Rodgers to recruit 'winners'

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers insists attitude will be as important as aptitude as he looks to strengthen the Reds' squad this summer.



Jamie Carragher has already left the club while Manchester City's Kolo Toure has been linked with a switch to Anfield.



Rodgers is adamant that unless any potential target can show themselves to be a winner he will look elsewhere.

"A lot of great learning has taken place throughout the year both on and off the field," he told the club website. "Now we want to build on the positive impact of the second half of the season.



"It's our job as a club to look to bring in the types of players who will allow us to kick on again.



"There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes in order to reinforce the group.



"In order to breed the consistency needed to give us success, we need to bring in winners - those with the winning mentality.



"Everyone has to play a part in leadership.



"You get different types of leadership - some are purely by action and inspiration, others by organisation and more verbal.



"Taking on that responsibility is something that has to come from within the group here, but we're also looking to bring in that type of player."

Rodgers ready to do business

Brendan Rodgers expects to make early additions to the Liverpool squad this summer with depth the key to his transfer plans.

Rodgers admits his options during the 2012-13 season were too limited, and that is something needing to be solved if the club wants to make a return to the Champions League in the near future.



The Reds go into the final weekend of the season seventh in the Premier League, and Rodgers knows he is going to have to invest wisely with his budget unlikely to match teams that finished above them.



Rodgers has been linked with a number of players, including Wigan's James McCarthy and Swansea keeper Michel Vorm, and although he didn't comment on any specific players, he expects to be active in the next few weeks.



"I think there will be a natural transition in the summer because we need to improve our depth because the squad was very shallow," he said.



"You want to do your business as early as you can and we will look to reinforce but come the beginning of the season we would hope to have a squad ready to challenge.



"That process started just after the window - once we got the staff in we needed, they got to work straight away and we saw the benefits of that over the course of January. Hopefully we can have a similar window, a real positive one, in the summer.



"There was a lot going on - lots of players going out, some coming in. The word stability is key for us now - it really sets us up for the summer to hopefully have a good window."


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Rodgers: Rafa welcomed back

Brendan Rodgers says there is no doubt Rafa Benitez will receive an excellent reception on his return to Liverpool this weekend.



The Spaniard heads back to his former club on Sunday, for the first since leaving in 2010 after a six-year stint at Anfield in which he led them to UEFA Champions League victory.

And current Reds boss Rodgers believes Benitez will receive a rapturous welcome when he returns for Liverpool's Chelsea showdown.

The Northern Irishman said: "It won't be strange in any way at all.

"It is a club with supporters who are very respectful. They still sing Kenny's (Dalglish) name and rightly so, a legend at the club as a player and a manager.

"There is absolutely no question Rafael Benitez will get an excellent reception because of the great work he did here.

"The football club as a whole always respect former players and managers.

"He obviously had a real good time here, won the Champions League and FA Cup in his six years here, so I am sure he will get a fantastic reception."

Rodgers is yet to feel the pressure of not achieving success at a club with Liverpool's glorious past.

"It is interesting," he said. "The season they actually won the Champions League (under Benitez) they finished on 58 points and outside of the top four," added the Northern Irishman.

"The season before Gerard Houllier had 60 points and finished in fourth place.

"But everyone knows the history of that season (2004-05) in terms of the Champions League and by winning that it buys you another season in there which you can build and move forward.

"The history is history, and it is an incredible history, and it is easy for me to appreciate the history because that was one of the key reasons for me coming here.

"But you can't be held hostage to it. You have to chip away at being the best you can be.

"The focus is purely on the job and improving the team.

"If you put too much pressure on then it becomes even more difficult."

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Rodgers Hoping To Convince Carragher To Play On

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has revealed that he is hoping to convince defender Jamie Carragher not to retire at the end of the season.



Carragher announced in February that he would bring the curtain down on his playing career at the end of the season after making over 700 appearances for the club.



Brendan Rodgers, who appeared on Sky Sport's football show Goals on Sunday, said he intends to holds talks with the player in the summer.



He said, ""He's been fantastic and I do [believe he could play next season]. Him and I communicate a lot and he's obviously got something in his mind.



"Him and I will sit down between now and the end of the season anyway and we'll see where it goes.



"If he does go, I will certainly miss him because he's been brilliant for me in my time there, going in as a manager of a club of that size.



"He's shown great respect and really helped me and the other guys.



"The thing for now is to keep performing the way he is until the end of the season and between then and now him and I will chat and we'll take it from there."

Rodgers plans Carragher talks

Brendan Rodgers told Goals on Sunday that he plans to hold talks with Jamie Carragher over his future before the end of the season.

The Liverpool defender has announced plans to retire from football this summer and has been linked with a job in the media, but his manager believes he could continue playing for the club next year.

Carragher has made 33 appearances for Liverpool this season and has played the full 90 minutes in all but one of their last 11 Premier League fixtures.

Rodgers plans to use him in the first team for the rest of the season and says he will discuss the possibility of retaining his services at Anfield before his contract expires.

He told Goals on Sunday: "He's been fantastic and I do [believe he could play next season]. Him and I communicate a lot and he's obviously got something in his mind.

"Him and I will sit down between now and the end of the season anyway and we'll see where it goes.

"If he does go, I will certainly miss him because he's been brilliant for me in my time there, going in as a manager of a club of that size.

"He's shown great respect and really helped me and the other guys. The thing for now is to keep performing the way he is until the end of the season and between then and now him and I will chat and we'll take it from there."

Carragher considered quitting Anfield last summer and Rodgers said one of his first tasks after taking the Liverpool job was to convince him to stay.

And while he wasn't initially planning to use him as a regular starter, he says the 35-year-old consistently impressed in training and soon forced his way into the team.

Rodgers added: "It's an interesting one with Carra because this guy's incredible. I want to put that on record.

"I saw him from the outside when I was at Chelsea and the games he was playing in the Champions League. I always thought he was one of the best defenders in European football at that stage.

"To come in and work with him at close hand and see his will and determination. His play speaks for itself, but the fight and spirit and quality that he shows every single day in training is amazing.

"I had a good conversation with Carra last summer because he was maybe thinking about moving on to pastures new last year, but we talked and decided that he would stay.

"For me, he's hardly put a foot wrong. I obviously wanted to go with a pairing of Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger as maybe the future at the beginning of the season and those guys have done really well.



"But I felt that with Carra and all the games he's played - the cup games and any time he's come in in the league - he's been remarkable and I felt I wanted to put him in the team."

Rodgers eyes Dortmund model

Brendan Rodgers believes Borussia Dortmund are the blueprint to follow if Liverpool want to get back among Europe's elite.



The Germans reached the Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday with a sensational injury-time comeback to see off Malaga.



And they did so with a line-up containing two players from the youth academy and three free transfers, while the rest of the squad were bought for around £30million.



Now Rodgers is keen for the Anfield giants to follow the Bundesliga side's example so they can re-establish themselves as a major force.



He said: "Just look at Borussia Dortmund, a team that won the Champions League and then struggled financially.



"They went out and rebuilt and it took them four to five years to push on. Then they won the league and their European work suffered.



"This year you can see they have put their focus on Europe and they have lost their title. That's a team that has been growing over five years.



"So there is no doubt you need investment to raise the bar and the quality. But there are other ways to try and get an advantage and we can really push on next year.



"Unless you have the City or Chelsea money you need a different way and I think this is the best way because you are not just looking after the team but also the club."

Rodgers: I trust Henderson

Brendan Rodgers has paid tribute to the attitude and form of Jordan Henderson, admitting: 'I know I can always call on him.'

The midfielder has produced some of his best performances for the club under the stewardship of the boss, making 36 appearances and scoring three goals so far this term.



Though Henderson hasn't began a game since the Europa League clash with Zenit St Petersburg at Anfield in February, Rodgers has been delighted with his contribution and insists he'll have no qualms about recalling him to the starting XI when the time is right.



"It's just the balance and it depends on the opponent," Rodgers said. "Jordan has been excellent and his attitude has been great. The team has been winning as well.



"But Jordan has been excellent, he's a good player, he's improving tactically all the time and I know if I need to call on him he will be ready."

Reina: 'I'm very happy with Rodgers'

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina has revealed that he has been impressed with the start of Brendan Rodgers as manager at Anfield.

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Reina has found himself in and out of the side this season due to injury, while also finding himself linked with a move away from the club.



However, the Spanish stopper has insisted that he has a good relationship with his boss, and that they share many similar ideas about football.



The 30-year-old told The Mirror: "My relationship with the manager is very good, I think we have got a lot of ideas in common. There is understanding about tactics, and the way we see football is quite similar.



"I'm very happy with our manager. He's making sure we are learning, every day, the way to win, and that's important.



"If we play good football, then we will be closer to winning games."



The former Villarreal goalkeeper has made 32 appearances for Liverpool this season

Rodgers has warned Liverpool's rivals

Brendan Rodgers has warned Liverpool's rivals for a top-four finish that his side are improving all the time.

The 2012/13 campaign has been a slow-burner for the Anfield outfit, but they appear to have hit their stride at just the right time.



Three straight wins, including an impressive 3-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur last time out, have fired Liverpool into the race for UEFA Champions League qualification - or a Europa League place at worst.



The Reds are still seven points off the pace at present, but Rodgers says they will be ready to pounce if those above them start to wobble heading down the final straight.



He said: "The teams above will know they can't be making any slip-ups - not only because of us, but for themselves.



"This is the stage of the season when you want to win games, and you have to win them.



"Our recent run of form shows without doubt we're a team which is improving and developing.



"The result against Tottenham showed the further enhancement of that, and we have to maintain that form to keep moving forward."



Rodgers added: "People know now we're a different team compared to the start of the season, for sure.



"There is a different mentality now, but there is no point in us getting carried away and looking too far ahead.



"We can only concentrate on ourselves and get as many victories as we can."

Fourth spot still a realistic aim for us, says Rodgers

Liverpool are confident of finalising deals for Tom Ince and Daniel Sturridge.



Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers believes a top four finish is “absolutely, absolutely” a realistic aim for the 12-placed club and says he is taking heart from the fact that nobody has pulled away in fourth spot.



“Let’s be honest – it is a big ask; a massive ask,” said Rodgers, ahead of his side’s meeting with Southampton at Anfield today. “But [fourth] has to be our target. We are going to look to try and get as close to that as we possibly can.



Rodgers, whose side are 10 points off fourth-placed West Bromwich Albion, was bullish about the club’s potential activity in the January transfer market, at the end of a week in which he agreed that the managerial uncertainty at Stamford Bridge may make a move for Daniel Sturridge easier. Liverpool are confident of finalising a £6m deal for Blackpool’s Tom Ince as well as adding Sturridge for a further £12m.



Asked if he was looking at one or two signings or as much as he could achieve, Rodgers replied: “As much as I can do, really. [But] we have got a real good group here. I have always thought that if you have three-and-a-half goal-scorers in your team, you have got a chance. We have got Luis Suarez. Steven Gerrard will get goals. He has been terrific this season and taken on an even greater responsibility with the juniors. But he will get goals. There is no question of that. If we can add a couple more that you know are goal-scorers, who instinctively get into the box and get goals, with the domination that we are having in games, then we have got a chance in the second half of the season. We are going into a month that if we can



Lucas Leiva is expected to make his long-awaited return return today, having been rested from the rigours of the midweek game at Tottenham to be ready for a game which Rodgers needs to win. That will provide rigour and free Gerrard to advance more, after a disappointing few months by his standards.



Another of the disappointments for Rodgers has been Nuri Sahin, who has not proved tp be the stand-out player who was expected when he opted for Anfield rather than the Emirates, arriving on loan from Real Madrid this summer. The manager admitted that the tempo of the Premier League was something the 24-year-old was struggling to adapt to.



“His attitude has been first class. I always look at the midfield players and their goals and assists. I look at tackles won and with Nuri he has come in and played more games than he has probably thought. But he is a good guy who is working hard. It is just about the balance really. I don’t think he has struggled with the physical side of it. He has played in Germany. It’s just the tempo here is greater. You have to respect that he has come back from nearly a year out of it. This first six months he has played quite a number of games. I have had a chance to assess him and see where he is at. But if you are out of the team, you just have to continue to work hard. If your chance comes, you have to take it.”



Liverpool’s lack of a striker has clearly contributed to them slipping four points behind Swansea City and three points behind Stoke City in the Premier League, but Rodgers insisted that this had not been a wasted five months.



“I would never say managing this club is a waste,” he said. “I’ve got to say it’s been a privilege here and I’ve learned a lot. I spoke to Stevie [Gerrard] after Tottenham and he said it was the best Liverpool have played there in 12 years going to White Hart Lane. That shows you with the lack of experience in the group but it’s also about getting results and I have total faith that we will do that. As I said, from the first six months, it was really about improving that unity in the group, trying to find different solutions. I believe that will grow even more. We are creating enough pressure and getting enough of the ball. If we can the right profile of players… the last five months have highlighted the need for that even more. If we get one or two to finish it off we can go on a great run.”



Liverpool face what they would historically have considered to be an easy run until mid-January - meeting West Ham, Aston Villa, Fulham, Stoke City, QPR and Sunderland before they meet Manchester United at Old Trafford on January 13.




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Rodgers: Liverpool not far off top four rivals

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers reckons his side are on the right path towards matching Tottenham and challenging regularly for Champions League football again.



Rodgers can guide his side into the top half of the Premier League for the first time this season with a win at White Hart Lane on Wednesday night.



His first five months at Anfield have been made trickier by the challenges of trying to improve a lop-sided squad short of top-class strikers on a limited budget. But even though he has seen Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas spend £57 million on six players, including Liverpool summer target Clint Dempsey, Rodgers is not envious.



The Liverpool boss was a target for Spurs as they looked to replace Harry Redknapp at the start of the summer, but insists he made the right choice by moving to Anfield in June.



"I was very happy in my work at Swansea," Rodgers said. "Harry had done a brilliant job there, and for whatever reason, the club decided that it wasn't to be and looked elsewhere.



"For me to leave Swansea was going to be a big ask, but I had the opportunity to come here, and I've not regretted any moment of it."



Asked if there had been contact with Tottenham over their manager's job earlier this year, Rodgers said: "It's irrelevant. Tottenham have chosen a manager. Obviously, Harry had done a great job there, and they decided to go down the route of Andre Villas-Boas.



"Andre's gone in, he's looking to continue the great work Harry had done. My only thinking is about Liverpool."



Rodgers found it hard to hide his disappointment at missing out on Dempsey, who wanted to join Liverpool from Fulham in August, only for the deal to fall through, with Tottenham signing him for £6 million instead.



By the time Dempsey's future was sorted, Rodgers had already allowed Andy Carroll to join West Ham on a season's loan. The Liverpool manager has since had to manage a chronic shortage of strikers.



"There was an offer to sign Clint," he said. "He was a player who had been terrific at Fulham, so we were interested in him, and I'm sure several other clubs were as well. The club felt they had done what they could to get the player. It wasn't to be, and he moved to Tottenham. Our life moves on."



Rodgers feels Liverpool are on the right lines, heading to White Hart Lane unbeaten in eight league games - although that run includes five draws.



"We know we're not too far away," he said. "We're very, very close to arriving in that zone that we want to be in. You only need to look at some of the things that have gone against us in terms of goals disallowed, for instance. If you take those points alone, over the course of a few games, that would be shooting us right up there.



"But we're just going to look to take care of our own game and keep progressing. We know we have the qualities to grow and arrive up in there."



Anfield has not hosted Champions League football since Liverpool were eliminated in the group stages in December 2009. Tottenham, on the other hand, reached the quarter-finals in 2010-11 before losing to Real Madrid, and would have qualified for this season's competition had Chelsea not won it in May.



Rodgers acknowledges that he will not be given the money by owners Fenway Sports Group to match Tottenham's spending, and so has to find other ways to improve Liverpool's fortunes.



"Tottenham have been building the group steadily, and they've worked their way up to become challengers for those Champions League positions," Rodgers said. "They have invested heavily and done it over a number of windows. We're trying to arrive in that position, and we're seeing what it sometimes takes to do that.



"But if you haven't got the investment, then you have to find other ways of doing it, and that's where we are at the moment. We look at our way of working. Can we be different in our way of playing? Can we develop young players and bring them through? Can we find a bargain somewhere?



"Of course, Liverpool always want to be in for the top talent, and this is a club that can attract those players. But going forward, a lot of players want to be in the Champions League. So they want to come in to hear that's somewhere we want to get to in the coming years.



"It's about getting young players through, finding players we can develop, players who are hungry, and players who really want to succeed in helping the club move forward."

Liverpool show an interest in Rossi

According to the Daily Express, Brendan Rodgers is looking to bring striker Giuseppe Rossi to Anfield in the January transfer window, despite the fact that he is out with a knee ligament injury right now.



The former Manchester United man has been out of action for 13 months now, but does seem to be on the road to recovery – so Rodgers would of course have to be patient with the Italian.



Rossi is highly-rated across Europe and if the Reds can bring him to the English Premier League, it would certainly be a fantastic bit of business.



The striker is currently plying his trade at Villarreal, who are in the Spanish second division right now after being relegated from La Liga last campaign, so it is likely that Rossi will be on the move when he returns to action.



The Spanish club will do all they can to keep hold of him though, or really cash-in on one of their most prized assets.



Liverpool need to add attackers to their squad and Rodgers is desperate to take some of the pressure of leading scorer Luis Suarez, who is the only recognised striker for the Reds boss to call upon at the moment.

Rodgers: We were outstanding

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers praised Stewart Downing after he scored the winner against Anzhi Makhachkala.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was full of praise for his players following the 1-0 victory over Anzhi Makhachkala.

Stewart Downing smashed home the winner in the 53rd minute at Anfield with an unstoppable right-foot shot after cutting in from the left flank.

Rodgers, whose team now top Europa League Group A, said: "Great credit to the players. Anzhi are a very good side with some outstanding players. Tonight was an excellent performance.

"I thought the players were terrific, they took control of the game, and then when they had to dig deep towards the end they put their bodies on the line and got their blocks in and they were outstanding.

"It's three clean sheets in a row which is important for us and we're now adding that bit of steel and concentration to some of the footballing elements that we're working on.

"It was a good win and we can now recover and look forward to the weekend."

On Downing, Rodgers added: "It was brilliant goal. He's had a rough ride here really, it's been difficult time for him, but he got a great round of applause from the Kop and if you can get that from the Kop then it'll give you a massive lift going forward.

"He's a good guy, he's working very hard and he's a very important member of our team."

Reds keen to tie down Suso

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has revealed they plan to offer young starlet Suso a new deal as reward for his progress this season.

Suso made his first Premier League start of the season in last weekend's win over Norwich after making his debut in last month's Europa League victory over Young Boys.



The Spanish schemer, who joined Liverpool in 2009 from Cadiz, was linked with a move away from Anfield in the summer before he made his breakthrough into the first-team in recent weeks.



Suso's current contract expires at the end of the season and Rodgers is keen to tie him down to a new deal having been impressed by the Spaniard.



"He's in the last year of his contract, and it's something we will look at," said Rodgers. "We did have a couple of offers for Suso in the summer, but I always said I didn't want him to go.



"I felt we had a very good young player so let's keep him here and we will see where he is in a couple of years. We had offers for him to go abroad but he was keen to stay, he understood he was going to get a chance here.



"He is tactically very good, strong technically with the ball. He makes things happen. I love that type of player. Talent finds space. He is a real talent.



"He is in the reckoning and he is a good kid as well. I have noticed a big progression in him from the pre-season tour of America - I have seen a real difference in the last couple of months and he has got a good appetite for the game.



"He is on the same page in terms of the tactical idea for the team. If his fight matches his talent we will have a very good player."

Rodgers rules out Owen

Brendan Rodgers has decided against a remarkable return to Liverpool for Michael Owen despite a striker shortage that prompted John W Henry, the club's principal owner.







Writing an open letter to supporters that appears to condemn the manager's pursuit of Clint Dempsey. Liverpool's manager and owners are at odds over the failure to sign a replacement for Andy Carroll on transfer deadline day and Rodgers has considered the virtues of signing Owen, and other free agents, as back-up to Luis Suárez and Fabio Borini, his only first team strikers until the window reopens in January. However, it is understood Owen's age – 32 – fitness record and lack of regular football during three seasons with Manchester United have discouraged the Liverpool manager.



Rodgers would rather promote a youngster from within the club's academy as cover for the next four months, despite the risks and pressure upon himself after Liverpool's worst start to a season since 1962, than take what he considers a retrograde step in signing a player who left Anfield eight years ago.



The manager's stance coincided with Henry taking the unusual move of defending Fenway Sports Group's transfer dealings in an open letter to supporters. Henry and Liverpool's chairman, Tom Werner, have faced the most hostile criticism of their near-two year reign since failing to sign a striker on Friday. Rodgers had hoped to replace Carroll with Dempsey but FSG would not offer above £4m for the 29-year-old, who ultimately joined Tottenham Hotspur for £6m.



Fulham claim Liverpool offered only £3m for the USA attacker while a deal for Daniel Sturridge collapsed due to the striker's insistence on a permanent transfer. The Liverpool manager, who has claimed finances were a factor in Carroll's departure, wanted a loan move before committing to a permanent deal for the Chelsea striker. "Spending is not merely about buying talent," Henry wrote. "Our ambitions do not lie in cementing a mid-table place with expensive, short-term quick fixes that will only contribute for a couple of years."



That comment reflects the rift that has developed between Liverpool's owner and manager in recent days, though Henry describes Rodgers as a "talented young manager and we have valued highly his judgment about the make-up of the squad". The former Swansea City manager was granted control of all football matters upon his arrival at Anfield in June, having resisted FSG's attempts to install a sporting director such as Louis van Gaal before accepting the job, and has found his judgment undermined on Dempsey.



Having spent almost £30m on new players this summer, albeit with almost £10m recouped in sales and loan fees and with the Liverpool wage bill slashed under Rodgers, Henry defended FSG's overall work in the window. He said: "I am as disappointed as anyone connected with Liverpool Football Club that we were unable to add further to our strike force in this summer transfer window, but that was not through any lack of desire or effort on the part of all of those involved. They pushed hard in the final days of the transfer window on a number of forward targets and it is unfortunate that on this occasion we were unable to conclude acceptable deals to bring those targets in. …



"But a summer window which brought in three young, but significantly talented starters in Joe Allen, Nuri Sahin and Fabio Borini as well as two exciting young potential stars of the future – Samed Yesil and Oussama Assaidi – could hardly be deemed a failure as we build for the future. Nor should anyone minimise the importance of keeping our best players during this window. We successfully retained Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel and Luis Suárez."



Henry reiterated claims that FSG are still dealing with the fallout from the near-ruinous Liverpool ownership of Tom Hicks and George Gillett. Joe Cole, handed a £100,000-a-week contract by the former Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow, remains on the club's books, for example. But he accepts that FSG has itself erred in the transfer market, sanctioning a £120m outlay on new players under the former manager Kenny Dalglish and the ex-director of football Damien Comolli only to sack Dalglish after one full season in charge.



"We are still in the process of reversing the errors of previous regimes," he adds. "It will not happen overnight. It has been compounded by our own mistakes in a difficult first two years of ownership. It has been a harsh education, but make no mistake, the club is healthier today than when we took over."

Rodgers: Gerrard future at Anfield

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has scoffed at suggestions by former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson that Steven Gerrard should leave Anfield to win a league title.



Gerrard, the influential Reds and England skipper, has claimed winners' medals in most of the major competitions open to Liverpool but the Barclays Premier League is a glaring exception.



With the Merseysiders finishing eighth last term and the team being rebuilt by Rodgers, Eriksson has suggested that, at 32, Gerrard is running out of time to fulfil his league dream.



But Rodgers said: "I think Steven, over the years, has had a number of chances to leave here.



"He has always felt this is the club where he could still win it and he has still got a number of years left in his career.



"We understand how difficult it is going to be but I think he will still feel the dream is here. I don't think he needs to move anywhere.



"Of course we will go through difficult moments - but his dream is to win the Barclays Premier League with Liverpool.



"I, along with everyone else and the supporters, will fight for our lives to try to make that possible.



"He is an iconic figure for this football club. His status and everything he has gained in the game has been through Liverpool Football Club.



"He has won every major honour you could possibly win at this club, but obviously there is one missing and he will want to fight for the rest of his career to win it here.



"Thankfully with Steven, he is realistic as well. He knows the reality. He is not misguided with anything.



"Sven obviously has his reasons for saying that but I have been delighted with Steven's contributions since I have been here.



"I have seen him from the outside but from the inside working with him as a man, as a player, he is a wonderful role model for everyone here.



"Let us see if we can fight to win it ourselves and hopefully he can stay here and be a real ambassador for the club."



Rodgers is considering making changes to his squad in the final two days before Friday's transfer deadline.



The club have been linked with a number of players in recent days, with Arsenal and England winger Theo Walcott the latest high-profile example.



Rodgers, speaking at a press conference to preview his side's Europa League qualifying round play-off second leg against Hearts, was unwilling to comment on speculation.



He said: "There is nothing on any player. I will speak about a player after Friday if he is in the door.



"In these next 48 hours speculation and gossip will be rife, I could be here all day answering speculation. I have no need.



"We have got the end of the window coming up. I want to work with a tight-knit group between now and the end of January and then we can assess it from there."



There is also uncertainty over the futures of a number of the current Liverpool squad, including Andy Carroll, Charlie Adam, Jordan Henderson, Joe Cole and Jay Spearing.



Rodgers said: "We have had a number of enquiries about some of our players.



"I have been open and up front with all the players. You can see from Sunday's game our spirit is very strong in the group, but the reality is players want to play.



"Everyone knows where they stand at this moment. One or two of them may have decisions to make as to whether they want to be a squad player or play regularly somewhere else."



After crashing 3-0 at West Brom in their Premier League opener, Rodgers hopes his side's pulsating 2-2 draw with champions Manchester City on Sunday will kickstart their season.



Their most immediate task is to claim a place in the Europa League group stages by completing the job against Hearts after claiming a 1-0 aggregate lead from the first leg at Tynecastle last week.



The likes of Gerrard and Luis Suarez were rested for the trip to Edinburgh but could feature despite the proximity of Sunday's home clash with Arsenal.



Rodgers said: "It is easier when you have two home games. With the travel in that last week and the recovery process, it is easier to go Thursday-Sunday with a reasonably strong side.



"Tomorrow we'll be strong. We're looking to win the game and keep the momentum going.



"Our performance levels at the weekend were excellent and we want to just keep that going forward."