Werner wants Rodgers to deliver improvement

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Werner explained that the owners preferred to take a “long-term view” when making their choices, and that FSG’s “track record show they focus on stability”. That was only a year earlier when he was awarded that compliment.

The Chile worldwide was heavily linked with a move to the Reds last summer but opted to join Arsenal, and while Liverpool fans were frustrated to see their club fail to land another high-profile player, Werner suggests that it was not all down to footballing reasons. We have demonstrated that both on and off the pitch.’.

And while they still feel Rodgers is the right man to lead the club, they have also made it clear that they expect a return to the Champions League next season, with fourth place (or higher) their target for this term.

“Hopefully when we have a conversation in a year’s time he will have demonstrated and the squad will have demonstrated that we’ve regained top form again”.

Werner said: “We felt that there were a number of positions that we needed to improve”.

Werner admitted last season was “disappointing”, with the Reds finishing down in sixth and missing out on cup consolations.

Liverpool have spent around £90m on summer recruits this off-season, drafting in seven players ahead of the new campaign.

The season kicks off at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday for Brendan Rodgers’ side, looking to avenge their 6-1 thrashing on the final day of last season. “We expect we’re going to see a strong improvement”.

The club went from Premier League challengers to Champions League outsiders in the space of nine months and the Northern Irishman was under serious pressure. It’s been an incredible journey for me and an absolute privilege to manage the club and have the supporters behind us. “I read an interview with Jose Mourinho, who said he believes we’ll be in the mix”. “We are confident that we have the talent and the strategy to deliver”, he concluded.