Liverpool-Blackburn Verdict: Rovers Block Reds' March To Wembley Stadium

Liverpool fans were hoping to celebrate another trip to Wembley Stadium, but Blackburn Rovers had other ideas.

Liverpool and Blackburn played to a forgettable goalless draw Sunday at Anfield in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup. The result sets up a replay at Blackburn’s Ewood Park that is bound to contain more entertainment and flash-points than Sunday’s contest.

Frustration is the prevailing mood after the Reds labored honestly for 90 minutes but failed to break down the determined visitors. The Reds had clear advantages in possession, territory and chances created, but any claims saying they “deserved” to beat Blackburn based on this day’s performance are flimsy.

Liverpool was tactically proficient throughout, as manager Brendan Rodgers employed both three- and four-back systems without disrupting his team’s rhythm. They also were focused enough to withstand the shock of Martin Skrtel’s scary injury and stick to their game plan after Kolo Toure replaced him.

However, the Reds were deficient in the physical and technical departments against Blackburn. Both teams played league games Wednesday, but Liverpool lacked the burst required to translate their dominance of the ball into the type of game which smothers the opponents’ will to compete.

Liverpool also took a host of shots, but few seriously tested Blackburn goalkeeper Simon Eastwood’s shot-stopping abilities.

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Rodgers has blamed the Anfield turf for the Reds’ failure to pass the ball at a high tempo. His concerns are valid, but Liverpool’s lack of creativity and cutting edge in front of goal were the main culprits in this downtrodden performance against a team that sits 26 places (and one division) lower than his in English soccer’s standings.

Liverpool-Blackburn was a strange game in which defenders came closest to scoring. Rovers fullback Alex Baptiste forced Simon Mignolet to palm his powerful header over the crossbar in the 49th minute. Toure hit the post with a header 10 minutes later, giving the Ivorian a double dose of pain after his first-half goal was disallowed for offside.

Liverpool could have used captain Steven Gerrard, who is battling hamstring problems. Gerrard only returned to practice last week, and Rodgers didn’t include him in Liverpool’s squad.

The Reds missed Gerrard’s creativity and ability to take set pieces of all kinds, especially because the performances of Philippe Coutinho and Jordan Henderson didn’t meet the high standards of their recent showings, and Raheem Sterling’s deployment as a wide midfielder limited his influence for the second consecutive game.

Liverpool and Blackburn will face off again in the coming weeks. The Reds still will be favored to advance to the semifinals, book an April trip to Wembley and play for a place in the final, which takes place on Gerrard’s 35th birthday. They’ll be happy to remain in the competition, but the added game to the Reds’ schedule could prove detrimental to their pursuit of success on the Premier League front.