Rodgers claims FSG run Liverpool as a business, not to win

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KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - JULY 24: Brendan Rodgers Manager of Liverpool speaks to the media during the post match press conference after the international friendly match between Malaysia XI and Liverpool FC at Bukit Jalil National Stadium on July 24, 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo by Stanley Chou/LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Brendan Rodgers has again spoken about Liverpool, an increasing habit of his over the past few weeks.

The Northern Irishman, sacked last October, reckons that Liverpool’s owners FSG choose to run the club in a financially stable manner instead of looking to win competitions.

This is in respect to the recruitment policy which Rodgers had to work under during his Liverpool stint.

In that time, Rodgers saw Liverpool spend plenty of money on players – but usually younger ones with potential rather than the finished article.

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Of the 31 players Rodgers signed, only Kolo Toure and Rickie Lambert were over 30 and only a handful were over 25 – meaning most had yet to reach their peak.

“Well I think it is probably a little difficult at the moment. I didn’t have any problem working under one [a transfer committee],” Rodgers told beIN Sports, cited by the Mirror.

“The club needs to look at it and decide whether they want a business model or a winning model. A winning model would mean trying to get the best possible players that you can, at whatever age they are, it doesn’t matter.

“Some clubs will go into work and have that in mind. Others will think it is about buying a player, developing and improving them and then selling them on for a much greater fee, as opposed to getting the best possible player, irrelevant of his age, in order to win.

“This is the way it is going, some clubs operate with the model of football being a business and they will want to do the best they possibly can, but it will always be about getting a young player in, improving them and having a sale and value that is greater when they got them.

“Other clubs will be in the market to just buy the top talents, irrespective of what age they are, in order to look to win. I think the best clubs must get the balance between both [models].”

Despite Liverpool’s heavy forays into the transfer market, our net spend under FSG hasn’t been enormous, as we’ve sold Fernando Torres, Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling for well over £150m in total since they bought the club in 2010.

This coming transfer market will be very, very interesting. Jurgen Klopp chose not to do anything of note in January, and instead give the current batch of players until the end of the season to prove they’ve got what it takes.

Hopefully, we’ll target a small number of excellent players rather than stockpile potential.

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