[ad_1]
Brendan Rodgers admitted it was a worrying sign for Leicester that Blackburn’s Championship side were “better” than the side they lost 2-1 in the FA Cup.
Tyrhys Dolan and Sammie Szmodics capitalized on some good defending to earn Blackburn a 2-1 win as they reached their first FA Cup quarter-final in eight years.
Kelechi Iheanacho grabbed a second-half consolation but the error-prone Foxes got what the Championship side deserved.
Rodgers said: “Congratulations to Blackburn, they are the better team. We presented with a couple of goals, giving the ball away cheap to concede for the first time.
“It’s the same with the second one. We give it and the player can get through the middle of our defense with ease and get the finish.
“Then you chase and 2-0 is not an easy score line to score freely. We showed passion and drive but you have to show that it is 0-0 and apply your game.
Saturday, March 4, 5:00 p.m
Kick off 5:30pm
“We can’t do that. It’s consistency, it’s mentality, ambition and drive to succeed and it’s very up and down for us. It doesn’t help if you constantly give opportunities to the team.
“It’s disappointing for the supporters, it’s a real challenge for this season. The FA Cup is an opportunity for us to get to the quarter-finals, playing against a Championship team at home, but they’re better than us.
“We have to worry about that.”
Rodgers is without James Maddison and Youri Tielemans, with Maddison yet to recover from illness and Tielemans six weeks out with ankle ligament damage.
The Belgium international picked up an ankle injury after coming on as a substitute in the weekend defeat to Arsenal and missed Tuesday’s FA Cup defeat to Blackburn.
“Youri will be out for six weeks. Six weeks will feel like six months when you lose a player of that quality,” Rodgers revealed.
“Unfortunately, he’s done ligament damage in his ankle. He won’t be back before the international break.”
Please use Chrome browser for more accessible video player
Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed Youri Tielemans will be out for six weeks with the ankle injury he picked up against Arsenal at the weekend.
Rodgers, who is guiding Leicester to their first FA Cup triumph in 2021, made six changes and insisted he should be a gunner.
He added: “If anyone blames me, I’m making a change and it’s sad I can’t.
“We brought four players into the starting line-up who won the FA Cup a couple of seasons ago, so the team should be strong and pretty good.
“The FA Cup is a chance to get to the quarter-finals, we play against Championship teams at home, but they are better than us and we have to worry about that.”
Blackburn boss Jon Dahl Tomasson said: “It was an unbelievable night for the club. The performance and the result were well deserved. I ask the players to be brave on the ball.
Sammie Szmodics celebrates a goal during Blackburn’s FA Cup win at Leicester
“They followed the game plan perfectly. We were very brave, we created chances and we didn’t have possession, we were very strong.
“We shouldn’t have looked a bit nervous before, but the players showed a lot of spirit, fought when needed. The players have written another chapter in our great history.
“We are under construction. We have been inconsistent but in 2023 we will be consistent. The boys have done a great job.
“Now we are in the last eight of the biggest cup in the world. This cup is one of the only ones that really lives. We take the cup very seriously.”
What’s next?
Leicester visiting Southampton in the Premier League, staying at Saturday Night Football; kick-off 5.30pm. Meanwhile, Blackburn back in the action of the Championship when the host Sheffield United is at 12.30pm, live on Sky Sports Soccer.
[ad_2]
Source link