Rodgers Inspired By Dortmund Blueprint

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has identified Champions League semi-finalists Borussia Dortmund as a blueprint for the project he has undertaken at Anfield.

The German side reached the last four of Europe's elite competition earlier this week courtesy of a dramatic 3-2 victory over Malaga at the Westfalenstadion - setting up a semi-final with Real Madrid.

Jurgen Klopp's team, which has been founded on talented young stars such as Mario Gotze and Marco Reus, had lifted the Bundesliga championship in each of the previous two seasons too.

It's a success story which has inspired Rodgers. "You can challenge without spending £80m in one summer," he told reporters.

"Look at the example of 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.

"Unless you have got the Manchester City or Chelsea money and just bring in £70m-£80m worth in one summer to add to a Champions League-winning group, you need a different way.

"I think Dortmund's is the best way because you are not just looking after the team but also the club. Of course, supporters will always look at the team but for me it's bigger than that to have success. It's about all aspects of the club, so that when you do arrive you are in a strong position."

A top-four finish in the Barclays Premier League is likely to elude the Reds this season but the manager expects his team to be better equipped to challenge in 2013-14.

"It is the hardest step of all," he added.

"Chelsea were sixth last year and look at the reinforcements they made to get back to that level again. Then look at Tottenham who were fourth and did not get into the Champions League on a technicality. They spent £50m just to stay in there.

"It's a big ask, that's the reality, but we can really push on next year."

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Rodgers Hoping One Or Two More

Brendan Rodgers hopes to bring in 'one or two' more players before the transfer window closes next Thursday.

The boss was quizzed on potential ins and outs at his pre-Oldham press conference on Friday afternoon.

He said: "We hope to do some business between now and the end of the month. The owners have been brilliant and supporting.

"We know we still need one or two additions more. The club is doing everything it possibly can to assist me in that. If we can, great. If not, we'll have to review it again in the summer.

"We've got a young player who'll go out on loan to get some experience but apart from that I don't expect people [to go]. One or two, maybe, to come in."

Asked if the real work would be done in the summer, Rodgers added: "The real plans are for now. Short term we want to improve and develop. You can see that, we brought in Daniel and he's been excellent so far.

"We got the recruitment team in, the lines are very clear, everyone has an understanding of where we're at and it's working how we envisaged it to work.

"There is a small group who communicate a lot and go through targets, and there is a small group who'll decide what players we're going to bring in. It's worked very, very well, and that relationship will only get better going forward.

"We acted quickly bringing Daniel Sturridge in and he's made a great impact, and proven that the owners were right to fund the money for him. £12 million for a player like Daniel Sturridge is a real bargain and I think he'll prove that over the next couple of seasons."

Rodgers was also questioned on whether he was a fan of the January transfer window.

He replied: "For me over the past couple of seasons it's worked well. In January I've been able to bring in four or five players I've wanted to fit into the model and from that moment we pushed on in the league.

"The first season at Swansea we brought in Fabio Borini, which gave us a massive boost. It gave us goals. Last January we brought in Gylfi Sigurdsson, who did a terrific job for us in that period of time.

"If it was open all year round, maybe some managers would prefer it. Goodness knows what that would bring if it was like this all the way through the season. At least you know [now] that there is a parameter which you have to work within.

"Maybe the only thing I'd say is that, once the transfer window shuts in August, teams in the Championship and lower down can still bring in a loan player to help them out.

"In the Premier League you can't do that, which can make it difficult for you.

"But in the main I'm happy enough with how it works."

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Brendan Rodgers Transfer Window Update

Brendan Rodgers has confirmed Liverpool are hoping to conduct further incoming transfer business before the close of the January transfer window.

The Reds have already added Daniel Sturridge to the ranks since the turn of the year, and the boss is hopeful he won't be the only new face amongst the squad by the time the window shuts.

"We'll see what happens over the course of the next few weeks," Rodgers told reporters at Melwood.

"Daniel was our main priority and we'll have to see what else is available.

"There's no doubt we need to support the group. We had 20 players training this morning, of which some of those are our younger players, so we know we need to reinforce and top up the group. That's something we'll look to do.

"If we can do it then great and if not, then we'll wait until the summer."

Asked about the speculation linking Inter Milan playmaker Wesley Sneijder with the Reds, Rodgers replied: "You could probably rattle off about 20 names and the answer would be the same. The club have been linked with a whole host of players, but I couldn't see that happening."

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Rodgers - My Plan To Compete

As the Reds prepare to take on a team with parallel aspirations in the Barclays Premier League, manager Brendan Rodgers has explained his plan to ensure Liverpool can compete.

The Reds are currently eight matches unbeaten in the league and could close the gap behind Tottenham Hotspur to one point with a victory at White Hart Lane on Wednesday.

Spurs invested heavily on players during the summer transfer window following their fourth place finish in 2011-12, but Rodgers insists there are other methods available to produce results.

Asked to elaborate on which of those avenues he will explore, Rodgers pledged the club will maintain a combined policy of investing in the best talent and developing young players.

The Northern Irishman said: "We're looking at a way of working, trying to be different in our way of playing - can we develop young players and bring them through?

"It's never easy as a youngster. You see some of the teams now that have got injuries and have to play young players, and the struggle it can be for them.

"It's been like that for a large part of the season for us but we've got on with our work, and the young players that have come into the squad have done fantastic.

"At Liverpool Football Club, you always want to be in for the top players and the top talents. This is a club that will bring those players here.

"A lot of players want to be in the Champions League so if they want to come here, that's an area we want to arrive in the coming years.

"We know we're not too far away - we're very close to arriving in that zone. You only need to look at some of the things that have gone against us this season, in terms of goals that were disallowed.

"If you take those points alone, that would have shot us right up there. But we're just going to take care of our own game and keep progressing. We know we have the qualities.

"If you go away to rivals and win then it can give you great confidence. Our performance level away from home has got better throughout the season. We know we can go there and win and that's what we'll look to do."

The journey to London comes in the middle of a crucial week for the Reds in the Premier League, and the manager wants his side to now start converting draws into wins.

"It's a big game against a rival. Tottenham have been up in that top four for the last few seasons and they have built their squad up well over the last four or five years," continued the 39-year-old.

"It hasn't just been one transfer window, they've done it over five six, seven transfer windows and it's left them a very strong squad.

"They obviously lost [Luka] Modric in the summer, but they've still got top players. It's going to be a difficult game but we've got a great resilience and commitment at the minute.

"We're showing that in our league games. Our consistency is starting to really show through. If we can just go that one step further and turn some of these draws into wins, then it can really push us on up the league."

Rodgers has introduced a new element to his team in recent weeks, with defender Jose Enrique being pushed forward into an attacking role - a move the manager believes suits all parties.

He reflected: "I think he's been outstanding and it's a great credit to him. He and I spoke earlier on in the season about trying to develop and improve his game.

"It's an interesting one because he's a real threat going forward with his pace and his power. You could see in the last three games how determined he is to get a goal.

"But you also see his defensive qualities because he's tracking back. He's been a real plus for us and it's great to see because he's worked very hard.

"It hasn't been easy for him but I think you've seen his commitment. How he's been working every day, you're seeing that now on the field.

"I'm delighted for him because he's good guy and he wants to do well for this club.

"Jose played in that position early on in his career but since he's come to this country he's played more as a full-back.

"You can see he's got the qualities to play the role - he is an offensive player who has got great pace and power, can take people on and he's a real threat when he gets into the final third.

"He's comfortable in the position, which is important, and it gives us that great thrust at the top end of the field."

Liverpool were frustrated by a disallowed goal and the crossbar during the 0-0 draw with Swansea on Sunday, but the manager is confident that the whole team can begin to find the target.

"I've always stressed it's the team - everyone will look to contribute. It's not been for the want of trying," said the boss.

"Our efforts on goal and shots on target in the majority of the games have been very high. We are just looking to improve how clinical we can be in those areas.

"At Swansea we had nine shots on target and didn't get a goal, but we know that. We just need to continue to work well and find ways to get the solution to that. That's what we'll do."

Source www.liverpoolfc.com

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Suarez loves Liverpool too much to leave

Brendan Rodgers has no fears Luis Suarez will want to leave English football due to the criticism he receives.

"He loves playing in English football," said the boss. "I speak with Luis regularly and he loves the passion and excitement of the game over here.

"He is a player who's mentally very strong, as you can see from his time here with the amount of stick he's taken.

"It's actually a driver for him. It really motivates him.

"He loves being at Liverpool. He loves the city, he loves the club and he loves the supporters, so I can't see that happening."

Suarez scored one, made another and had a last-minute winner disallowed in Sunday's Merseyside derby - proof yet again that he is a world-class talent, according to his manager.

"I thought he was outstanding," said Rodgers. "He's just a breath of fresh air, his enthusiasm. He's our only fit striker here.

"He was tireless against Reading, we had to play a strong team in order to get a result against Anzhi, and I think many people thought the condition of the team and him in particular up front would maybe waver a bit, but the condition of the group and him in particular was amazing.

"He's a wonderful talent. He'll always provoke comments both positive and negative but the bottom line is he's a fantastic player. He scores goals, his goals to games ratio this season is fantastic.

"He's inspirational for the group because he works hard every day and his quality at that top end of the field - he genuinely is a world-class striker.

"It's a real privilege to work with that quality every day."

The decision to disallow Suarez's winner at Goodison followed a late - and incorrect - flag for offside.

Linesman Simon Bennett will now not officiate in the Premier League this weekend.

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