Rodgers To Receive Help From Technical Committee

Liverpool are to announce the creation of a “technical committee” of “football people” in an attempt to avoid a repeat of the transfer deadline day debacle that led to the club allowing Andy Carroll to go out on loan without a replacement striker being signed.

The committee will advise manager Brendan Rodgers but will also, interestingly, take on a much wider role as to how Liverpool is run, the type of football the club will play and all the 'technical’ aspects that are sometimes taken by a director of football.

Although Rodgers, as part of his negotiations to take over at Anfield, insisted he would not work directly for a director of football, despite Liverpool sounding out several candidates, including former Dutch coach Louis van Gaal, the club has not ruled out eventually making the appointment.

However, the likelihood is that it will soon reveal the identity of a number of people who will form a committee of advisers, some of whom are already acting as sounding-boards, for Liverpool’s owners John W Henry and Tom Werner.

The Americans are fully committed to adopting a “European-style model” of running the club and do not want to follow the typical British approach of a manager having top-to-bottom control of the club believing it is unsustainable and costly. The owners admire the approach taken by West Bromwich Albion. The club’s sporting and technical director Dan Ashworth, who is now wanted by the Football Association, was linked to a move to Liverpool in the summer.

Liverpool also point out that the wealthiest club in the Premier League, Manchester City, do not allow manager Roberto Mancini full control of transfers with Brian Marwood, the football administrator, playing a key role on behalf of the owners.

Liverpool’s owners will be careful not to cause tension with Rodgers who has made it clear that he will not tolerate interference in first-team matters although, crucially, the manager will be expected to discuss his targets with the technical committee who may also make their own recommendations on which players are pursued. Such an approach may set alarm bells ringing, given the inherent possibility that the manager might feel interference which could lead to conflict.

There were clear problems last week when Rodgers’ attempts to sign Clint Dempsey from Fulham were vetoed because Liverpool’s owners did not believe the deal – the American was valued at £6m – was value for money for a 29-year-old with only one year left on his contract. Although Liverpool insist they offered more than the £3m that Fulham sources have indicated was bid, they did not match the asking price and Dempsey eventually left for Tottenham Hotspur instead.

Liverpool had also proposed a swap deal with Jordan Henderson moving to Craven Cottage in return for Dempsey and although Fulham were interested, the 22-year-old England midfielder, who was signed for £16m last summer in a spending spree which Liverpool are still paying a heavy price for, did not agree to the deal and it collapsed.

The failure to agree a deal for Chelsea’s Daniel Sturridge – Liverpool and Rodgers only wanted to loan the striker while Chelsea wanted a permanent transfer – meant that with Carroll going to West Ham United on loan on the Thursday night, Rodgers was left with just two senior strikers and one of those is 21-year-old Fabio Borini who is yet to score a goal in the Premier League.

There was also some discussion as to whether Liverpool could sign the Brazilian striker Leandro Damiao from Internacional but they could not reach an agreement and ran out of time for that deal.

Rodgers has already expressed his annoyance to the Liverpool hierarchy and spoke of how “operational issues” had to improve and is now casting around the 'free agent’ market to see if he can sign an emergency replacement until the January transfer window opens. Liverpool will be able to recall Carroll then but do not want to do so with Rodgers having made it evident that the £35m striker, who is out for six weeks with a hamstring tear suffered on his West Ham debut, does not figure in his plans.

There is irritation at Liverpool that so much attention - and criticism - has focused on their failure to replace Carroll with the club insisting that disagreements over the valuation of a player between executives and a manager - such as happened with Dempsey - are commonplace.

The focus on Liverpool’s failure to sign a striker fell on the club’s managing director Ian Ayre whose role has been under scrutiny for some time. There have been suggestions that Liverpool’s owners were considering returning Ayre to his former post of commercial director, where he successfully revamped the club’s activities, and bring in a more high-powered chief executive.

Although the rumours, from informed sources, persist that Ayre will be replaced - he also came under scrutiny during the summer when the owners sacked manager Kenny Dalglish and director of football Damien Comolli – Liverpool insist there are no plans for a change to be made.

However, the club have confirmed that the technical committee is close to being formed with, intriguingly, some of its members already in place and others working their notice. At least one prospective member is thought to work for another club.

Liverpool, at present, are keeping the identities a closely guarded secret amid suggestions – again denied – that Henry has used the likes of former Barcelona coach Johan Cruyff to canvas opinion.

The expected structure is along the lines of proposals divulged when Rodgers was appointed in the summer by Ayre. Then he said that Liverpool were still keen to develop along the “more continental director of football-type structure, a collaborative group working around the football area”.

A key component will be the appointed of a chief scout, with more responsibility than that role usually suggests, and an experienced football administrator who can negotiate transfers and contracts. Interestingly there will also be a senior figure – likely to be a former player or manager although not one necessarily previously connected with Liverpool – who will act as a figurehead for the type of football Liverpool want to play and the philosophy the club want to follow.

The appointments will be closely scrutinized by Liverpool supporters who remain angry over the summer transfer dealings especially as the team have made an indifferent start to the season and do not appear fully equipped to compete for a Champions League place.

Rodgers Hails Allen's Impact

Brendan Rodgers has hailed Joe Allen for how quickly he has settled into life at Liverpool.

Allen linked up with Rodgers again earlier this summer in a £15million deal from Swansea.

The classy midfielder has impressed at Anfield during the early stages of his Liverpool career and Rodgers believes Allen will only get better over time.

"I think its remarkable how quickly he has settled," Rodgers told the club's official website.

"This is a young guy who has moved up from South Wales, he was first of all into a hotel then having to move into an apartment. His partner, Lacey, is giving birth to her first child.

"All of these emotional things have been going on in the background yet he still has come in and made the performances that he has done.

"Is it a surprise to me? No, because I knew what we were paying and I know the boy's qualities. I think the biggest testament that you can give him is that he has come into here and he looks like he has been a Liverpool player for the last 10 years.

"That's great credit to him, and I think you see the supporters are recognizing that he looks like a player who is a Liverpool player, because of how he passes the ball, his courage to get on the ball, but also his willingness to put his body on the line for the team and for the club.

"He has been outstanding and he will only get better."

Allen Believes Liverpool Can Reign Like Spain

Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen wants Brendan Rodgers to embrace Spanish philosophy on Merseyside in the hope of emulating Barcelona.

The diminutive playmaker was a central figure in Swansea’s passing style of football last season and was recruited by the Anfield club for £15m in the summer.

Physical players like Andy Carroll and Charlie Adam have been shipped out by Rodgers, and Allen supports the technique-based ethos his boss is trying to recreate at Liverpool.

"For me, Luis Aragones [former Spain manager] has been a pioneer in this field, an apostle of the game, he has found that technique can achieve goals. Talent is the key," Allen told Spanish newspaper Marca.

"Physical strength is important but you can acquire that through training. Talent is innate. Otherwise you cannot play football.

"I think talent is essential in football. On the pitch the technique is what makes the difference, not physical force."

Henderson Admits He Still Has A Lot To Learn

Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson has vowed to carry on working hard after a 'whirlwind' 12 months as he strives for further improvement.

Henderson made the move to Anfield from Sunderland last year and ended the season by going to Euro 2012 after being called up to replace the injured Frank Lampard.

He has slipped down the pecking order under Brendan Rodgers at the start of the new campaign and is currently away on international duty with the Under 21 team, rather than the senior England squad.

Henderson recognizes that he is still not the finished article but he is determined to do whatever it takes to fulfil his potential.

"It's been a whirlwind of a 12 months, but I have really enjoyed it and learned a lot of things on the way," Henderson, who captained Stuart Pearce's U21s against Norway on Monday night, told Sky Sports News.

"I am still learning and if I can carry on doing that then hopefully the next 12 months and beyond will be even better."

The 22-year-old added: "I am starting to feel a bit older with the young lads coming in but I have still got a long way to go and a lot to learn.

"I think I will just keep working hard, keep my head down and hopefully I can become a better player."

Vorm On Rodgers’ Radar

Swansea goalkeeper Michael Vorm is said to be on Liverpool’s radar as doubts surround the future of Pepe Reina.

Reina has not made the best of starts to the new season and after dropping clangers against Hearts and Arsenal, reports have claimed Brendan Rodgers will target a new keeper in January if things do not improve.

The Spaniard has also struggled to adapt to Rodgers’ style of play when he encourages his defense to build up from the back and exchange passes with the keeper.

The departure of Reina, who has been a fantastic servant for the Reds, would come as a big shock and will not go down well with the fans but it could be on the cards.

It is no surprise that Vorm is being linked with a move to the club, while there have also been suggestions that Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is a target.

Rodgers is already planning for the January transfer window following the catastrophe of the last one that left him at least one striker short.

Roy Defends Raheem Call-Up

England coach Roy Hodgson insists that he has not called up Raheem Sterling just to make sure he is not lured away by Jamaica.

The teenage winger was called into the senior England squad on Monday as Hodgson lost Theo Walcott through illness.

Sterling has only just made the breakthrough into the Liverpool side, but Hodgson has wasted little time in fast-tracking the 17-year-old.

However, Hodgson insists it has nothing to do with the fact that Sterling - who was born in Jamaica - is wanted by his homeland.

"Raheem might have Jamaican roots but he has been born [sic] and brought up in England and has got the ability to play for the England national team," said Hodgson.

"I'd like to think he would prefer that and would choose us over Jamaica but if that is his desire, we would have to accept that.

"I've not invited him here because I'm worried about overtures from other countries but because he is a potential England player of the near future, not distant future."

He is aware of the attention the call-up has been given due to Sterling's age and the fact he has only made seven senior appearances for the Merseyside giants.

"When you bring in a young player who has only burst on to the scene in the last couple of games, I'm causing headlines to be written," said Hodgson.

"I understand and take that responsibility.

"I've spoken to Brendan Rodgers and explained the thinking behind him coming in. I'll also make it clear to Raheem.

"He will be pretty lucky to get close to the field because there were plenty of players who were chosen in front of him.

"I can only hope he takes it in the right way. He mustn't think he's become part of the set-up and has made it.

"He has to try, next time, to make sure he is one of the original 23."

Gerrard - Don't Rush Sterling

Steven Gerrard says England need to be patient with young stars such as Raheem Sterling, as preparations continue for a difficult encounter against Ukraine.

Liverpool winger Sterling has been added to Roy Hodgson's squad, along with midfielders Adam Lallana and Jake Livermore of Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur respectively, after Theo Walcott became the latest player to be ruled out of the Wembley clash.

Sterling's call-up is a reward for his strong start to the season at Anfield, and Reds team-mate Gerrard is excited about the talented 17-year-old.

But the England captain says the likes of Sterling, Lallana and Livermore should be allowed to develop without being put under too much pressure.

Asked about Sterling, Gerrard said: "I think he deserves this call-up. The impact he has made has been sensational and he has been one of our shining lights.

"The results we have had this season haven't been good enough but he has still stood up and his performances have been really good.

"I think the important thing now is that he keeps his feet on the ground, keeps learning and keeps trying to find a consistency in his game, but I don't think it's going to be long before he is in this set-up as a regular because he is that kind of talent."

Gerrard added: "These young lads are fantastic talents. I think it is important to be patient with them because they have all the tools.

"Let's not build them up and put too much pressure on them. Let them just progress and become good players naturally."

While the experience of being around the England squad will help players such as Sterling develop, it will be the senior figures like Gerrard who must shoulder the responsibility of getting the job done against Ukraine.

The two teams met at Euro 2012, where England needed fortune on their side as they battled to a 1-0 victory, and Gerrard is expecting another tough clash.

He is determined to pick up three points, though, and push on from a convincing 5-0 win over group minnows Moldova on Friday.

Benitez Shocked By Liverpool Snub

Rafa Benitez has expressed his surprise at the fact he was not approached by Liverpool to replace Kenny Dalglish at Anfield this summer.

The former Reds boss, who guided the club to Champions League and FA Cup glory during five successful seasons on Merseyside, feels his achievements should have at least earned him the opportunity of an interview, after declaring his interest in the job.

However, Liverpool's American owners Fenway Sports Group, led by principal owner John W Henry, overlooked Benitez instead plumping for former Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers to take charge of the side.

"It was strange not to be approached," the Spaniard told the Irish Independent. "We know the club, the players, the Academy and we have even more experience now. The fans were positive about the idea."

Benitez has been out of work since leaving Inter Milan in 2010, but believes despite a disappointing last season at Anfield his overall record stands up to the test.

"We used to play so many important games that it seemed it was normal and it wasn't," he explained. "People were talking about 'the past', but just a few years ago Liverpool FC was No.1 in Europe."

Under Rodgers, Liverpool have made a disappointing start to the 2012/13 campaign, losing two and drawing one of their opening three games, and currently lie 18th in the Premier League table with a solitary point.

Liverpool Unites As Hillsborough Families Close In On The Truth

On Wednesday, 23 years, four months and 28 days on from the Hillsborough Disaster, the families of those who died hope to hear the truth.

At Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral, an independent panel led by the Bishop of Liverpool and put together with the purpose of examining evidence withheld for so long, will give its findings to a group of people who have been unable to rest since April 15 1989.

Ninety-six people were crushed to death at an FA Cup semi-final clash between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest that day, a figure which survivors have long contested could have been considerably less. And they hope that previously unseen documents released only recently to the panel will prove them right.

The initial inquests into the tragedy provided few answers to the bereaved and that they have had to fight so long for closure has only compounded their grief.

The 3.15pm cut-off time imposed by the coroner, on the false assumption that all those who died at Hillsborough had done so by that point, was the first in a long line of injustices in the case. Despite 15-year-old Kevin Williams clearly showing signs of life at 4.00pm, an hour after the start of the match which was abandoned at 3.06pm, no evidence beyond the allotted time was allowed.

The unjustness continued with a request that the blood alcohol levels of all victims be read to the court – even that of a 10-year-old boy – in an attempt to set the tone over how supporters needlessly died at a stadium without a valid safety certificate.

All of this helped ensure that a verdict of accidental death could be recorded, absolving the police, whose responsibility it had been to protect the crowd, from all blame. And, while the families do not seek to place culpability as a method of gaining revenge, or on some flawed ‘eye-for-an-eye’ logic, they still wish to hear the truth about how their loved ones died.

The truth about why just two of the 42 ambulances which arrived at the scene made it onto the pitch to help dying fans. Why Gate C of the Leppings Lane end was opened, effectively starts the crush which killed 96 people. Why in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, it was alleged by a senior police official that this gate had been forced open by Liverpool fans.

The families, led by the Hillsborough Family Support Group and Hillsborough Justice Campaign, have often seen their efforts undermined by such malicious untruths as this, peddled as early as the day of the disaster itself.

The infamous story from the Sun newspaper which falsely stated that Liverpool fans beat up policemen, picked pockets and urinated on the dead also entrenched an incorrect perception of events in the public consciousness. That these sickening claims came under the headline “The Truth” only strengthened their reach, despite not one of the several thousand people in attendance corroborating the story, and have led to a lengthy boycott of the tabloid on Merseyside which stands to this day.

Unfortunately, further myths regarding ticketless fans or drunken behaviour being contributory factors to the 96 deaths will be hard to fully dispel. They are deep-rooted, insidious claims which stem from the statements made by police and the media over 20 years ago, and they linger despite being dismissed by a number of subsequent reports.

However, whether these lies originated from as high up as the Tory government then in power will now finally be shared. It has been alleged by survivors that a cover-up was orchestrated from the very top, an argument they insist is supported by the two-decade gap between the initial inquest and this most recent inquiry by the Hillsborough Independent Panel.

But, while survivors and bereaved families still face a lifelong war against these lies, their battle for the facts, the one thing they have long craved, may finally be coming to an end.

If Wednesday’s evidence is as explosive as the families hope, then it will doubtless lead to further inquiries and possibly a fresh set of inquests with no cut-off time wrongly imposed. Should this happen then the lack of care shown towards the fans in attendance that day may well be revealed, and pertinent questions about why it has taken so long to expose it will be asked.

Of course evidence of a cover-up will provide no consolation for those who lost loved ones on that day, nothing could. But finally understanding how these avoidable deaths came about may be the first step in allowing them to bring a 20-year fight, one which they should never have had to start, to an end.

Rodgers In Transfers Admission

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has conceded the club's transfer plans did not go as they would have liked in the summer window.

The transfer window closed last Friday with Liverpool failing to bring in a replacement for Andy Carroll after allowing the England international to join West Ham on loan.

The inability to land a new forward has left Rodgers short of options in attack with the side currently struggling for goals in their opening three Premier League games.

Principal owner John W Henry has come under fire from some supporters for failing to back Rodgers in the transfer market and the Reds boss has revealed he held talks with the club's American owners to clear the air.

"I've had long conversations with the owners," Rodgers told The Anfield Wrap podcast after a discussion with fan groups

"I've got to say they have been very honest and very up front right from the off.

"I came here first and foremost because of the owners. I felt a genuine honesty in their approach to it and in how they wanted to go forward with the football club.

"Of course the window didn't quite go to plan but going forward a great deal of learning has taken place."

Rodgers believes he was right to trim the squad and offload some of the club's high earners despite leaving him short of cover in certain areas.

"Every manager always wants more players. But the reality of where the club is at there needed to be a little bit of surgery done on the squad," added Rodgers.

"Some of the wages here were absolutely astronomical in terms of value and worth. That needed to be looked at.

"I knew there would be a wee bit of pain in the short term but hopefully for the longer term gain.

"We finished up where we were at and now we have got to move forward as a football club and really have the one-club mentality. It's important we all come together, supporters, players and management."

Rodgers is aware his squad is going to be stretched to the limit until the transfer window reopens in January and has called on the players to 'man up' for a tough schedule.

"We're in a position where we've got 25 games minimum between now and January so we're going to be stretched to the limit," said Rodgers.

"I've spoken to the players and if they get little niggles they have to man up.

"We have to all come together and be strong.

"What I've got here is a platform of hard work and integrity in this group. They have been fantastic in their work.

"January is always a difficult month [to buy] however you are doing but it's something we have to look at."

Rodgers Wants More Technical Players

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is adamant Britain can produce players as technically proficient as their continental counterparts.

Rodgers has endured a difficult start to his reign at Anfield, with his style of play taking time to take hold at the Merseyside club.

The Northern Irishman places a premium on technical ability in his midfielders - describing Joe Allen and Arsenal's Santi Cazorla as "the two best players on the field, the two little guys, the technicians" after last week's defeat to the Gunners - but such comfort in possession is generally a characteristic more commonly ascribed to foreign players.

Nevertheless, Rodgers insists that Britain can produce players just as adept with the ball at their feet as Spain, Brazil, Germany or any other country.

"I've been fortunate enough in my coaching life, I've worked with kids from five years of age right the way through to some of the biggest talents in European football and international captains, and I've worked with British and European players," Rodgers said. "For me, the European player is no more gifted technically than the British player. But where there is a difference is in how they, in their youth and formative years, have been asked to play the game," Rodgers explained.

"If you're a European player and when you've got the ball your first option is to pass the ball to feet, then of course you're going to look better technically than the British player, when he is asked to get the ball and smash it up the pitch. He doesn't look so technical. But that's not technical, that's a tactical concept of the game," Rodgers said. "We have enough top players in this country that are technically very strong. I think the idea of possession is important, that players can understand patience and how to be with the ball. But I don't think it's from a lack of technical quality."

Allen - who was bought for around £15 million in the summer - is one of the smallest players in the Premier League, but Rodgers does not see that as a problem because he is assured with the ball at his feet. He hinted he would look to bring in a number of similar players to the Wales international in future.

"For me, it doesn't matter how big or small they are," he said. "With the ball, I like my players to have a good level of technical ability, but I also like them to have the desire and the will when they haven't got the ball.

"If you are going to play a technical game, you need technical players, it's as simple as that. Obviously that's the way in which I like the players to play, and certainly something that we will look for in the future."

Considering Liverpool's well documented recent transfer troubles, the former Swansea boss may look to the youth team for those additions. With the likes of Raheem Sterling making an immediate impact on the first team, he praised the quality of the work being done in the club's academy setup.

"I think the players here are well coached and the guys do a terrific job," he said. "I think my job is just to reinforce that. The best thing other than scoring goals in the game of football is having the ball. I like the players to love to have the ball, and that's something that hopefully over time here we get to see, because it's an effective way of playing and a way that can win games."

LFC Launch Garuda Partnership

Liverpool FC's Global Official Airline partners Garuda Indonesia were at Anfield for the ceremonial launch of their three-year partnership with the club.

Managing director Ian Ayre joined Emirsyah Satar and Elisa Lumbantoraun of Garuda Indonesia and His Excellency T. M. Hamzah Thayeb, the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia, for a press conference before the visitors headed on to a stadium tour and then a tour of the club's Melwood training base.

The partnership between Liverpool and Garuda was officially announced in July this year. On Sunday, 35 representatives of the airline made the trip to Anfield for Liverpool's clash against Arsenal.

And on Monday morning, the club's new partners were treated to a special surprise in the form of two very important guests - Liverpool's all-time record goalscorer Ian Rush and the European Cup.

"It has been a great day for us and a great day to celebrate such an important partnership," said Ayre. "We're always pleased when we can bring new partners to the football club.

"We're very fortunate that over the last few years, we have grown our family of partners and sponsors and the most important thing is that we recognize it is a partnership and it's about working together.

"In a partnership, it's important that both sides need to win. We're committed to winning as a football club and we want to commit to winning in this partnership.

"Having a partner which is a global airline, which has ambition and wants to build and go forward, is a great alignment with Liverpool. Indonesia, in South East Asia, is a hotbed for Liverpool supporters and so it's a great partnership for the club."

To help celebrate the new partnership, a troop of Indonesian dancers performed for Reds fans gathered in the newly-opened Family Park outside Anfield prior to Liverpool's clash with the Gunners.

And the following morning, a short documentary was shown to the guests and journalists gathered in the Anfield's press room, during which Garuda outlined their aims and ambitions for the future.

"Going forward, it's about using the power of both brands to reach out and create value," continued Ayre. "For Liverpool, it's about Garuda making a financial contribution to the club and also being able to support us on the ground in Indonesia - which has a vast market.

"Garuda have huge ambition. They will be doubling the size of their fleet over the next few years and truly reaching out globally. As a football club, with the reach we get on television and the reach our players have in the media, those types of partnerships always work well."

Jonathan Kane, Liverpool's director of international business development, has been instrumental in securing the deal since the first communications were made between the two groups some six months ago and he explained how the deal was all about timing.

"We spoke to Garuda when we were looking for a global airline partner," he said. "At the same time it became apparent that Garuda were looking for a major sports property to help them build their brand globally and it became clear, quite quickly, that we were the perfect fit for them.

"They were keen to associate themselves with one of the world's most successful and popular football teams and from our perspective, we're honoured to be associated with one of the world's most rapidly-growing brands."

Enrique Ready For Reds Fight

Liverpool defender Jose Enrique insists he is ready to fight for his place in Brendan Rodgers plans.

Enrique was recalled to the starting XI for last weekend's defeat to Arsenal after being named on the bench for the draw with Manchester City.

Rodgers has also used Stewart Downing at left-back this season and Enrique is happy with the extra competition for places at Anfield.

"It's a good thing because before there was just myself and Jack Robinson," Enrique told told the Liverpool Echo.

"With the way we intend to play, that is with the right-back and left-back attacking, Stewart can fit in well.

"He's a good lad and I'm happy for him. We have many games so it's good to have competition for places.

"I want to play here for as many years as I can and play as many games. I hope to be like Carra but that would be really difficult.

"I want to stay here because it's an amazing club and every player dreams of being here. I've played in English football for five years and it's amazing to play here."

Enrique, who joined Liverpool last summer from Newcastle, believes he has already learned a lot from Rodgers who wants the full-back to get forward more this season

"I'm still learning," added Enrique. "At teams like Liverpool you learn quickly. In one year here I have learned a lot and with this manager I have learned plenty too.

"The manager gives us simple instructions. He says more things during the week than he does in his pre-match team talks. He has tried to instruct and improve every player and I think this is a good thing because everyone is still learning. I still make mistakes so I have to learn.

"The manager wants me to make more assists and score more goals and play more like a forward.

"He has told Glen Johnson and Martin Kelly to do the same and Stewart Downing in the left-back role."

Suso To Get Reds Chance

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that he is ready to hand Spanish starlet Suso his chance of a first-team place.

Rodgers admits Liverpool have left themselves short up-front, having sold Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy, and then loaned Andy Carroll to West Ham.

Liverpool had hoped to sign at least one forward on deadline day, but moves for the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Clint Dempsey faltered and they missed out.

But Rodgers admits he is ready to bring in 18-year-old Suso, who is yet to make his Liverpool debut after joining the club's youth set-up in 2010 from Cadiz.

"There might need to be an intermediary way of working now," Rodgers is quoted as saying by The Independent.

"Boys like Suso will get their opportunity. The percentage under 21s playing in the Premier League is statistically very, very small. We are going to be stretched the limit and [we'll be telling them] 'if you've got little niggles and injuries you've got to man up.' We've got to be together and be strong.

"This [situation] will allow guys to stand up to the plate. You get an opportunity but you have got to take it."

Rodgers has already drafted in youth stars Raheem Sterling and Adam Morgan to his squad, and now Suso looks set to join them in the senior ranks.

"The younger players will run through a barbed wire fence for you," Rodgers said.

"The older players will look for a hole in the fence - and probably find one!"

Liverpool Likely To Shelve Interest In Dutch Strike Star

Liverpool could shelve their interest in free-scoring Dutchman Ricky van Wolfswinkel after the player's agent confirmed the striker's intention to extend his stay at Sporting Lisbon.

Louis Laros, Van Wolfswinkel's representative, has revealed that plans are in place to renegotiate his client's contract at Sporting later this month.

"Sporting wants to renew and Ricky is happy. Everyone is willing to talk," Laros is quoted as saying in Portuguese newspaper Record.

Van Wolfswinkel, 23, is keen to increase his salary in recognition of his stellar debut campaign in Portugal, where he scored 25 goals.

Sporting, too, are anxious to extend the length of his contract by one or two years - his current deal expires in 2016 - and they will up his minimum fee release clause to €30m in order to fend off interest from several English clubs, most notably Liverpool.

Brazilian Midfielder To Be Used As A Scout By Liverpool

Brendan Rodgers has revealed that he will be using midfielder Lucas Leiva as a scout after injury ruled him out of action for more than two months.

The Brazilian midfielder missed much of the last campaign through injury, and after making his return this season, has once again been ruled out after picking up a thigh problem against Manchester City.

The Liverpool boss believes that Lucas will play an integral part for the club this season having been impressed with the 25-year-olds grasp of the type of football Rodgers wants to play.

"He has been one of the players that has come in and he was really excited about this way of working," said Rodgers. "He understands totally the ideas of what I'm trying to implement. So, for him, this was going to showcase his qualities even more."

However, it seems Lucas' tactical understanding of the game will be put to good use as Rodgers explains that he will be using the midfielder as a scout in the coming weeks.

"I'm going to use him to also go out and look at some games for me, because he's tactically very good," continued the former Swansea manager.

"He's someone that I will get to go with my analysts and look at some games to make sure that tactically he still stays in the game. Because that's important.

"When I put the idea to him, he thought it was good. Hopefully when we get him back, he will have benefited from it and come back a better player."

Lucas originally came under scrutiny for his performances when he first joined Liverpool back in the summer of 2007, but he has gone on to prove himself as a vital member of the first team.

The defensive midfielder was even awarded the Player of the Season award for the 2010/11 campaign when he played a crucial role and won many admirers on Merseyside.

Liverpool Fly-On-The-Wall Documentary Reveals Rodgers' Methods And Philosophy

Liverpool players could barely contain their laughter as they took part in a meditation and relaxation class to help them “deal with the stresses of club football”, a new fly-on-the-wall documentary capturing life behind the scenes at Anfield has shown.

The six-part series, due to be aired in the United States later this month, documents the arrival of manager Brendan Rodgers and sheds light on his methods. They include the manager talking about the importance of developing players as people as well as footballers.

The meditation class is a technique used by the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool players were put through their paces by ­‘exercise physiologist’ Molly Kim, who works for the baseball club, during the Anfield side's pre-season tour of the USA.

But the introduction of the class, which was a one-off, appears to bemuse the players, who can be seen struggling to keep straight faces and at times burst into laughter - apparently at the absurdity of what they are being asked to do.

Jamie Carragher, one of the club’s most senior players, appears frequently on the verge of laughter as he carries out the meditation exercises to the sound of calming music.

During one exercise called ‘the cat’ one unseen player sends the rest of the squad into hysterics by making a quiet ‘miaow’ noise.

In the documentary, Being Liverpool, Rodgers also talks about his footballing philosophy, telling the cameras he does not believe in “training” players, rather he hopes he is “educating” them. “You train dogs,” he says.

“Every player I see as my own son,” he said. “I want to do the very best for them. I want to be able to push them in their lives so they can do it for their children. We do everything in life for our kids. I don’t want to ever miss the chance of letting players understand that this is why we do it.”

In the documentary, Liverpool owner John Henry gives his version of events surrounding the sacking of Kenny Dalglish in May, suggesting that the former manager accepted that the long-term plan was to replace him when the right man became available.

He says: “When we first talked to Kenny about coming in, he understood and we understood that at some point there was going to be a time when he was going to step aside when we found the right person for the long term.”

Chairman Tom Werner adds: “We came to a conclusion with Kenny that we needed to move in a different direction and hopefully we will see improvement this year.”

The documentary, filmed by Fox Sports, includes a remarkable level of behind the scenes access. In one scene, filmed inside Rodgers’ home, it can be seen that the manager has on the wall a prominent painting of himself, which was a gift from a charity he had helped in Swansea.

And it is revealed that Rodgers’ 16-year-old daughter Mischa is in a relationship with the son of Colin Pascoe, Rodgers’s assistant at Liverpool.

Introducing Mischa’s “special friend” Theo, Rodgers explains the link before laughing and adding: “We don’t talk about it much, but it just has happened for some reason.”

And, in a statement which looks foolish given striker Andy Carroll’s departure to West Ham, Rodgers says that it will “take something incredible for him to leave the football club.

Shelvey Shines For U21s

Jonjo Shelvey scored one and set up another as England moved within touching distance of the UEFA Under-21 Championship play-offs with a 2-0 victory in Azerbaijan.

Liverpool midfielder Shelvey's first goal for the Young Lions followed Steven Caulker's third to send Stuart Pearce's men five points clear at the top of qualifying Group Eight with one match remaining.

That is on Monday against Norway, who needed to win in Belgium in Thursday's late kick-off and beat England in Chesterfield in four days' time to deny their rivals a place in next month's two-legged play-offs.

This victory was the Young Lions' sixth out of their seven qualifiers and saw Pearce hand a debut to Thomas Ince, son of former England star Paul, on an artificial pitch against opponents England had thrashed 6-0 a year earlier.

And after Javid Imamverdiyev went close for the hosts, in-form Blackpool winger Ince should have stolen the headlines when he screwed Marvin Sordell's cross wide on the turn.

England assumed total control and some delightful football saw Wilfried Zaha bamboozle the Azeri defence and fire into the side netting.

A series of corners then came to nought before Craig Dawson was booked in the 25th minute for exacting retribution on Rizvan Umarov after being caught himself.

But Dawson had the last laugh three minutes later when centre-back partner Caulker powered England ahead, the Tottenham man heading in Shelvey's left-wing free-kick.

Caulker should have made it 2-0 two minutes later when he glanced Ince's far-post cross wide before Azerbaijan goalkeeper Salahat Agayev produced some unconventional heroics to keep the hosts in it.

A goalmouth scramble saw him keep out Martin Kelly's deflected cross and deny Sordell before Zaha's follow-up was cleared off the line to muted penalty appeals.

Agayev then looked stranded after completely missing a cross but he recovered to produce an astonishing near-post save from Sordell, who looked certain to convert after Danny Rose kept the ball in play.

Caulker saw another header go to waste shortly before half-time and Zaha fired a good chance over shortly after the restart.

Azerbaijan, who had thrown on Orkhan Hasanov at the break, began to get a grip and, after some harmless long shots, they might have levelled on the hour mark when Imamverdiyev curled narrowly high and wide.

Pearce took immediate action by sending on debutant Ben Marshall for Zaha but the hosts continued to push.

Ben Amos - who had looked untroubled filling in for ill goalkeeper Jason Steele - saved from Araz Abdullayev, prompting Connor Wickham's introduction for Sordell.

The second change almost proved inspired as Wickham nodded Martin Kelly's cross wide but it appeared to have the desired effect as England kept their opponents at bay.

Mirhuseyin Seyidov's free-kick was easily claimed by Amos and Azerbaijan went for broke in the final 10 minutes with a double substitution of their own.

But it backfired seven minutes from time as Wickham nodded Caulker's long ball into the path of Shelvey, who volleyed emphatically beyond the onrushing keeper.

Rodgers Wants To Protect Raheem Sterling

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers wants to shield Raheem Sterling from the hype which has proved a millstone for other potential stars in the Premier League.

The 17-year-old has been earning rave reviews as the positive spark in his club's otherwise poor start to the new season and he has been tipped for a bright future.

But Rodgers does not want Sterling to get carried away, as has happened to some previous players, and has discussed the subject of protecting the teenager with the Football Association.

The winger will therefore be sheltered and instead of a potential call-up for England's Under 21s, he will on Thursday night remain a part of the U19s for their game against Germany.

Rodgers said: "With young players, you have to be careful. They can be elevated above their station too quickly.

"That is a part of it in this country. They have one good game and they get elevated to superstar status.

"You then see them at 23 and 24 and you wonder why they are not superstars any more.

"I spoke to Trevor Brooking on where the FA believes he is at. I said, in my opinion, of course he has got the ability to be in the Under 21s.

"But in many ways it is right for him to go with the Under 19s. He has met up with the England squad now and travelled to play in Germany.

"It then allows him to come back and recover well before our next game at Sunderland.

"It is all about individual needs. It might look great on the back pages that he is involved in the Under-21s but the reality is that this is a kid who has made great strides over the last few weeks; he was absolutely fantastic through pre-season.

"You have seen his quality, courage and attitude in games. He has been fantastic. But for the moment, let's just stay calm."

Spirit of Shankly Calls On LFC Owners To Appoint Liverpool-Based Chief Executive

Liverpool FC supporters union Spirit of Shankly has released a statement calling for American owners Fenway Sports Group to increase their presence on Merseyside and appoint a Liverpool-based chief executive.

The club face playing half the season with only two senior strikers after failing to replace loaned-out Andy Carroll before the end of the transfer window and principal owner John Henry yesterday wrote an open letter to supporters explaining the club's transfer policy and admitting to 'mistakes' made in the owners' first 23 months in charge.

The statement reads:

Following yet another summer where off the pitch activities at Liverpool Football Club have dominated the headlines, we once again find the club ownership attempting to explain away business decisions that have overshadowed footballing matters.

Spirit of Shankly reiterates its stance that the position of manager at Liverpool Football Club should be supported with all of the resources at the club’s disposal.

However, events of last Friday and the subsequent “open letter” from the club’s Principal Owner, John W Henry, indicate that almost two years into FSG's ownership of the club this is not yet the case.

As pointed out by the union in May, there remains no ownership presence on this side of the Atlantic. It is our opinion that this situation has led directly to the "mistakes" alluded to in Mr Henry's open letter.

Should the club’s absentee owners not wish to establish a full-time base in Liverpool, it remains imperative that they appoint a Chief Executive of a calibre commensurate with the club’s global status, to act with the full authority of the owners in their absence.