• Two or three forwards would fit the bill
• Manager says lack of Champions League football will not deter

Brendan Rodgers has underlined the extent of the rebuilding task required at Liverpool by admitting his forward line alone needs to be enhanced by “two or three players” in January.

Theo Walcott, a target for the Liverpool manager during the summer, remains on Rodgers’s wish-list and the Northern Irishman believes the lure of Anfield can still tempt players to turn their backs on the Champions League. Irrespective of the success of a renewed attempt for the Arsenal forward, Rodgers claims several strikers are required to lift Liverpool in January and to address the weaknesses caused by the calamitous end to the previous transfer window. He insisted he has received “enough confidence and support” from the club’s owner, Fenway Sports Group, to believe there will be funds available and no repeat of the summer’s thwarted move for Clint Dempsey.

“I feel January is a window to freshen up the squad with a number of names,” said the Liverpool manager, who was given a sobering reminder of the paucity of his squad in the Capital One Cup defeat by Swansea City on Wednesday. “I don’t want to say a particular number but, at the top end of the field, we need that help and support. That might take two or three players to do that. Luis Suárez is my only striker. Samed Yesil behind him is only 18. That is what we have. That is part of the pain and the building process here.”

Whether Rodgers will have sufficient funds to address all his concerns about the Liverpool squad is yet to be determined. But he cautioned: “This season was always going to be one of transition but that doesn’t stop us being motivated to fight on. You have to be realistic. Look at the money being spent at the top of the table, £80m, and teams that are trying to get into the top four like Tottenham are spending over £50m. It is a big task we have but a task we have to embrace.”

Despite the need for numbers in attack, recalling Andy Carroll from his season’s loan at West Ham United remains a remote possibility for Rodgers. “That is not something I have considered at this moment,” he said. “Andy said he wants to play and I haven’t thought that will change so much if he comes back. It is something that is always up for consideration.”

Walcott is out of contract at Arsenal at the end of the season and while refusing to discuss any potential January targets by name, the Liverpool manager is adamant the lack of Champions League football at Anfield will not deter talent.

Rodgers said: “This football club and its history will always attract players. Look at Nuri Sahin as an example. He could have gone to a number of Champions League clubs and was on his way to a Champions League club [Arsenal] until the interest from ourselves arrived. The great support, the history of the club, drew him here. This is a club that will always draw top people and top players but we want to get it back to the top echelons of the game, which will make it much easier.”

A news article on 2012-11-02 22:30:00 from: The Guardian

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