Rodgers expects goals to flow again

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers insists his side have not lost their fear factor following the departure of striker Luis Suarez — but he is still looking for a top-class replacement.

The Uruguay international scored 31 league goals last season as the Reds ran Manchester City a close second in the Premier League. However the controversial 27-year-old left for Barcelona in a £75 million (€93m) deal earlier in the summer.

Without Suarez there is an assumption Liverpool will not be as effective but Rodgers does not think that will be true.

“The game is all about opinion and every team is forensically looked at in terms of what they will produce or not,” Rodgers said. “Luis was a world-class talent but we scored 101 goals last year and 70 of those came from other parts of the team.

“Every big team will lose a top player at some point but no one is bigger than the club.”

Liverpool beat Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in a friendly last weekend, a result that gave Rodgers plenty of cheer.

“You saw against Dortmund we have goals in the team,” Rodgers said.

“We had evidence of that last season as well and over the two years I’ve been here when Luis hasn’t played we have won most of our games.”

Despite Rodgers’ assertion that he has enough firepower left in the team, he is still actively trying to bring in another centre-forward before the window closes.

“We needed to improve the squad in the various areas of the team and that is what we have done,” he added.

“That would have been whether Luis was here or not, but with him gone we wanted to improve that top end of the field and that is something we will look to do right until the end.

“If we don’t, it means the right player hasn’t become available for us, and if that is the case we will continue with the group we have and I will be happy to go into the season with that team.”

Liverpool are still waiting to confirm the signing of Sevilla left-back Alberto Moreno for £12m (€15m). He will not be available for tomorrow’s opening match at home to Southampton, and there are a couple of other loose ends to be tied up.

Moreno’s arrival will take Rodgers’ summer spending beyond £100m (€124m), although much of that is offset by the Suarez transfer, and he admits much of his business has been done with an eye on the future.

“We are nearly done. We have one or two more things to complete,” said the Reds boss.

“If we can add one or two more to the areas we want to we will have had a great window and it will set us up.

“This summer will probably be our biggest window for the next couple of years.

“We are looking to make this a sustainable team for the next five to 10 years.

“We had a sustained challenge on the Premier League last season with 12 or 13 players so, irrespective of what happened with players going out in the summer, we needed more depth.

“I am really happy and pleased with the players we have brought in.”

While he is building for the future Rodgers denied any knowledge of reports of a new lucrative contract for 19-year-old England winger Raheem Sterling.

“It is the first I’ve heard of it,” Rodgers said.

Southampton manager Ronald Koeman, meanwhile, is ready to name wantaway midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin in his side for the trip to Anfield.

The France international is a target for former Saints manager Mauricio Pochettino, now in charge of Tottenham, but the south coast club have so far resisted adding Schneiderlin’s name to a long list of summer sales.

Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Dejan Lovren have all moved to Liverpool, while Luke Shaw signed for Manchester United and Arsenal took Calum Chambers to the Emirates Stadium.

Koeman said the player was not “mentally or physically ready” to play in a friendly against Bayer Leverkusen last weekend, but the Dutchman is prepared to include him in his squad at Anfield.

“He had a very good week of training sessions,” Koeman said. “We know the situation. Last week he wasn’t in shape to play, he had a very good week of sessions and that decision will be taken [today] — he is not for sale.”