Brendan Rodgers: 'Substitutions key to Liverpool victory'

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has hailed the impact of the changes he made as the Reds overcame a resilient Oldham Athletic side 2-0 in the FA Cup this afternoon.

The hosts had struggled for momentum in the game, but the introduction of Lucas Leiva and Phillipe Coutinho spurred Rodgers and his side towards victory, as an Iago Aspas effort and an own goal saw the Reds home.

"We needed to have more speed in our game and a bit more intensity. You don't want to do it (making the substitutions) but the last thing I wanted was the game to go to a replay," the Daily Post quotes him as saying.

"I think you learn as a manager. As you get more experiences you can either wait for it to happen or, if you don't think it's going to happen, you have to change the momentum of the game by making your subs.

"Coutinho came on, Lucas came on and they add that bit of intensity and greater purpose to our play. That allowed us to get better control."

Liverpool will now face either Bournemouth or Burton Albion in the next round of the cup.