Liverpool FC manager Brendan Rodgers admits his job may not be “safe”

“He has spent his time off watching Premier League DVDs, as well as Bundesliga action”.

His side are now top of the standings of the embryonic table and De Boer has again been mentioned as a possible candidate for the Liverpool job.

Adam Bogdan says he “got lucky” after the Liverpool back-up goalkeeper’s penalty shoot-out heroics saved manager Brendan Rodgers’ blushes by sending the Mersey-siders past fourth tier Carlisle United in the League Cup on Wednesday.

Rodgers is under growing pressure and has seen Carlo Ancelotti and Jürgen Klopp linked with his job in the past few days.

“Firmino landed awkwardly and may have cracked a bone in his back“, Rodgers said.

This was supposed to be a game that Liverpool should have gained some much needed confidence from with a comfortable win, but in what has become a common theme in recent months, Liverpool struggled to break down a team intent on frustrating by sitting deep and well organised defensively. I think I have shown in my time here that when I work with the players at the level we have had before we have gone on and achieve almost great things.

It is widely believed that a failure to gain good results in those three matches will bring Rodgers’ reign at Anfield to an end, but he insists he is unaffected by speculation.

“But certainly from my perspective I look at it in all competitions we’ve lost less games than Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal”.

One year ago Rodgers said he hoped to be Liverpool manager for 20 years in an interview given to the Spanish sports daily Marca. “I don’t think he’s got a long-term future unless something dramatic happens and Liverpool have the kind of upturn that no one can see coming at the minute”, he said.

“What I’ll always do is give my best to the club and if they decide they need to change, I’ll totally respect that”.

“I’m never complacent enough to think [my position won’t be under threat]”, Rodgers told reporters ahead of the visit of Aston Villa this weekend. “They’re an incredible bunch and working harder than ever”.

“I want to ensure I’m here for a long period”.

“After that season they finished second, we might have seen him at Real Madrid“.

“You always want a fully-fit squad“.

There will be no reunion with the injured Christian Benteke, who left Villa this summer in a £32.5million deal, but Sherwood is still bitterly disappointed with his sale.