Liverpool travel to Selhurst Park and will take on Crystal Palace tomorrow in the last 16 of the FA Cup. The fixture will be an intriguing game to watch and one where Liverpool’s current good form will be thrown out of the window as Palace have had the better of Liverpool at home.
Liverpool’s assistant manager Colin Pascoe spoke to the media ahead of the tie and he reflected on the 3-1 loss against Palace in November, “The manager said when we lost to Palace in November that there was a real low in the camp.
“You look for a reaction to that result. And with tweaking the system a little bit as well, the group of players have responded fantastically – the way they have come back and the way they have played attractive football. It was a great reaction from that day.
“But you’re looking forward and being positive. Palace is a tough place to go, we know that. We’ll go there positive and looking for the win.”
Pascoe also lauded Alan Pardew’s impact at Crystal Palace, “He’s done a fantastic job at Crystal Palace since he’s gone in there. They’ve only lost once. He’s an excellent manager, he’s a hero at Palace and he’s galvanised the whole group together and they are in a good moment.
“It’s a great atmosphere at Selhurst Park. The last couple of games have been tough down there. If we’re not on our game, it will be tough.
With Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham and Southampton no longer in the cup, the Reds have a good chance of finally winning some silverware and Pascoe said they have the cup in their sights, “We want to win the FA Cup. We’ll go there with a strong side and it will be a tough place to go. As Palace have shown many a time, they are a good side. But we’ll look to be positive there and hopefully win.”
“You learn every day in football,” said Pascoe. “The lads come in and they train well and they train hard. Even in the small sided games, when the teams are picked, no-one wants to lose and that’s what it’s all about.”
Liverpool’s only loss this year was against Chelsea in the Capital One Cup (after 120 minutes) and the Reds are top of the League if points accumulated since the boxing day are considered only. With Daniel Sturridge returning and Mario Balotelli scoring his first goal in the Premier League, the Merseysiders will be in confident mood ahead of the clash.