Bournemouth V Liverpool at Dean Court : Match Preview

24 January 2014 14:01
Bournemouth V Liverpool - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.


Rodgers demands extra motivation

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers believes his players will need to be more motivated against Bournemouth in the FA Cup than they would be against their Premier League top-four rivals.


Having been below their best in the previous round at home to Sky Bet League One Oldham - who knocked them out at this stage last year - the trip to the Goldsands Stadium will be more of a test.


Rodgers admitted he picked the wrong team for last weekend's 2-2 draw against Aston Villa, when his side had to come from two goals down after being overrun in midfield, and he acknowledges they will have to do the "dirty stuff" well against the Championship side to progress.


"Whatever your motivation is for games against Manchester United or Chelsea, I think you have to go five times more in a game like this because they're such tough games," he said.


"The players are under no illusions that for us to get through we have to be mentally prepared to up the tempo.


"Last year I didn't underestimate Oldham or any opponent we just had to make the changes (to the team) and we suffered for it.


"When you're Liverpool and you're playing well I think you're always going to be a scalp as players at that level want to show they can play against you at your level.


"We saw that in our last game against Oldham, who may be in League One, but have some good players who kept the game in the balance all the way through.


"But it's for us to ensure that our mentality is right and that we're willing to do the dirty stuff and the ugly bits in the game and then you look for your quality to come through."


It will be difficult for Rodgers to get his team selection wrong as injuries and illness meant he was working with only 15 players this week.


That means he will have to call on some youngsters who have been around the fringes of the first team squad - the likes of Jordon Ibe, Brad Smith and Jordan Rossiter - to boost his numbers.


And while an away tie against underdogs may be a test for such inexperienced players Rodgers is confident they will be stand up to the challenge.


"You will never know until you put young players in but it is certainly one where we will have a lot of our experienced players about," added the Reds boss.


"It can be a good time to put them in as long as they are surrounded by other senior players.


"We are trying to maintain the effort in our work and it could be an opportunity for our young talented players to show."


There will be a change in goal as Brad Jones resumes cup duties in place of first-choice Simon Mignolet, who has had a shaky few weeks.


Rodgers is a role model of Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe and he is looking to pitting his wits against the Liverpool boss.


Howe, 36, has drawn plaudits for the way he sets his team out to play and the former Burnley boss has revealed spending time with Rodgers has helped him build his own philosophy.


"Brendan inspires me," said Howe.


"I have known him for a while and have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to watch him work and to build a relationship with him.


"He is definitely one of my role models, someone I look up to. He is an innovator, a real thinker and gets his team to be brave and play brilliant football and deserves all the success he gets - I hope he goes on and does well for Liverpool long-term."


Rodgers' Liverpool sit fourth in the Premier League as they seek Champions League qualification.


And Howe is hopeful the meeting with Champions League-calibre opponents Real Madrid, who ran out 6-0 winners in a pre-season friendly against the Cherries, can help his players deal with facing such an established club.


"It is an opportunity that doesn't come around too often, the chance to pit your wits against one of the best managers in the country and some of the best players in the world," Howe said.


"We had it against Real Madrid in a pre-season friendly but they are nothing like FA Cup matches so in that respect they are very different.


"They gave us a football lesson, we were in the game for 20 minutes and thought we had started well and then before you know it we were 3-0 down.


"The players we were playing against will hopefully stand us in good stead for this, we know the things we need to improve from that game and we did take a lot out of it so hopefully it will help us.


"I'm pleased that our players have been exposed to games like that previously because they are different and the players have to adapt mentally to it."


Bournemouth will have goalkeeper Lee Camp available. The January signing from West Brom was unavailable for their 4-1 win over Burton in the third round as he was not with the Cherries when the fixture was originally due to take place but he is able to line up against the Reds.


Source: PA