Philippe Coutinho was nearly taken off before winner - Rodgers
Last updated on .From the section Liverpool
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers says he nearly substituted Philippe Coutinho before his late winner at Stoke.
Brazil midfielder Coutinho scored the only goal with a stunning long-range strike in an otherwise drab encounter.
"You have to keep him on the pitch as long as you can because he has that moment," said Rodgers.
"I am glad I kept him on but I can't profess to be any sort of genius. It was fortunate he got the goal and he stayed on."
The Northern Irishman added: "He did well to last the match because he has only been back from the Copa America for three weeks.
"He did well to turn Steve Sidwell with a wonderful touch. To beat Jack Butland shows the real quality of the goal."
The two sides met in the last game of the 2014-15 season, when the Potters ran out 6-1 victors. Despite the result, Rodgers kept his job and was pleased with his team's improvement over the summer.
- Click here to relive action from the match
- Listen to BBC Radio 5 live commentary of Coutinho's winner
"To get a win and perform from where we were 11 weeks ago - I thought it was an outstanding collective performance. It certainly feels better than 11 weeks ago," he said.
"You can never guarantee you are going to win or lose a game but for me it was about ensuring the personality came out in the team.
"Eleven weeks ago we were nowhere near that - it was embarrassing on the day. It was a one-off game, a unique game, but it still happened. I think that puts it to bed."
