Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has told his players that the Reds is not a school at which they can check out early before the end of term.

Rodgers' men went down to a crushing 6-1 defeat away at Stoke City today in their final Premier League fixture of the season, sending Steven Gerrard off to the MLS on an embarrassing note.




Liverpool were 5-0 down at half time as Stoke ran riot at the Britannia Stadium, pulling the Reds' defence to pieces. Gerrard popped up with a typically well-taken goal in the second half, but a Peter Crouch header ensured a miserable afternoon for Liverpool and a 6-1 defeat. Liverpool have now finished sixth in the Premier League.

Rodgers was hugely disappointed and felt that a number of his players simply checked out early, with it being the last match of the season.
 

 

"I'm bitterly disappointed", he told LFC TV.

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"The first half we were very, very poor, even though they scored some wonderful goals, but maybe that was down to us with poor quality and desire in our defending.

"In situations we weren't aggressive enough in our defending. You look at Stoke and you have to work hard to stop crosses and in one on one situations."

And Rodgers hit out at players not meeting the standards expected by the club, comparing some to kids missing the last weeks of school.

"This isn't a football club that is like school at the end of term when you don't turn up for a few weeks and then on the last day you don't show.

"This club demands desire until the very end. There is no holiday at Liverpool.

"You have to fight. It's a demanding league and an intense league."

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