Rating the Liverpool Players Against Mansfield

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Liverpool were made to sweat by non-league side Mansfield Town before booking their place in a fourth-round FA Cup tie against Oldham Athletic, with the Reds eventually emerging 2-1 winners against The Stags at the One Call Stadium, which is more commonly known as Field Mill.

It took Daniel Sturridge just seven minutes into his Reds career before he notched his first goal for the club following a fine through ball from Jonjo Shelvey. Then, Sturridge's replacement Luis Suarez made it 2-0 in the second half when he walked the ball over the line after initially handling it in the buildup.

The controversy surrounding that goal will run and run considering who scored it, but after an excellent effort from Mansfield in the second half was rewarded with a goal from Matt Green, the Reds held on to reach the fourth round.

Here are the ratings for the Liverpool players:

Brad Jones

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Just a week after suffering the virus which kept him out of the squad for the Queens Park Rangers game, Jones returned to the side in place of the rested Pepe Reina and managed to guide the Reds through to the fourth round.

The Australian made several stops from long range efforts and did all he was required to do from closer in, but he doesn't quite command a penalty area like Reina, and so there is always a level of uncertainty about him.

He stayed strong when he had to, though, and he'll hope for more appearances later in the competition.

Rating: 7/10

Andre Wisdom

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This was a good performance from the right-back until injury forced him off the pitch with 11 minutes remaining.

Wisdom has become an extremely valuable member of the squad under Brendan Rodgers, and he particularly excelled in the first half when the Reds were dominating and cutting through the home side at will.

He did his defensive duties well for the majority of the second period before going off injured, and Rodgers can only hope that his problem isn't too serious given the injury suffered by Jose Enrique.

Rating: 8/10

Jamie Carragher

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It was a rare start for the veteran in the heart of the Liverpool defence, but Carragher did everything that was expected of him as Mansfield looked to turn the screw in the second half.

The day's captain guided his less experienced colleagues through choppy waters as he helped his side get over the line and into the fourth round, with his leadership skills proving vital.

He didn't let anyone down.

Rating: 8/10

Sebastian Coates

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The Uruguayan was given a rare start as both Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel were rested, and the central defender performed well at the beginning of his second FA Cup campaign.

He stood up well to the challenges presented to him by the Mansfield attack, and perhaps he will have picked up a taste for more regular action ahead of a potential loan move elsewhere.

Rating: 7/10

Jack Robinson

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The injury to Jose Enrique has given Robinson an opportunity to impress Rodgers, and he didn't do many things wrong at Mansfield.

Still a teenager, the left-back does have a lot to learn, but he has impressed all since becoming Liverpool's youngest-ever player when given a debut as a 16-year-old under Rafael Benitez, and he'll be hoping that his display here keeps him in and around the squad in the next few weeks.

Rating: 7/10

Lucas Leiva

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Lucas was always going to have to be strong in the centre of the pitch if Liverpool were to gain control of the contest, and whilst he did that for the opening half hour, the Brazilian did then fade away somewhat.

Clearly he still needs time to regain that game-dominating level that he once had, but Lucas seemed to lose influence the longer the match went on.

Rating: 6/10

Joe Allen

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Allen has lost his place to Jordan Henderson in recent league games, and it is starting to become easy to see why.

The Welshman looks tired, and although he did his usual efficient job in the first half here, he quickly went downhill along with the Liverpool performance.

It will be interesting to see if it is Allen or Henderson who starts at Old Trafford next week.

Rating: 6/10

Jonjo Shelvey

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Every game is a chance for Shelvey to prove his worth to this Liverpool squad in a variety of positions, but given an opportunity in his preferred role, he didn't quite sparkle.

Sure enough, he played a excellent pass for Sturridge to open his Reds account early on, but Shelvey didn't really impose himself on a match which was crying out for him to show his talents.

A chance missed.

Rating: 6/10

Suso

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An FA Cup debut can be added to the list of experiences that the youngster has on his CV from this season, and the Spanish teenager looked lively in the opening moments in Mansfield.

As with the rest of his teammates, he faded somewhat the longer the match went on, though, and perhaps lacked the confidence to gee up the rest of the side he faded before being replaced by Henderson 10 minutes into the second half.

Rating: 6/10

Stewart Downing

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Another start for Downing, who appears to have grown in importance to Rodgers in recent weeks.

As with many of his teammates, the winger started off by looking threatening but too often his decision-making would let him down.

He still looks as though he is merely keeping the seat warm for a more effective player.

Rating: 6/10

Daniel Sturridge

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An all-action debut for Sturridge, who was never likely to play for more than an hour according to Rodgers.

An expert finish for his goal just seven minutes in showed Liverpool supporters just what they're in for over his time with the club, but a frustrating miss when one-on-one with Alan Marriott minutes later gave somewhat of an insight too.

He's a livewire, though, and Reds fans are sure to take to him.

Rating: 7/10

Substitutes

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Luis Suarez (on for Sturridge, 55 mins): You can't keep him out of the headlines, can you? Suarez clearly handled the ball for his goal, but surely more criticism should be heaped onto referee Andre Marriner for failing to spot it rather than on a player who did what 99 percent of others would have done. He sells papers, though.

Jordan Henderson (on for Suso, 55 mins): A defensive change given Mansfield's excellence in the second half, Henderson did a steady job in midfield.

Jon Flanagan (on for Wisdom, 79 mins): On for the injured Wisdom, Flanagan contributed to the late defensive effort.