Jordan: Phil and co make my life easier
Jordan Henderson has explained how attacking talents like Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling have made his job for Liverpool straightforward in recent weeks.
Henderson was introduced as a second half substitute during the dramatic 2-1 victory over Bolton Wanderers on Wednesday night, as the Reds summoned all their creative guile to progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup.
Neil Lennon's charges struck first in the replay at the Macron Stadium; however, they were forced to soak up waves of Liverpool pressure, especially after Neil Danns' dismissal thanks to a second yellow card.
The breakthrough materialised when Emre Can fed Sterling with four minutes of normal time remaining - and when Coutinho cut inside onto his right foot and flashed a stunning strike off the crossbar and in, the tie was won.
Afterwards, Henderson acknowledged the steadfastness of the opposition defence, but reserved particular praise for the manner in which Liverpool were eventually able to unlock a stubborn Bolton back-line.
"They made it really difficult for us at times but we created a lot of chances," he told Liverpoolfc.com following the final whistle. "We just couldn't find the back of the net.
"We managed to find it when Emre put a great ball in behind for Raheem. It was a great finish and then we were very confident we could go on and get the win and it was a fantastic goal from Philippe.
"For players like me, it makes it a lot easier when you're giving [the ball] to the likes of Philippe and Raheem, [Adam] Lallana and [Daniel] Sturridge.
"You give them the ball and they just glide past players and produce the goods. It makes our life a little bit easier. They were outstanding again today and they have been for a good few months now. Hopefully they can keep going and getting the goals for us."
Crystal Palace now await Liverpool in the next round of the Cup, as the Reds travel to Selhurst Park on February 14, hoping to banish memories of consecutive defeats against the Eagles in the capital.
"It'll be a tough game," said Henderson. "We know it's tough going there from past experiences. It'll be a good game for us. We've got the Merseyside derby coming up, which is our next focus.
"But with Palace, we'll be looking to go there, get a good result and go on to the next round. They're a good team, but we're very confident we can do that."
Meanwhile, Henderson reserved a special word of praise for the man who has mentored him, both on and off the field, since his arrival at the club.
Steven Gerrard made his 700th appearance for the Reds against Bolton - and Henderson admits he is running out of superlatives to describe the iconic skipper.
"I've said a lot of things about Stevie and I'm starting to run out of things to say because he's just incredible," said Henderson. "He's made 700 appearances for Liverpool and I'm sure there'll be more before the end of the season."