Liverpool vs. Blackburn Rovers: Winners and Losers from 2014/15 FA Cup
Liverpool failed to break down Blackburn Rovers on Sunday afternoon in the FA Cup quarter-finals. A replay will be played at Ewood Park on a date to be confirmed to decide the tie.
The 0-0 draw was not without its immense frustrations for a number of key figures in Liverpool red, but Gary Bowyer and his visiting team will have been delighted to force a money-spinning replay.
Here, B/R picks its winners and losers from the game.
Loser: Brendan Rodgers, Who Clogged the Schedule Further
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Liverpool have played a lot of games this season, and Brendan Rodgers just added one more to a heaving schedule to end the campaign.
In addition to a deep Capital One Cup run, six UEFA Champions League games, a trip to Istanbul and a regular Premier League slog, the Reds will now travel to Ewood Park at a very awkward point in the season for a replay.
The date of the game is unknown, and it will be tough to find one that works. As ESPN FC's Dale Johnson notes, there are no free dates until April 8—the semi-finals commence the weekend of April 18—due to UEFA Champions League matches and an international break.
Monday, March 16 could work, but the Reds' game with Swansea City would need to be rescheduled. It's going to be a nightmare.
Winner: Gary Bowyer, Who Will Be Delighted with His Team
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Blackburn Rovers bored millions of football fans to the point of snoozing with their battling, cancelling performance, but Gary Bowyer won't mind one bit. In fact, he'll be positively delighted with his side's efforts.
The midfield worked so hard to close out the space in front of the defence, and the attacks did enough running up top to slow the pace where possible. This was a tough matchup physically for the Championship outfit—they managed just 30 percent possession, per WhoScored.com—but they troubled through Rudy Gestede when possible and dug in for the replay.
The chairman should have pound signs in his eyes.
Loser: Daniel Sturridge, Whose Form Worries
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Daniel Sturridge has been quite poor over the past few weeks, and his form is starting to worry fans of both Liverpool and the England national team.
Mario Balotelli's introduction undoubtedly helped the Reds in this game, allowing the forwards to link up and maintain control, but Sturridge's shooting skills were absent once again. He tried too many long-distance strikes—strikes someone like Balotelli, incidentally, would be widely panned for.
His bad showings won't fly under the radar for too much longer.
Winner: Alex Baptiste, Who Was Superb at the Back for Rovers
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Alex Baptiste, a name Premier League fans will remember thanks to his single season in the division with Blackpool, excelled for Blackburn Rovers at Anfield on Sunday.
The defender, partnered with the also impressive Matthew Kilgallon, stepped in to several important blocks and headers and even threatened at the other end in forcing a magnificent save out of Simon Mignolet.
It was a great day's work for the 29-year-old.
Loser: Adam Lallana, Liverpool
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It has been so rare, at any stage this season, for Adam Lallana to look even remotely worth the £25 million Liverpool paid for him in the summer of 2014. Once again, he fluffed a golden chance to impress.
His passing was sloppy, and he lost the ball far too often in the first half. He was a contender for the worst player on the pitch—and that's some statement given the rotated nature of Brendan Rodgers' selection.
Whether at wing-back or No. 10, he disappointed.
