Luis Suarez was accused of being a 'swimming pool diver' by Jose Mourinho [GETTY]
Mourinho purported in the aftermath of the 2-1 win over Liverpool, that Suarez's dive was akin to that of an "acrobatic swimming jump."
Rodgers retaliated to the war of words instigated by Mourinho, and insists Suarez is simply an 'easy target'.
"It certainly wasn’t that. Anyone seeing the game would surely have seen that, but Luis is the easy target, isn’t he?," Rodgers said.
"We had a spell where everyone was jumping on his back, saying he was diving.
“I thought it was a valid claim for a penalty yesterday. It certainly wasn’t an acrobatic dive.
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Brendan Rodgers thinks it is quite easy to make Luis Suarez the fall guy [GETTY]
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“This sort of thing is something that happens. For lots of people in the country, Luis has been an easy target. Football is all about opinions. Managers, supporters, the media - everyone has an opinion, and I am no different.
“I will always give an honest appraisal of what I see, and I will always defend my players when they need defending.
“Luis has been a remarkable player this year. Not only has he done remarkable things, he has played in a way everyone accepts has been more mature. People have recognised his maturity and seen his behaviour has changed.
“This is the first time anyone has criticised him in that respect this season, but I repeat he can be an easy target sometimes."
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