Football
ESPN staff 9y

Joe Allen: Liverpool squad rotation policy will help to get results

Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen has defended manager Brendan Rodgers' decision to omit players including Steven Gerrard and Raheem Sterling from his starting line-up against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Rodgers was criticised over his decision, with some in the Spanish media saying he had belittled Liverpool's history by playing "reserve" players against last season's winners in their 1-0 defeat.

But Allen, who started in Madrid, said he believed that interpretation was unfair, with Liverpool facing a key match at home to Premier League leaders Chelsea on Saturday lunchtime.

When asked whether he thought it was disrespectful to talk about Liverpool playing a "reserve" team in Madrid, The Daily Telegraph reported him as saying: "Yes, I think it probably is.

"You sometimes can't win with a squad rotation policy, but with the added demands we have this season that has to be the way to do it. That is definitely going to get us results over the season."

Glen Johnson, Mario Balotelli, Jordan Henderson and Dejan Lovren were other first-teamers dropped to the bench at the Bernabeu in the aftermath of Liverpool's disappointing 1-0 defeat at Newcastle on Saturday.

On Wednesday, UEFA president Michel Platini said Rodgers needed to explain his team selection to fans, but added that it was not his place to interfere.

Champions League rules say that clubs must field their strongest sides but UEFA is not considering any action against the Merseysiders, with Platini pointing out that an apparently stronger Liverpool lineup lost 3-0 to the same opponents at Anfield.

Platini -- speaking on his first visit to St George's Park, England's national football centre in Burton-on-Trent -- said: "First of all he has to explain to his fans why he put this team out -- not to me, not to you.

"If I am the coach of Liverpool, I say: 'It's my best team.' How you can prove it's not your best team? I can't interfere with that."

Meanwhile, former Liverpool striker John Toshack has said he believes the club's players are still suffering after narrowly missing out on the Premier League title to Manchester City last season.

"I still think there's a dark cloud hanging over Anfield from what happened," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"They went so close after being so long without winning that championship. I still think there's a bit of a hangover there. It's a bitter pill to swallow for them."

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