Rodgers proud despite Liverpool’s stunning collapse

Liverpool’s Northern Irish manager Brendan Rodgers (R) watches the action from the touchline at Selhurst Park on Monday.AFP/LondonLiverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said his side would reflect on their season with pride despite seeing their title bid seriously compromised in a remarkable 3-3 draw with Crystal Palace. Liverpool led 3-0 with 11 minutes remaining in Monday’s Premier League game at Selhurst Park, only for Palace to score three times in the closing stages to leave the visitors’ title challenge on the rocks. Manchester City now require only four points from their last two games to effectively claim the championship and Rodgers conceded afterwards: “I think Manchester City will go on and win it.”  Liverpool’s players were a picture of distress at the final whistle, with Luis Suarez covering his face with his shirt to hide his sobs and captain Steven Gerrard ushering away approaching television cameras. Rodgers said that his side’s defending had been “criminal” and described the game’s final moments as “crazy”. But while he admitted that the disappointment of letting victory slip in such calamitous fashion was difficult to stomach, he said that Liverpool should not lose sight of the progress that they have made. Asked if he was proud of his team, who had finished a distant seventh last season, Rodgers said: “Incredibly. “It’s 99 goals we’re on, this season. The season before I came in (in June 2012), the team had finished on 47. For us to keep improving like we have been gives me immense pride. “When we’ve got time to reflect on this at the end of the season, we will see it has been an outstanding season for Liverpool. “It does not take away the pain of now, but we will look where we need to improve and continue to get better.”