Boss: I'm as hungry as ever for success
Brendan Rodgers insisted he remains 'as hungry as ever' to bring success to Liverpool after the boss was quizzed on how his side can go about mounting a challenge in the seasons ahead.
The short-term focus is currently fixed on attempting to reduce the gap to the Barclays Premier League top four, beginning with a trip to the KC Stadium to tackle Hull City this evening.
At his pre-match press conference, however, reporters probed the Northern Irishman on his planning for the future and particularly the summer, in an effort to make the Reds contenders.
Rodgers admitted the importance of recruiting smartly to complement the squad already in place, but the overall task is one he's willing to embrace with no diminished appetite.
"When I came in here, [the title] was a long way off," he said at Melwood on Monday. "The club was eighth and you would never even have talked about it.
"I think it's a mark of how the club has moved forward that there's such disappointment around that we weren't challenging this year.
"So that's a great marker for how well the team have done and how the club has moved forward. Of course it has been disappointing not to have had a challenge this year.
"But when you have a sense of perspective, then that allows you to look forward with a greater hope that we can really push on again next season.
"I'm as hungry as I've ever been. I'm ambitious to win and there's no greater place than here to win and I'm still committed and motivated to do that here, for sure."
In the immediate aftermath of Saturday's goalless draw with West Bromwich Albion, Rodgers spoke of the forward line being an area to potentially be bolstered.
Returning to the subject, he added: "It's small in terms of what we need, but it's key to how we can function.
"If you look at our goals, when I first came in here I talked about needing to improve the goal tally and we did that.
"Now we're back at that same situation again where I need to improve it and we need to find a way to do that.
"If we can, I think you can see there's a greater base, a greater foundation in the team now where they understand the principles of how we work, and if we can just add and prioritise in the summer.
"It'll be a big summer for us in terms of trying to find the right type of player that can come into that. And if we can do that, then we can go and work how we've worked over the last 18 months."
The manager's squad at Hull will be similar to the one that faced the Baggies last weekend, as those previously out injured are not ready to return.
A check will be made on Reds captain Steven Gerrard, though, following a minor concern for the midfielder towards the end of the tie at the Hawthorns.
"We're just going to see how that is. It was more a bit of cramp," Rodgers reported on the skipper.
"I thought initially when I saw it that he was holding his knee but it was more just a bit of cramp late on in the game.
"Obviously Adam Lallana returned at the weekend, so that was great for us, but no-one else new is coming into the squad."