Brendan Rodgers urges Liverpool to 'take risks' in attack

19 September 2015 09:31

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers wants to see his side taking more risks in attack as they bid to remedy their goalscoring problem.

The Reds have netted only three times in their opening five Barclays Premier League games this season.

Liverpool fans will be hoping for a considerable boost to the tally on Sunday when Rodgers' men host Norwich, against whom the Merseyside outfit have notched 21 goals over the course of their past five meetings.

And Rodgers said ahead of the contest at Anfield: "It is about risk-taking.

"I think, for some reason, that wee bit of risk has gone out of our game.

"We need to ensure we take those risks in order to create in the game and bring that intensity to it.

"The players have been working really hard at that over the last week or so and it only takes that one performance to spin the season around again."

Liverpool - with seven points so far, the same as newly-promoted Norwich - go into Sunday's match having lost their previous two league games, 3-0 to West Ham and then 3-1 at Manchester United.

In terms of risk-taking, Rodgers may well be thinking of the kind of individual moments of daring that saw Christian Benteke score acrobatically at Old Trafford - or Adam Lallana nutmeg an opponent before slotting in during Thursday's 1-1 Europa League draw at Bordeaux.

Rodgers has expressed his confidence about things improving for the Reds as various personnel become available again, with Daniel Sturridge, Jordan Henderson and Joe Allen all in contention to make their comebacks from injury on Sunday.

Lallana himself was returning to action on Thursday after a month sidelined by a thigh problem, and Rodgers afterwards hailed the midfielder's "outstanding" goal, adding: "It was his touch and creativity which we have not seen so much of this season."

And as he looked ahead to the Norwich game, Rodgers said of Lallana: "I think when he's played he has been excellent and if he plays consistently over a period of time, Adam will reach the numbers that we would like from him - I think it is only injuries that have curbed that so far.

"His goal on Thursday will be great for his confidence. He has not been training that long, so to come through 90 minutes of a game at that level and score the goal he did shows he has got his eye back in very early and he will be looking to push on now."

Liverpool also have key playmaker Philippe Coutinho available again after he missed the United defeat due to a one-match suspension.

Defender Kolo Toure is being assessed having sustained a dead leg in the Bordeaux contest.

Source: PA