Rodgers: Home form key to our hopes

The Reds are unbeaten in 13 home games in all competitions and are eyeing a semi-final place in the FA Cup when they host Blackburn Rovers in the last eight tie on Sunday afternoon.

Since the Liverpool manager decided to change the formation his team have been in highly impressive form taking 23 points out of a possible 27 since the turn of the year. Rodgers now hopes his team can maintain that level of form between now and the end of the season, with Anfield in particular becoming a fortress once again.

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Rodgers said: "Now we've regained our identity, the home form is so important for us.

"We are a horrible team to play against now. And that's how it was for 18 months.

"Teams coming here know we'll attack and defend with intensity and aggression. We didn't have that earlier in the season for a number of reasons.

"The purpose is back in our game. Chelsea and Man City came here and only had one shot on target. Man City didn't get a corner and then we restricted Burnley in midweek.

"We are returning to the level we want but we know we still have improvements to make."

Rodgers insists he and his players will be giving it everything in their quest to bring some silverware back to the Anfield trophy cabinet, as well as maintaining their charge to qualify for the Champions League.

He added: "Certainly in modern football there are huge financial gains to be had in terms of finishing in the top four in the league.

"But in all fairness to our owners here I have never once been asked to substitute financial gain for a trophy. I've never been asked to prioritise. They have always been keen on building an identity for the team in order to get success. That's been the model here.

"Now we're starting to stabilise a young squad who will hopefully stay together for a number of years. For me it's very much about trying to go and win trophies as well as the financial gains of the top four. We want to achieve both.

"There is a reality check in that the competition in this country is huge.

"If you are at a club with unlimited resources you are going to be in a better position to win trophies or if you work abroad and manage Barcelona or Real Madrid or in another country at a top team, you can go into those jobs and irrespective of your work you will win a trophy.

"This country is different but a club like Liverpool is synonymous with winning trophies."

The Reds boss has a clear vision about what he feels is required to take Liverpool back to the very top.

He added: "My legacy here by the time I leave will hopefully be making this club a better club - that's the most important thing for me.

"From the day I walked in to the day I walk out, whenever that is, I want this club to be in a better place in terms of football, finance, youth development, structure and organisation.

"If you look at the different phases of my time here, in year one the squad was very shallow. We were in Europe and I wanted to put in place and implement a playing style that would bring us success over many years.

"The first six months of that phase were about putting that in place. In the second part of the season we became stronger. We weren't in a position to challenge for the cups while trying to put that in place.

"The second season was really about getting in the Champions League. Again, the squad wasn't as strong but there was a squad there I felt that could challenge for the top four and we nearly won the league.

"This year we increased the depth of the squad but we lost players and I had to re-define the way of working and playing which took a bit of time.

"But I felt that this year because of the depth we could challenge for a top four place and look to get a trophy.

"We were unfortunate to lose the League Cup semi-final to Chelsea. We went close in that. Our next step is to get to a final and win it. That would be great encouragement for the team.

"A first trophy would be massive for this group because it would give them that sense of winning something together. But the next obstacle is Blackburn and we need to get over that."