Brendan Rodgers overly optimistic after Liverpool edge Bournemouth

After a miserable start to the Premier League campaign, Liverpool boss Rodgers had his worst spell yet last week as his side exited the Champions League then lost 3-0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

But Rodgers, who guided his side to second in the Premier League campaign last year, viewed the Reds' League Cup quarter-final against Championship table-toppers Bournemouth as a reprieve from their league struggles, and perhaps an opportunity to get his hands on a first bit of silverware since he arrived at Anfield.

The Northern Irishman left much-maligned striker Mario Balotelli at home for the trip to the south coast, utilising Raheem Sterling in a false nine role, flanked by the creative talents of Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana and Lazar Markovic - and the result was a front four showing bundles of attacking flair and quality.

Liverpool secured a 3-1 win over Eddie Howe's men, but the scoreline, the semi-final draw and Rodgers' fate as Reds manager could have been very different had the Cherries taken their chances at Dean Court.

Rodgers and his side will have left Bournemouth feeling a sense relief despite a relatively healthy looking scoreline, but after the match the Liverpool boss said that he believes his side are now on the right path and can use the narrow win over the Championship outfit as a stepping stone prior to a busy festive period.

"It was an outstanding performance... We're starting to see signs of getting back to where we were. We know there is a way to go but this was a tough game coming here so for us to come and dominate like we did, and score the goals that we did, was very pleasing.

"That was as good as I've seen from us this season. Slowly we are getting there, I've said that my teams have shown at Liverpool that we get better and better.

"A lot of players are adapting, you see Markovic out there and he put in an outstanding performance.

"I've been looking to find ways and solutions to make us more creative as we haven't been that at all this season and that is the mark of the team.

"It was brilliant. We work very hard on our possession, movement and creativity and it has taken us a long time for us to find rhythm this season but what has never stopped is the work rate of the players.

"It took character and quality to get through. It doesn't matter if it is from one pass or 52 but the moment of the game did require patience."

Part of a football manager's job is to ensure that their players are feeling as confident as possible, and it's plain to see that after the morale-boosting win over Bournemouth, Rodgers was looking to heap praise on his men in the post-match interview.

But outstanding the performance was not. To pretend otherwise, and to talk up a win against a second-tier club, is nothing short of embarrassing.

The Reds boss may well be right in admitting that it was as good as he's seen from his team this season, but that says more about how tremendously poor they've been, rather than how encouraging the performance against the Championship club was.

A slightly-above-average performance does not indicate that Liverpool "are getting there." Far from it. Defeats by Newcastle and Crystal Palace in recent weeks, coupled with stale, goalless draws against Sunderland and Hull would indicate that the Anfield club are some way off "getting there".

However, Liverpool are now in the last four of the League Cup and will head into their semi-final clash with Chelsea in a buoyant mood, but the imperious Chelsea - who Liverpool lost to in the league just a few short weeks ago - will provide a far sterner test than Howe's Bournemouth.

Henry Winter (The Telegraph): !So a trip to the south coast provided a well-timed tonic for Rodgers, Sterling and Liverpool after recent storms. Only time will tell if the tide has turned in their season, and a two-legged tussle against Chelsea to reach Wembley will be tough, but this was hugely encouraging for Liverpool’s many fans who negotiated the assault course of roadworks and rush-hour to reach Dean Court. Due acknowledgement must also be paid to Bournemouth’s overly respectful approach to their guests for almost an hour, backing off, inviting Liverpool on and the visitors taking a three-goal lead through Sterling twice and Lazar Markovic. Concerns also persist defensively, and a new goalkeeper must be high on the list of Liverpool transfer targets after a wobble from Brad Jones allowed Dan Gosling to pull a goal back.!