Rodgers eyes quality, not quantity

By FOX Sports Staff

Liverpool's spending under their previous managers were far from satisfactory, where signings like Paul Konchesky, Milan Jovanovic and Charlie Adam found it hard to make the grade at Anfield.

The Reds have crawled to a start this season and were 12th in the league after 14 games, but their recent form has seen them reach sixth place after last week's 3-2 win over third-placed Tottenham.

Rodgers has credited the impact in which his January signings Phillippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge have made, and promised to seek quality over quantity in the summer transfer market.

"We see the impact of Coutinho, and Sturridge's quality, in January. That's what we're looking for." he was quoted as saying on various UK media, "It is quality we are after now, not quantity,."

"If we bring in another three or four players of that quality, add that to what we have got, then we have got a strong squad that can compete.

"You look at what we have done this season, and the progression is there to see. In our first 14 games, we were only 12th in the table, but our last 14 we are third best - and that is what we expected.

"It was all about the players bedding in and coming to terms to what we are after, and that takes time. I think you can see we are getting there now, and we have a really strong squad already."

Rodgers also admitted that there will also be departures as well to balance out the figures in the squad," he explained.

"There is no doubt there is a natural rebuilding that will come with the likes of Carra going. I am happy with the squad. if I can then put another three or four quality players into it.

"Obviously, naturally, there might be people who aren't playing who might want to think about going elsewhere, but at the moment it's a strong squad and we can build on it with a good summer."

"Ideally, in terms of squad numbers, I'm looking that we have between 20 and 22 - two players in every position and your three goalkeepers.

"Then, below that, having young players who can support that. We have already had a real good year with the young players this year to assess where they are at with their development.

The former Swansea manager has also assured fans that the time he has had to work with the club's scouting department will pay off in the summer.

"What is important is there is a lot of terrific work going on behind the scenes with the scouting department getting those lists together," he explained. "We never had that last summer.

"What I didn't want to do was to waste the club's money. We did not have the time to be extensive in our research - and that was the big issue.

"We are much better placed now. There is great collaboration that goes on between all the departments.

"January was a productive window for us and hopefully, if we do similar in the summer, then it's going to be a real good place for us."