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Brendan Rodgers har i princip värvat småvuxna tekniker i två raka transferfönster. Nu förefaller Rodgers ha bytt inriktning, då ”real men” står på önskelistan inför sommarens fönster; han letar alltså efter spelare med ledaregenskaper och karaktär.

“The biggest thing we need this summer is to bring in some men, some character that allows and supports the other men to see the games out. That is the reality of it – we haven’t been good enough. In order for us to be up there consistently we need to improve in terms of our mentality. Technically we are very capable, tactically we have not been found wanting, the condition and intensity of their work is high so that only leaves you one thing – mentality. That is the area which needs to improve and to do that we need character,” sa Rodgers.

Rodgers gjorde att han vill ha så bra spelare som möjligt – oavsett ålder. Karaktär och ledaregenskaper är dock eftertraktade egenskaper hos nya LFC-spelare. Rodgers passade även på att hylla Jamie Carragher. Managern påstår bland annat att Carra är lagets bästa back, trots att han i ärlighetens namn har varit petad under i stort sett hela ligasäsongen.

“That is something we will talk about at the end of the season when we identify where the improvements have to be made. Personally I just want the best team. Whether that is senior players, youth players or the best which is the mixture. I always like to give young players hope but in order to do that they need that bit of experience alongside them.

“If it the mistakes we are making are repetitive and consistent, then I will never give up on these players but it is certainly something that this will be the tale of the season and a measure of where we are at. Unfortunately it is inherent, you cannot give people character. That is the nature of the problem.

“That is the biggest thing for me. Look at Jamie Carragher, he is our best defender, he is 35 but we are losing that character. That has to be replaced. I also think there are other areas of the team that need improving. You have to establish character, they have to be players, that is the key thing. They need that hunger to want to succeed.”

Rodgers fortsatte att prata om att laget behöver förbättra sin mentalitet, men menar att det inte behövs några enorma förändringar i sommar: “I think it was just before Christmas we had the chance to win two games in a row for the first time in 12 months. It does not take a rocket scientist to work out that the biggest change needed takes the longest. That is the mentality change – that is something which only happens over time. But I don’t think massive surgery is needed. Daniel Sturridge came in and you saw the difference it made to the team. Maybe if we had a few more of his capacity in the group that could set us up. But it is not wholesale changes.”

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… Som ett brev på posten uppger The Mirror att Rodgers vill värva Ashley Williams i sommar.

… Och The Times hävdar att Williams är Rodgers förstaval till att ersätta Carragher.

… The Guardian skriver också att Rodgers vill ha in Williams, men att han kommer att behöva övertala FSG om att det vore rätt att värva den 28-årige backen.

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FSG är som bekant inte särskilt pigga på att värva spelare i Williams ålderskategori, och frågan är väl om Rodgers inte kommer att bli illa tvungen att leta efter yngre transfer tagrets?