Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers keen to improve squad next season

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers admits he is 'up for the challenge' of taking the club forward next season after failing to meet his targets this campaign.

After narrowly missing out on the Premier League title 12 months ago, the minimum requirement from American owners Fenway Sports Group this time around was retaining Champions League status.

Rodgers himself publicly acknowledged this and admitted a trophy was also on his 'to-do list' for 2015.

With fourth place now out of reach and semi-final places in the Capital One and FA Cups the closest they came to silverware, the Reds boss will meet director Mike Gordon, FSG's key man at Anfield, to discuss where things went wrong and how to improve them.

At Liverpool's annual awards night on Tuesday, Rodgers said: "The club will continue to work hard to improve the squad and next year provides another great opportunity for us like last season."

Contract-rebel Raheem Sterling's position will also be high on the agenda though with the 20-year-old England winger's agent Aidy Ward due to meet Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre and Rodgers on Friday.

Negotiations on a £100,000-a-week contract were put on hold in January with the plan being to re-visit the issue at the end of the campaign.

Ward has had to deny reports he will tell Ayre the youngster will not sign a new deal, saying: "The story has been blown somewhat out of proportion. We have a meeting scheduled with Liverpool later this week and we will take
proceedings from there."