Saturday's goalless stalemate at home to Hull City brought frustration for Brendan Rodgers with regards to the result, though the Liverpool manager drew positives in two areas – a clean sheet and the contribution of substitute Rickie Lambert.

The Reds attacked ceaselessly against the Tigers at Anfield, dominating possession and creating enough chances to secure a third consecutive Barclays Premier League victory, particularly during the closing stages of the 90 minutes.

A breakthrough goal proved elusive, however, denying the home side an instant response to the chastening disappointment of the Champions League defeat by Real Madrid at the same venue last Wednesday evening.

Once the final whistle had confirmed a point apiece at the weekend, Rodgers was left to pick out the pluses from an improved performance, if not scoreline, beginning with a first shut-out since the final day of August.

"If you can't win it, then it's important that you don't lose it," he told Liverpoolfc.com from the tunnel. "We were defensively strong, I thought we looked solid against a team that scores goals away from home.

"They're a team that have scored two goals away at the Emirates and scored two away at Newcastle already this season. For us to keep the clean sheet was important. If you can't win, take the point."

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Lambert was introduced to Rodgers' attack for the remaining 30 minutes in the second half, entering the field with a self-set target of clinching the winner over Hull and with it his first goal since joining Liverpool in the summer.

Unfortunately, that did not happen, but the 32-year-old nevertheless offered a new presence to play off as the fervour for a successful strike grew, showing his touch and ability to bring teammates into the game - an impact noted by the boss.

"Rickie was excellent when he came on," the Northern Irishman began in his assessment. "It has been difficult for him because he probably wants to play a little bit more.

"But he's working tirelessly in training and when he gets the opportunities to play, if he shows that composure and quality, the chances will come. He made a real difference for us when he came on."

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