New pitch plans for Anfield and Melwood
New pitches will be installed at both Anfield and Melwood next summer to help Liverpool fine-tune a faster tempo to their football, Brendan Rodgers explained today.
On Sunday, the Reds produced a performance brimming with the high intensity and pressing that the manager has espoused since his appointment in June 2012.
Though they required a 97th-minute equaliser from Martin Skrtel to rescue a deserved 2-2 draw from the meeting with Arsenal, the display stirred memories of their stunning home form in 2013-14.
Looking to the long-term, Rodgers wants to ratchet that level up further by ensuring the perfect turf is in place for training and matches to allow the slick, stylish game he aims to achieve.
"It's nothing to do with the ground staff," the boss said. "The ground staff at Melwood and Anfield are outstanding, they work tirelessly. They are just old pitches.
"Thankfully, we're getting them replaced here in the summer - we're getting a couple of brand new pitches here that I've asked for, which really help the speed of your game.
"We're also getting Anfield replaced in the summer as well. That will make a huge difference to the speed of our game. The ground staff are brilliant, it's no fault of theirs.
"It's just an old pitch that hasn't been upgraded. In terms of how we work and play, it can be a real disadvantage for us. I said that after the game against Arsenal, that the quality of the football and the level the players played at really showed their technique.
"It's sometimes difficult to play one-touch football on it because you're always unsure of the bounce and bobble.
"It's something that, as a club, we'll do the very best we can with, right through until the end of the season. The guys work tirelessly on it and do a great job of making it the best they possibly can."