While Brendan Rodgers failed to put one over his former side Swansea City on Sunday, the Liverpool manager did leave Wales with optimism, if not the full three points, after a 0-0 draw.
The Reds’ Raheem Sterling was denied by the crossbar and Jose Enrique had a goal ruled out for offside, and Rodgers said the visitors’ performance, compared with their defeat at the Liberty Stadium back in May, was a clear illustration of the progress made.
“I thought there was a marked difference,” Rodgers told Liverpool’s website. “I was really pleased with the quality of our game … I thought our build-up play was good and we got through the thirds well.
“I just thought we needed a fraction more belief in the final third. There were opportunities around the box where we could have got a shot off a bit quicker.”
“I thought the method in our game was good, and people who would have seen the game at the end of last season would have seen a difference.”
Liverpool remain mired in mid-table with 16 points – 14 behind leaders Manchester United with 13 games gone.
“Our performance level is continually improving. We’re just chipping away at climbing up the league, and we’ll do that,” Rodgers said.
“It’s a team that’s coming together with a different way of working. I can see improvement all the time. The guys are working really well, I’ve got to say they’ve been absolutely fantastic.
