Kolo Toure may have been an unused substitute when Liverpool crashed out of the FA Cup in spectacular fashion at the weekend, but the veteran defender explained that he’s no less disappointed with the team’s performance, or that they let the supporters down.
“You feel bad. It is always difficult when you lose a semi-final like that. Collectively we were not very good. Villa really fought and gave everything to win the game,” the big Ivorian told the Press Association after Sunday’s debacle. “Of course, we wanted to do very well for the last game of Stevie for the club but at the end of the day, we wanted to do it for the fans because this club deserves to have a trophy.”
Philippe Coutinho found the net against the run of play as the Reds got the Travelling Kop rocking a half hour after kick-off, but the Villans struck back through Christian Benteke and Fabian Delph on either side of the half with the seven time winners unable to muster an equalizer. Steven Gerrard, who had a header cleared-off the line as the minutes ticked away, will now end his final season at Liverpool trophy-less, but Toure has confirmed that the long-serving skipper has kept his chin up.
The Anfield outfit were hoping to send the 34-year old off to the MLS in fine fashion with a spot in the FA Cup final on his birthday, but the fairytale finish just wasn’t to be. “He is fine,” said the veteran Reds defender when asked how the Captain is taking the defeat. “Of course he is sad, like all the dressing room, but he has been in this game for a long time and he knows how to deal with these situations.”
