Liverpool: Decisions Costing Us - Rodgers

Following Liverpool's defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last night, Reds manager Brendan Rodgers has bemoaned a lack of luck and refereeing decisions...

Liverpool's unbeaten eight-match run in the Premier League came to a frustrating end in the capital yesterday when they succumbed 2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.

The hosts took an early two-goal lead through Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale but the Reds battled back gamely and will feel they could easily have got something from the contest.

As well as forcing an own-goal from Gareth Bale in the 72nd minute, Liverpool had plenty of possession, corners and two decent penalty shouts for fouls on Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez which were ignored by referee Phil Dowd.

Commenting in his post-match press conference on the penalty decisions, Kop boss Brendan Rodgers said: "I thought we should have had two. It's incredible.

"We haven't had a penalty [this season]. All the stats will tell you we've been in the penalty box as much as anyone.

"We know we need to be more clinical but to arrive at this stage of the season and not have had a penalty - I don't know what the players have to do!

"Gerrard's was nearly assault, how was that not a penalty? Second one, Suarez spins and William Gallas swings his left foot and he goes down.

"Nothing's going for us and that's how it's been throughout the season. I could go through a whole raft of penalty and offside decisions that are actually pretty straightforward...

"It racks up the points and I hear people and pundits say it evens itself out over the season - so the second half of the season we're going to get a lot of decisions."

The result sees Liverpool slip to 12th in the table with only 16 points from their 14 games played. Despite the disappointment of defeat and the club's current standing in the league, Rodgers remained upbeat.

The 39-year-old feels his team are doing a lot of things right and if they keep performing to their current standard then the victories needed to climb the table will soon come.

"I've got to say, you'll struggle to come here, play as well as that and not get anything. I thought the players were outstanding, we would have been disappointed to have got only a point having played so well.

"The performance level and our tempo and rhythm were relentless. If we keep playing like that, we'll climb up the table.

"Steven Gerrard was magnificent tonight, his leadership and the way he drove the team, the quality of his passing, his responsibility and leadership was great."

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