos in the Liverpool box! Eventually they scramble it away. | 48 min: It’s as if Bowyer spent half-time pointing out to his players that Liverpool are there for the taking: Marshall scampers down the left and fires in a ball that sparks chaos in the Liverpool box! Eventually they scramble it away. |
| 8.51pm BST20:51 | 8.51pm BST20:51 |
| 47 min: So close for Blackburn! Mignolet pushed a long shot from Cairney around the post for a corner, which Marshall met with a powerful header from eight yards. The keeper dived to his left to tip it onto the post! An escape for Liverpool ... and a warning. | 47 min: So close for Blackburn! Mignolet pushed a long shot from Cairney around the post for a corner, which Marshall met with a powerful header from eight yards. The keeper dived to his left to tip it onto the post! An escape for Liverpool ... and a warning. |
| Updated at 9.12pm BST | |
| 8.50pm BST20:50 | 8.50pm BST20:50 |
| 46 min: The action resumes and we should soon have answers to questions such as “can Blackburn sneak a winner?”, “can Liverpool raise their game?” and “will something - anything - happen to make the bloke who vowed beforehand that this match would not be boring look a little wiser?” | 46 min: The action resumes and we should soon have answers to questions such as “can Blackburn sneak a winner?”, “can Liverpool raise their game?” and “will something - anything - happen to make the bloke who vowed beforehand that this match would not be boring look a little wiser?” |
| 8.45pm BST20:45 | 8.45pm BST20:45 |
| “Allen off, Markovic on?” suggests Matt Kemp. “Painfully dull fare. Mario’s probably switched over to ‘MasterChef’ by now. Or ‘Don’t Tell the Bride’.” | “Allen off, Markovic on?” suggests Matt Kemp. “Painfully dull fare. Mario’s probably switched over to ‘MasterChef’ by now. Or ‘Don’t Tell the Bride’.” |
| Updated at 8.46pm BST | Updated at 8.46pm BST |
| 8.37pm BST20:37 | 8.37pm BST20:37 |
| Half-time: Blackburn 0-0 Liverpool | Half-time: Blackburn 0-0 Liverpool |
| Liverpool have hogged the ball but diligent Blackburn have mostly kept them at arm’s length. Rodgers’ side have played at a good tempo but not enough imagination and too many instances of imprecision around the box. Mignolet has been an interested observer at the other end, but with the games scoreless, Blackburn will fancy their chances of pinching something, especially with Gestede to come on later. | Liverpool have hogged the ball but diligent Blackburn have mostly kept them at arm’s length. Rodgers’ side have played at a good tempo but not enough imagination and too many instances of imprecision around the box. Mignolet has been an interested observer at the other end, but with the games scoreless, Blackburn will fancy their chances of pinching something, especially with Gestede to come on later. |
| Updated at 8.38pm BST | Updated at 8.38pm BST |
| 8.34pm BST20:34 | 8.34pm BST20:34 |
| 45 + 1 min: Henderson curls as cross from the left towards Sturridge, but the impressive Kilgallon heads it away. Johnson shows a spurt of energy to dash on to it and send a a low shot goalward from 24 yards. Eastwood gets down well to hold it despite the bobbles. | 45 + 1 min: Henderson curls as cross from the left towards Sturridge, but the impressive Kilgallon heads it away. Johnson shows a spurt of energy to dash on to it and send a a low shot goalward from 24 yards. Eastwood gets down well to hold it despite the bobbles. |
| Updated at 9.03pm BST | |
| 8.32pm BST20:32 | 8.32pm BST20:32 |
| 45 min: Freekick to Liverpool wide on the lefet. Henderson floats it into the box. Blackburn clear. Ideas in short supply. | 45 min: Freekick to Liverpool wide on the lefet. Henderson floats it into the box. Blackburn clear. Ideas in short supply. |
| 8.30pm BST20:30 | 8.30pm BST20:30 |
| 42 min: Coutinho tries to pick out Sturridge coming in from the right, but the striker couldn’t adjust his body position quickly enough to direct his header towards goal. | 42 min: Coutinho tries to pick out Sturridge coming in from the right, but the striker couldn’t adjust his body position quickly enough to direct his header towards goal. |
| 8.29pm BST20:29 | 8.29pm BST20:29 |
| 40 min: For all the possession Liverpool have had, they’ve forged few opportunities. Blackburn deserve praise for that, but Liverpool fans must also wish they had more creativity from midfield. This is not a game where it looks like they need both Lucas and Allen. Adam Lallana would have been a good option but he’s injured. The pitch is not helping, either. | 40 min: For all the possession Liverpool have had, they’ve forged few opportunities. Blackburn deserve praise for that, but Liverpool fans must also wish they had more creativity from midfield. This is not a game where it looks like they need both Lucas and Allen. Adam Lallana would have been a good option but he’s injured. The pitch is not helping, either. |
| Updated at 8.30pm BST | Updated at 8.30pm BST |
| 8.26pm BST20:26 | 8.26pm BST20:26 |
| 38 min: Johnson mosies down the right and towards the Blackburn box, then knocks the ball back to Coutinho, who goes for goal from 25 yards ... but his shot causes more concern to air traffic controllers than the goalkeeper. | 38 min: Johnson mosies down the right and towards the Blackburn box, then knocks the ball back to Coutinho, who goes for goal from 25 yards ... but his shot causes more concern to air traffic controllers than the goalkeeper. |
| 8.24pm BST20:24 | 8.24pm BST20:24 |
| 36 min: Sterling has a chance to shoot from just outside the left-hand corner off the box. Instead he spots Coutinho free on the far side and feeds him with a clever pass. The Brazilian tries to cut the ball into the danger zone but Kilgallon read his intentions well and cleared. | 36 min: Sterling has a chance to shoot from just outside the left-hand corner off the box. Instead he spots Coutinho free on the far side and feeds him with a clever pass. The Brazilian tries to cut the ball into the danger zone but Kilgallon read his intentions well and cleared. |
| 8.23pm BST20:23 | 8.23pm BST20:23 |
| 34 min: Eastwood pushes the ball around the post from a Coutinho shot after panic breaks out in the Blackburn box when Williamson fluffed an attempted clearance of a Liverpool corner! | 34 min: Eastwood pushes the ball around the post from a Coutinho shot after panic breaks out in the Blackburn box when Williamson fluffed an attempted clearance of a Liverpool corner! |
| Updated at 8.36pm BST | Updated at 8.36pm BST |
| 8.22pm BST20:22 | 8.22pm BST20:22 |
| 31 min: For those asking about Liverpool’s formation, it seems to be a 4-5-1 when Liverpool don’t have the ball (with Sturridge being the one), morphing into some manner of fluid 4-4-2 when they are in possession, with Sturridge and Sterling both starting out wide and moving into central areas when appropriate. Which is to say, you wouldn’t want to read too much into formations here. | 31 min: For those asking about Liverpool’s formation, it seems to be a 4-5-1 when Liverpool don’t have the ball (with Sturridge being the one), morphing into some manner of fluid 4-4-2 when they are in possession, with Sturridge and Sterling both starting out wide and moving into central areas when appropriate. Which is to say, you wouldn’t want to read too much into formations here. |
| Updated at 8.23pm BST | Updated at 8.23pm BST |
| 8.18pm BST20:18 | 8.18pm BST20:18 |
| 29 min: Williamson escapes with a telling-off after a UFC-style knee to the back of Coutinho’s head. He was going for the ball, but in a reckless and dangerous way. Either Kevin Friend didn’t see it properly or he was off sick from referee school on the day they covered acrobatic lunges from behind. | 29 min: Williamson escapes with a telling-off after a UFC-style knee to the back of Coutinho’s head. He was going for the ball, but in a reckless and dangerous way. Either Kevin Friend didn’t see it properly or he was off sick from referee school on the day they covered acrobatic lunges from behind. |
| 8.14pm BST20:14 | 8.14pm BST20:14 |
| Liverpool substitution: Sakho off, Touré on. | Liverpool substitution: Sakho off, Touré on. |
| Updated at 8.28pm BST | Updated at 8.28pm BST |
| 8.14pm BST20:14 | 8.14pm BST20:14 |
| 26 min: Having survived the opening portion of the game, Blackburn are starting to show some enterprise. Rhodes nods just over from 10 yards following a cross from the left. The striker was free because Sakho was immobilised by a hamstring strain. He’ll have to be replaced. So Lovren-Touré duo is about to set sail on another adventure ... | 26 min: Having survived the opening portion of the game, Blackburn are starting to show some enterprise. Rhodes nods just over from 10 yards following a cross from the left. The striker was free because Sakho was immobilised by a hamstring strain. He’ll have to be replaced. So Lovren-Touré duo is about to set sail on another adventure ... |
| Updated at 8.32pm BST | Updated at 8.32pm BST |
| 8.11pm BST20:11 | 8.11pm BST20:11 |
| 23 min: Patient build-up by Liverpool, who are not being given any easy routes to goal by the diligent Blackburn defender. Suddenly Coutinho spots a chink of opportunity and pings a cute ball through to Sturridge. But the striker’s miscontrols and the opportunity perishes. | 23 min: Patient build-up by Liverpool, who are not being given any easy routes to goal by the diligent Blackburn defender. Suddenly Coutinho spots a chink of opportunity and pings a cute ball through to Sturridge. But the striker’s miscontrols and the opportunity perishes. |
| 8.07pm BST20:07 | 8.07pm BST20:07 |
| 20 min: The pressure is building from Liverpool, who keep tearing forward in an imaginative whirr. Sturridge, playing wide of Sterling, has looked as lively as anyone. He worried Eastwood just now with a crack from 20 yards that flew inches over the bar. | 20 min: The pressure is building from Liverpool, who keep tearing forward in an imaginative whirr. Sturridge, playing wide of Sterling, has looked as lively as anyone. He worried Eastwood just now with a crack from 20 yards that flew inches over the bar. |
| Updated at 8.26pm BST | Updated at 8.26pm BST |
| 8.04pm BST20:04 | 8.04pm BST20:04 |
| 18 min: Liverpool send a corner deep towards Coutinho, who peeled away from the throng in the middle of the box. The Brazilian kills the ball nicely on his chest but his volley is then blocked by a defender. | 18 min: Liverpool send a corner deep towards Coutinho, who peeled away from the throng in the middle of the box. The Brazilian kills the ball nicely on his chest but his volley is then blocked by a defender. |
| 8.03pm BST20:03 | 8.03pm BST20:03 |
| 15 min: Henderson makes a dash foward and receives the ball off Sturridge via a foxy flick. The captain then tries to thread a pass through to Sterling, but it’s fractionally too long. Promising move, though. | 15 min: Henderson makes a dash foward and receives the ball off Sturridge via a foxy flick. The captain then tries to thread a pass through to Sterling, but it’s fractionally too long. Promising move, though. |
| 8.01pm BST20:01 | 8.01pm BST20:01 |
| 13 min: So Liverpool lasted 13 minutes before encouraging Blackburn with some dodgy defending! The hosts launched a long freekick towards the area from the left. Sakho let it bounce and then tried to shepherd it through to Mignolet, who was showing no inclination to come for it. Conway tried to take advantage of the defender’s dithering but Sakho recovered sufficiently to poke the ball to safety. | 13 min: So Liverpool lasted 13 minutes before encouraging Blackburn with some dodgy defending! The hosts launched a long freekick towards the area from the left. Sakho let it bounce and then tried to shepherd it through to Mignolet, who was showing no inclination to come for it. Conway tried to take advantage of the defender’s dithering but Sakho recovered sufficiently to poke the ball to safety. |
| Updated at 8.23pm BST | Updated at 8.23pm BST |
| 7.59pm BST19:59 | 7.59pm BST19:59 |
| 11 min: Blackburn threaten for the first time with a promising move. But the cross from the left towards the back post was fractionally too long for Rhodes. “When he mentioned about three of four at the back, was Brendan referring to the number of goals they’ll concede?” wonders Pumpkin Head. “Seems a bit of a coincidence that they’ve let in three and four in their last two games. I’m sure Blackburn would be happy with either.” Turns out it’s a back four: not sure why Rodgers wanted to play the mysterious in the pre-match interview. | 11 min: Blackburn threaten for the first time with a promising move. But the cross from the left towards the back post was fractionally too long for Rhodes. “When he mentioned about three of four at the back, was Brendan referring to the number of goals they’ll concede?” wonders Pumpkin Head. “Seems a bit of a coincidence that they’ve let in three and four in their last two games. I’m sure Blackburn would be happy with either.” Turns out it’s a back four: not sure why Rodgers wanted to play the mysterious in the pre-match interview. |
| 7.56pm BST19:56 | 7.56pm BST19:56 |
| 8 min: Sterling collects the ball down the left and attempts to dribble between two defenders but is foiled. He is also being booed by some home fans. Could they be angry that he has not signed a new contract for Liverpool? Is this just another case of fans booing another team’s player because he is too good for their liking? Does it make any darn sense at all? meanwhile, Ian Harris wants to pull me up on a serious cake gaffe: “Battenburg is in quarter, whereas Blackburn’s kit is in halves - a sort of underwhelming surf’n’turf.” | 8 min: Sterling collects the ball down the left and attempts to dribble between two defenders but is foiled. He is also being booed by some home fans. Could they be angry that he has not signed a new contract for Liverpool? Is this just another case of fans booing another team’s player because he is too good for their liking? Does it make any darn sense at all? meanwhile, Ian Harris wants to pull me up on a serious cake gaffe: “Battenburg is in quarter, whereas Blackburn’s kit is in halves - a sort of underwhelming surf’n’turf.” |
| Updated at 8.09pm BST | Updated at 8.09pm BST |
| 7.53pm BST19:53 | 7.53pm BST19:53 |
| 6 min: A pattern is definitely emerging now: Liverpool are fizzing the ball around with aplomb. And Sterling nearly crowned another move with a goal, whacking a decent try just wide from 20 yards. | 6 min: A pattern is definitely emerging now: Liverpool are fizzing the ball around with aplomb. And Sterling nearly crowned another move with a goal, whacking a decent try just wide from 20 yards. |
| 7.52pm BST19:52 | 7.52pm BST19:52 |
| 5 min: After an encouraging but of interplay by Liverpool, henderson clips a high ball towards Sturridhe in the box. A defender gets to it first but does not make a firm headed connection, and Allen shows his alertness by darting into the box to bounce on the breaking ball. But he slashes his half-volley wide from 16 yards. | 5 min: After an encouraging but of interplay by Liverpool, henderson clips a high ball towards Sturridhe in the box. A defender gets to it first but does not make a firm headed connection, and Allen shows his alertness by darting into the box to bounce on the breaking ball. But he slashes his half-volley wide from 16 yards. |
| 7.50pm BST19:50 | 7.50pm BST19:50 |
| 3 min: No pattern has emerged to the play yet, with neither side helped by the bobbliness of the pitch. Is bobbliness a word? It is now. | 3 min: No pattern has emerged to the play yet, with neither side helped by the bobbliness of the pitch. Is bobbliness a word? It is now. |
| 7.48pm BST19:48 | 7.48pm BST19:48 |
| 1 min: Blackburn kick off but quickly lose possession. At this point let me apologise in advance if I fail to correctly identify players, as BT’s camera appears to be perched around about the same place that Felix Baumgartner jumped from a while back. | 1 min: Blackburn kick off but quickly lose possession. At this point let me apologise in advance if I fail to correctly identify players, as BT’s camera appears to be perched around about the same place that Felix Baumgartner jumped from a while back. |
| Updated at 7.48pm BST | Updated at 7.48pm BST |
| 7.46pm BST19:46 | 7.46pm BST19:46 |
| The teams file out on to the pitch. Blackburn are clad in their blue and white Battenberg cake number, while Liverpool are wearing the same colour red as the poison apple given to Snow White. Coincidence? Yeah, probably. | The teams file out on to the pitch. Blackburn are clad in their blue and white Battenberg cake number, while Liverpool are wearing the same colour red as the poison apple given to Snow White. Coincidence? Yeah, probably. |
| 7.34pm BST19:34 | 7.34pm BST19:34 |
| Speaking on TV, Rodgers has explained that Balotelli is not playing tonight because, after travelling with the team last night, he fell ill and had to go home. As for tonight’s defensive line-up, Rodgers, unlike the defence on Saturday, is giving nothing away: “You’ll wait and see if it’s a three or a four.” | Speaking on TV, Rodgers has explained that Balotelli is not playing tonight because, after travelling with the team last night, he fell ill and had to go home. As for tonight’s defensive line-up, Rodgers, unlike the defence on Saturday, is giving nothing away: “You’ll wait and see if it’s a three or a four.” |
| Updated at 7.35pm BST | Updated at 7.35pm BST |
| 7.18pm BST19:18 | 7.18pm BST19:18 |
| While Sturridge is seemingly fit enough to start, there is no sign of Mario Balotelli, who has perhaps not recovered from the knock that led him to rule himself out of the Arsenal match on Saturday. It would have been interesting to eavesdrop on conversations between the striker and Brendan Rodgers since then, as the manager did not seem best pleased when discussing the matter on Saturday. Meanwhile, Gary Bowyer has just told BT Sport that Gestede is fit enough to be unleashed from the bench “with 20 to go” if required ... | While Sturridge is seemingly fit enough to start, there is no sign of Mario Balotelli, who has perhaps not recovered from the knock that led him to rule himself out of the Arsenal match on Saturday. It would have been interesting to eavesdrop on conversations between the striker and Brendan Rodgers since then, as the manager did not seem best pleased when discussing the matter on Saturday. Meanwhile, Gary Bowyer has just told BT Sport that Gestede is fit enough to be unleashed from the bench “with 20 to go” if required ... |
| Updated at 7.21pm BST | Updated at 7.21pm BST |
| 7.04pm BST19:04 | 7.04pm BST19:04 |
| So, in the time since the preamble was written - who knows, possibly even after reading the preamble - the teams have been unveiled and it looks like a double dose of good news for Liverpool. Well, the first bit is definitely good for them: Rudy Gestede is apparently not fit enough to start. As for the second bit - that Touré has been left out and Liverpool seem to be reverting to a four-man rearguard - we’ll have to wait and see how that goes ... | So, in the time since the preamble was written - who knows, possibly even after reading the preamble - the teams have been unveiled and it looks like a double dose of good news for Liverpool. Well, the first bit is definitely good for them: Rudy Gestede is apparently not fit enough to start. As for the second bit - that Touré has been left out and Liverpool seem to be reverting to a four-man rearguard - we’ll have to wait and see how that goes ... |
| 6.45pm BST18:45 | 6.45pm BST18:45 |
| Preamble: | Preamble: |
| Hello and welcome to tonight’s coverage of Blackburn Rovers’ attempt to pull off a glorious feat while plunging Liverpool into turmoil. This, ladies, gentleman and trolls, won’t be boring. It could be anything from uplifting to downright hilarious. | Hello and welcome to tonight’s coverage of Blackburn Rovers’ attempt to pull off a glorious feat while plunging Liverpool into turmoil. This, ladies, gentleman and trolls, won’t be boring. It could be anything from uplifting to downright hilarious. |
| It was just three weeks ago that Brendan Rodgers was talking up his team’s chances of reaching second in the Premier League and now there is a greater probability of them dropping to seventh, the position in which they finished in the season before last year’s breathtaking title challenge. So Rodgers, whose contribution to the Anfield trophy cabinet has so far consisted of hiring dinky technicians to give it an occasional scrub, craves the first bauble of his reign in order to prove he is making progress. The FA Cup is his only remaining hope this season. The pressure is on. Get knocked out and Rodgers will face all sorts of questions, especially about his past and future recruitment and his club’s ability to hang on to Raheem Sterling, Jordan Henderson and realistic aspirations of returning to the Champions League. By contrast, win tonight and Rodgers will face the same questions but at least he’ll be closer to having some silverware with which to try to shield himself from any criticism and admire his reflection. | It was just three weeks ago that Brendan Rodgers was talking up his team’s chances of reaching second in the Premier League and now there is a greater probability of them dropping to seventh, the position in which they finished in the season before last year’s breathtaking title challenge. So Rodgers, whose contribution to the Anfield trophy cabinet has so far consisted of hiring dinky technicians to give it an occasional scrub, craves the first bauble of his reign in order to prove he is making progress. The FA Cup is his only remaining hope this season. The pressure is on. Get knocked out and Rodgers will face all sorts of questions, especially about his past and future recruitment and his club’s ability to hang on to Raheem Sterling, Jordan Henderson and realistic aspirations of returning to the Champions League. By contrast, win tonight and Rodgers will face the same questions but at least he’ll be closer to having some silverware with which to try to shield himself from any criticism and admire his reflection. |
| This season Rodgers has, of course, already demonstrated an impressive ability to deal with awkward questions – remember this? – and he has shown an admirable capacity to come up with an answer to his side’s shambolic start to the campaign. That sorry start went on much longer than the spell of inadequacy that they are currently enduring, with the defeats to Manchester United and Arsenal, chastening though they were, not being enough to declare the Rodgers project kaputt, even if they did expose shortcomings that need to be addressed. So there is a fair chance that Liverpool will get back into their groove tonight and assert their attacking flair, especially against a Championship side shorn of several key players. But there is also a strong chance that Blackburn will overcome their own problems to show their resourcefulness and expose Liverpool’s brittleness. What is certain is that the home team’s manager, Gary Bowyer, will instruct his players to bombard a Liverpool defence and goalkeeper that must be riddled with doubt unless they haven’t been paying attention in recent weeks, which, come to think of it, is not impossible. | This season Rodgers has, of course, already demonstrated an impressive ability to deal with awkward questions – remember this? – and he has shown an admirable capacity to come up with an answer to his side’s shambolic start to the campaign. That sorry start went on much longer than the spell of inadequacy that they are currently enduring, with the defeats to Manchester United and Arsenal, chastening though they were, not being enough to declare the Rodgers project kaputt, even if they did expose shortcomings that need to be addressed. So there is a fair chance that Liverpool will get back into their groove tonight and assert their attacking flair, especially against a Championship side shorn of several key players. But there is also a strong chance that Blackburn will overcome their own problems to show their resourcefulness and expose Liverpool’s brittleness. What is certain is that the home team’s manager, Gary Bowyer, will instruct his players to bombard a Liverpool defence and goalkeeper that must be riddled with doubt unless they haven’t been paying attention in recent weeks, which, come to think of it, is not impossible. |
| 6.45pm BST18:45 | 6.45pm BST18:45 |
| Teams: | Teams: |
| Blackburn: Eastwood; Henley, Baptiste, Kilgallon, Olsson; Conway, Williamson, Evans, Marshall, Cairney; Rhodes. | Blackburn: Eastwood; Henley, Baptiste, Kilgallon, Olsson; Conway, Williamson, Evans, Marshall, Cairney; Rhodes. |
| Subs: Spurr, Songo’o, Lenihan. Steele, Mahoney. Gestede, Nyambe | Subs: Spurr, Songo’o, Lenihan. Steele, Mahoney. Gestede, Nyambe |
| Liverpool: Mignolet; Johnson, Lovren, Sakho, Moreno; Lucas, Allen, Henderson; Sterling, Coutinho, Sturridge. | Liverpool: Mignolet; Johnson, Lovren, Sakho, Moreno; Lucas, Allen, Henderson; Sterling, Coutinho, Sturridge. |
| Subs: Jones, Touré, Lambert, Manquillo, Borini, Brannagan, Markovic | Subs: Jones, Touré, Lambert, Manquillo, Borini, Brannagan, Markovic |
| Updated at 7.15pm BST | Updated at 7.15pm BST |