I've watched and re-watched the match more times then I'll admit too, and honestly, I don't think Rodgers got it "wrong" tactically. He was dealing with 1 1/2 fewer cards in his deck (a fit, but not fully so, Sturridge and no Henderson) and that had an impact. Now Allen played well, no doubt about it, but there is some difference between he and Henderson, and it limits the bench options (use of Aspas??). Maybe he flips Sterling to attack Cole and the horror hair do as a tweak, but really, the front 3 move so much and with such a free rotation, that I don't believe that matters all that much. Chelsea parked the entire armada, wasted time to the point the ref was pointing to his watch within the first 2 minutes, yet managed to hold their shape and defend in a zonal fashion to such a high degree of efficiency that it was, in and of itself, masterful. Kudos to Darth Jose/Lord Jose - he played for a draw and got a break on the Gerrard slip. If Liverpool aren't chasing the game for an equalizer at the end, the Torres/Willian goal never happens. Chelsea came to get a draw and literally stumbled in to a victory - luck happens both ways. At the end of the day, a clss defense held down a class offense - would the availability of Sturridge from the start had made a difference.....I'd like to think so as that pairing is just sublime. Don't underestimate the game Schwartzer had, either. His parry of Suarez's half-volley in the 91st minute was brilliant, and he had 3 or 4 other well timed saves during the course of the game as well (Allen's shot and the Gerrard header come to mind). Mignolet had 1 "tough" save going down to his left early, and other than that Chelsea had little if any attack. At the end of the day, it was a great game with a bad outcome as a Liverpool fan - tough to see, and tough to swallow. The fact it was Gerrard's slip that ultimately cost the game is just bitter vile on an already rotten plate. That said, I'll take a top 3 finish and European Football next year. I cannot wait to book my flight and catch a match!
