Rodgers: Liverpool not ´the finished article´

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers believes his side are closing to winning a Premier League title, but warned it may not be this year.

The Northern Irishman has guided his team into title contention and Liverpool could move to within a point of leaders Chelsea if they win at home to Sunderland on Wednesday.

The free-scoring Liverpool's weakness – their defence – was exposed by Cardiff on Saturday, but Rodgers' side still claimed a 6-3 victory.

Rodgers denied his team conceded cheap goals, but said they had plenty of work to do – meaning a first league title since 1990 may have to wait.

"It may or may not be this year but there's no doubt we're on the right road to winning a title here," Rodgers said. 

"We are far from being perfect. Saturday showed that. We are nowhere near the finished article but we are learning and improving.

"It's good for them to see the level of our performance. For us, it's continuing our work. We are far from perfect but we have a great attitude to learn.

"We just work to make ourselves a more potent force. I repeat we are not perfect. We have the capacity to keep clean sheets but it has got to be consistent."

With one of the world's most potent strike forces in Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge leading the way, Liverpool have struck 82 league goals this season.

Rodgers said the 100-goal mark meant nothing, but finding the net so often showed his team played good football.

"The aim is to win playing attractive football. I'm not thinking about (scoring 100 goals), I'm just thinking about winning the next game," he said.

"But the 82 goals show the confidence we have. If we maintain that, we will win many more games.

"At the top it's very tight. There are eight games to go but we are only looking at Sunderland."

Meanwhile, captain Steven Gerrard looks set to start against Sunderland despite being one yellow card away from a two-match suspension.

"We just have to cope with the situation. I have spoken to him about it and we just have to be that extra bit careful. I think he has been very unlucky. His last two bookings have been unlucky," Rodgers said.

Culled from Soccerway