The 40-year-old is refusing to hide behind the excuse that other clubs are in a stronger financial position than the Reds and is aiming solely for a place in the top four

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has admitted that nothing less than Champions League qualification is acceptable for his Anfield side this season.

Rodgers’ team achieved a disappointing seventh-placed finish in the Premier League in 2012/13, and last qualified for Europe’s premier club competition in 2009.

However, the 40-year-old is refusing to hide behind the excuse that clubs like Manchester City have more financial muscle than Liverpool, and is aiming solely for a place in the top four.

“The measure of Liverpool will always be the Champions League and the big European competitions – for the length of time I’m here and when I move on for the next manager coming in,” he told reporters.

“I can stand here and make excuses, I can say City have spent £90-odd million and other teams already in there have got stronger and reinforced as a group, but that’s not going to solve anything, it won’t help my job here.

“If you start to think about it being unfair then you just anchor yourself and it’s hard to move on then. That pressure to deliver is what you expect at a big club, of course it’s difficult, but it’s why we are here.

“If you are in those top echelons you can maybe attract another type of player but I’m not going to bleat and moan about it being unfair, I just need to get on with the job and do the best I can.

“We have got to fight for our life, with our play. Play with the type of football that can maybe be different and get players in who are hungry.”

Liverpool begin their Premier League campaign against Stoke on Saturday at 12:45PM.

The Frenchman is expecting an open title race this season and does not believe the managerial changes will make any sides weaker

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes the Premier League title could be a six-horse race this season and says it is the most open league in Europe.

The 63-year-old believes any one of last season’s top five – as well as Liverpool – can be considered contenders for the title when the new campaign kicks off on Saturday.

“It is maybe more open at the moment because you have many teams who can compete for [the title],” Wenger said at a press conference.

“If you look across Europe, this is the only country where at the start it is very difficult to predict who is going to win it.

“That’s less the case in nearly all the other countries and that’s why the Premier League is more interesting. I believe we are picking from six teams, including Liverpool and Tottenham.”

Wenger believes the gap in quality between the top teams has reduced but does not feel the managerial changes at rivals Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United, will give Arsenal any advantage.

“You don’t know how [the coaching changes] will affect this season. Do you consider [Jose] Mourinho as a new manager at Chelsea? Certainly not. [David] Moyes has experience at the top level and [Manuel] Pellegrini as well,” he added.

“I believe these clubs have stability with the players they have and the managers coming in are all quality, so we cannot expect any weakness from that.”

The former Anfield defender believes the striker’s desire to move away from the club could create a negative atmosphere on the training ground and lead to poor performances

EXCLUSIVE
By Bhas Kunju

Former Liverpool defender Stephane Henchoz believes it would be best for the club if Luis Suarez left Anfield this summer.

The striker has indicated his desire to move to a Champions League club on a number of occasions, with Arsenal interested in the Uruguayan.

Brendan Rodgers is adamant Suarez will not be sold, but Henchoz is wary of a possible negative atmosphere stemming from the striker’s unrest at the club.

“I think he has to leave,” Henchoz told Goal in Singapore, when asked about Suarez’s future. “Because obviously he showed that he didn’t want to play for Liverpool anymore with the comments he made.

“Of course he will be a loss but if he doesn’t want to be here [at Liverpool], having somebody on the training ground every day who doesn’t want to be here is not something you handle in the longer term.

“He is not training the way he should be training. At the end of the day, what can you do?

“Obviously he has a contract, you can say yes you have to stay and play for Liverpool, but it is not in his heart. I don’t think he is going to perform when you don’t want to be at that place.”

The former Switzerland international, who won a historic cup treble with Liverpool in 2000-01, also conceded that the Uruguayan’s departure would be a difficult prospect for the club.

“The club is in a very difficult and uncomfortable situation because of Suarez,” he added.

“Two weeks before the window closes, where are Liverpool going to find the replacement? I don’t know. Once again they have to take a gamble on somebody, who is not a top striker.

“It’s not easy in the Premier League, it’s getting tougher and tougher. Now you have Manchester City, five years ago, Man City were nowhere really. Now they are probably going to take the top four spots.

“You have Manchester United obviously. Chelsea have Mourinho back. Arsenal, Tottenham – [over the] last two years they have been competing for the top four spots. Liverpool ended up seventh last season, so hopefully they can improve this season.”

Henchoz will feature for the Liverpool All Stars side at the Singapore leg of the EPL Masters series in October and was in town for the press conference announcing the launch of the event.