Joe Cole's Liverpool comeback leaves Brendan Rodgers questioning player's value I thought it was difficult for him, it was too slow and it wasn't what I would expect from a team I tried to set up to be dynamic. Cole, signed on a free transfer from Chelsea by Roy Hodgson on wages of £100,000 a week, spent last season on loan at Lille. He returned to Anfield this summer determined to make an impression on a manager he knew from their time together at Stamford Bridge but he is just not fitting in and further first-team chances appear slim. Rodgers was unhappy with his side's first-half performance in particular and was gracious to admit his former club deserved their victory. I thought the best team won. We were too slow, there was no tempo in the first half," admitted the Northern Irishman, who left south Wales to take over from Kenny Dalglish at Anfield in June. It is disappointing. You can only hurt (from the result) if you are the better team and I thought they were the better team. I am disappointed to be out of the competition but I don't think we can have any complaints. Swansea boss Michael Laudrup, having succeeded Rodgers, hailed the club's achievement of reaching the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time. "I think we deserved the win and it is not very often you can say that as a manager playing at Anfield against Liverpool," said the former Denmark international, whose side now have a home tie against npower Championship side Middlesbrough. To win at Anfield is great so maybe it is (the best performance of his short reign). For 80 minutes we played a really good game with some fantastic counter-attacks and it was nice to watch. It is the first time the club has gone so far in the competition and to be in the last eight is great. It is a great achievement for the squad and the fans and now we can enjoy it but not for too long because we have another big game at Chelsea.