Brendan Rodgers Says Liverpool Have Gotten Worse Since Last Season

Rodgers hopes his side will improve when key players return from injury.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has claimed that his side are ‘nowhere near’ last year’s level of performance after the Reds slipped to a 1-0 defeat against FC Basel in the Champion League clash on Wednesday night.

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Last year’s Premier League runners-up sold star striker Luis Suarez to Barcelona for £75 million during the summer and replaced him with the likes of Mario Balotelli and Adam Lallana – who have so far failed to impress.

Despite his side’s poor performance so far this season, Rodgers is hopeful that their form will improve once key players like Daniel Sturridge return to full fitness.

“I don’t think we’re anywhere near technically where we were at last year,” the Northern Irishman was quoted by Goal.

“I’m hoping with the return of the players coming back from injury that we will become better.

“It’s important that we get back to playing as a team. We need to ensure we get back to that. It’s frustrating at times.”

Defeat against Basel leaves the club third in Group B and despite having two games against Real Madrid coming up, Rodgers expects his side to be in the mix for the two qualification places.

“It’s still very close. It was always going to be a group that would go right to the end for that second position,” he added.

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