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Anfield boss Brendan Rodgers at Melwood this week. Peter Byrne/PA Wire/Press Association Images
LFC

Rodgers challenges Liverpool strikers to fire against Chelsea

The former Stamford Bridge coach returns to west London with his misfiring but young Anfield side tomorrow.

LIVERPOOL MANAGER Brendan Rodgers admits his side need to be more ruthless in attack if they want to climb the Premier League table.

The Anfield club, 12th but unbeaten in their past five league matches, travel to Chelsea on Sunday looking for their third win of the season.

“For us, it’s just about collecting the points and as many as we can,” Rodgers said.  ”It doesn’t matter whether that’s at Chelsea or wherever. We just look to maintain our performance level, because it’s been high.

“We’re creating lots of opportunities to score. We just need to find that little bit of finesse and killer instinct at the end of it to finish off what is generally a lot of good approach play.

“We go into the game in decent form in the league and we just need that little bit of good fortune to turn some of our draws into wins.”

Rodgers was full of praise for the recent performances of Luis Suarez, who was signed just hours before Fernando Torres left the Merseyside outfit for Chelsea in January 2011.

“From the outside, Fernando Torres did a terrific job at Liverpool,” Rodgers said. “Certainly, those first 18 months, he was fantastic. He decided to move on and Liverpool brought in a world-class striker (Suarez) who has been absolutely breathtaking and some of his play, and what he has contributed for us, has been fantastic.”

Rodgers spent four seasons at Chelsea from 2004, working under Jose Mourinho after Russian business tycoon Roman Abramovich took over the club the previous year.

“It was a great period to be involved at Chelsea,” Rodgers said. ”It was the beginning of a new era for the football club. There was a lot of investment, but also a lot of success in that period. The games against Liverpool were fantastic games. I remember the Liverpool supporters at Stamford Bridge – that stood out for me because of the atmosphere they created.”

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