Rodgers Proud And Accepting Blame

Brendan Rodgers insists there should be no blame on Angel Rangel for the mistake that led to Manchester United’s winning goal

Rodgers said after the game “If you’re going to blame anyone, blame me

“Angel has been fantastic so there is no blame on him. The blame is on me, because I ask the players to play.

“He could have had his touch and smashed ball up the pitch. We look to pass our way out of trouble, but Rangel was just slightly off balance trying to play around the corner and it’s gone to Ryan Giggs.

“Ryan was brilliant all night even though he is almost as old as me and he took a great touch into the box and they score.

“We are learning all the time and I do think we were a wee bit stand-offish in the first half, we didn’t press the ball how we wanted to which meant United were too comfortable.

“The players may have been a bit over-awed. But I understand that, it’s a matter of how much belief you have.

“A lot of these guys have played in League Two and how they performed at this level is fantastic, but at half-time we put our game back in order.

“And in the second half we were outstanding and deserved something from the game.

“We had the big chance in the first-half but missed it and United scored theirs and that was the difference.

“You would have expected Scott to have scored it and he is disappointed. But when you see the ground he has made up just to get there it is incredible.

“He is still bitterly disappointed as that was a straightforward chance really, it was an open goal seven yards out, – but I was pleased he got there and if he keeps getting in there the goals will come.

“We said at half-time we needed to organise our game better but our mentality was the biggest thing, and then we played how we can play against a top team and there is a lot there to take forward.

“I was very proud of the players, in the second half we showed that quality we have and we were outstanding. We will move forward.”