Liverpool boss Rodgers: ‘Firmino is a top-class player’ – Sambafoot.com, all

Sterling, along with Philippe Coutinho, was arguably Liverpool’s most threatening attacking player last season and his departure has raised question marks about whether Rodgers’ side can compete for the top four without replacing him.

“The door has now closed on last season”.

“The Thailand team is a very hard game for us but I was very pleased with the performance and the fitness levels”.

“I don’t think I’ve ever played in conditions quite like that”.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has stated that Roberto Firmino has not been signed as a direct replacement for Raheem Sterling.

Allen, who was substituted in the debacle at The Britannia Stadium, said: ‘The players here are all honest and take responsibility.

“There were a few elements [that we were looking for] tonight”.

“So he can play on either one of the sides, he can play through the middle, or he can play in behind“.

The 25-year-old told the Daily Mirror: “Yeah, of course, some owners may have been less tolerant after the way the season went”.

But fitness was not the only concern, the Liverpool boss continued – as he revealed that he used the fixture to analyse the Reds’ tactical efficiency.

“And when you end on a low like we did at Stoke, it’s a really long summer”.

“There’s a lot of work to be done between now and the start of the season”.

Having opened their pre-season campaign with an encouraging victory, the Reds now move on to Australia – where they will face Brisbane Roar and Adelaide United in the space of a few days.

Brendan Rodgers will waste no time in reinvesting the funds Liverpool received from Raheem Sterling’s sale as the club are prepared to meet Christian Benteke’s £32.5million (S$69.1 million) Aston Villa release clause. But everyone is enjoying the sessions. Tonight we’ll fly to Brisbane and that will be another different experience, but also a great experience.

“In the last few years, they have been selling their best players, which is not a good sign for the fans or the club”, the 41-year-old said. There was a good atmosphere for a pre-season game and everyone got 45 minutes, which is going to help us.