Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray believes that a friendly at Anfield earlier this week highlighted to his team where they are in comparison with the very best, after the Reds ran out 6-0 winners.

Both teams were looking to clock up match fitness ahead of their respective season restarts over the weekend of 20th June.  

 



Mowbray saw his side taken apart by the reigning European and world champions, with Liverpool scoring through goals from Sadio Mane, Naby Keita, Takumi Minamino, Joel Matip, Ki-Jana Hoever and Leighton Clarkson.

However, Mowbray insisted he does not hold his players to the same standard as the Reds and believes the game served as a check to see where they are against the very best, dubbing Liverpool "amazing" and a "pressing machine".
 


The Blackburn manager stressed he did not worry about the result of the game, with the main objective being to get the players back up to full fitness so they are well prepared when facing their actual opponents in the Championship.



“The likes of Virgil van Dijk, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane all played and it was a great experience for us. I think it highlighted to us where the very best are”, Mowbray told Blackburn’s official site.

“We all saw that game and I have to be careful that I don’t judge my own players off the standard of that opposition, because they are a pressing machine.
 

Error, group does not exist! Check your syntax! (ID: 76)


“You can’t play your own game because Liverpool don’t let you have three passes.

“It’s amazing to watch the machine that they are.

“But it’s good for our team because we spent a lot of time out of possession, we had to chase a lot and the physical data from that game was really high, which is just what we wanted 10 days before the big kick-off.

“It was a competitive game of football and I spoke to Jurgen after the game who understands that it wasn’t just a friendly match.

“We’re both getting ready, we’re both intense and there certainly were benefits of playing the game for us.”

Liverpool top the Premier League table with 82 points and are favourites to lift the trophy this season, while Mowbray's Blackburn will be aiming for a late surge into the playoff places.