Herr we go

BRENDAN RODGERS will use Borussia Dortmund’s blueprint for glory on a budget in his bid to take Liverpool back to the top.

The Kop boss is steadily turning the Reds into a footballing force once more, as the players get to grips with his style.
There is no bottomless pit of cash at Anfield to bring in more new faces for the next stage this summer.
Yet Rodgers reckons Dortmund are proof you can be a European powerhouse without breaking the bank.
The Germans, who won the Champions League in 1997 with a side that included Villa boss Paul Lambert, transformed their squad on a comparative shoestring after slipping down the Euro rankings.
And on Tuesday they reached the Champions League semi-finals with an incredible injury-time comeback to see off Malaga.
Similarities with Liverpool are obvious, with both having been kings of Europe in the modern era before having to battle their way back from financial problems.
Rodgers should have around £50million to spend in the next window, including cash from sales. But that will still fall way short of the money the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea can splash out.
Yet the German model has convinced him it is still possible, as he insisted: “You can do that. Just look Borussia Dortmund, a team that won the Champions League and then struggled financially.
“They went out and rebuilt and it took them four to five years to push on. Then they won the league and their European work suffered.
“This year you can see they have put their focus on Europe and they have lost their title. That’s a team that has been growing over five years.
“So there is no doubt you need investment to raise the bar and the quality. But there are other ways to try and get an advantage and we can really push on next year.
“Unless you have the City or Chelsea money you need a different way and I think this is the best way because you are not just looking after the team but also the club.
“Of course, supporters will always look at the team but for me it’s bigger than that to have success.
“It’s all aspects of the club so that when you do arrive, you are in a strong position.
“And we’re in a great position to start next season because in the second half of this one, there are not many games we’ve been outplayed or outscored.
“There have been structural changes because we needed to get goals into the team and we’ve done that.
“The balance has got better but it was never going to be perfect. With some more quality in there, we can go a long way.
“This is a club which, through its history, should be in there but you have to earn the right. But I’m confident that we will.”
Rodgers has already drawn up a summer hit-list, with the likes of Swansea’s Ashley Williams, Ajax’s Christian Eriksen and Newcastle’s Hatem Ben Arfa all in his sights.
It looks increasingly like he will not have the carrot of European football to tempt players, with Reds two places and seven points off Arsenal in the final guaranteed slot, having played a game more.
There is the slimmest of chances they could win a Europa League place via UEFA’s Fair Play League as they lie second in the English one behind Arsenal — though Rodgers is only interested in getting there by right.
The Kop boss, whose side are at rock-bottom Reading today, joked: “I’ve honestly never thought of it. Maybe we should get a couple of sendings-off or bookings!
“We want to get in with our performance level and it’s highly unlikely we would get that route. It’s the top three countries and we’re fourth, but it is not something I would be keen on.
“I want to get there through the right means. There’s a pride thing. You want to get in it by performing and through the positions.
“And if we are to have a year where we are not in it, it’s going to give us an opportunity to push on.
“The Europa League was a long journey this year and, don’t get me wrong, we enjoyed it and were disappointed when we came out of it.
“But through the fair play route the competition starts even earlier.
“I’d prefer to be in it by qualifying through the league or winning a trophy.
“If it’s not that way, then we as a club are better suited to re-aligning our focus to domestic cups and the league.