Rodgers on Ings, confidence and Aston Villa
Brendan Rodgers has highlighted Danny Ings' commitment to improving his game as a key factor in his early successes at Liverpool.
The 23-year-old has netted two goals in five games for the Reds since a summer move from Burnley, and has delighted supporters with his selfless harrying of opposing defenders.
Rodgers hasn't been surprised by the striker's impact at Anfield, however, having seen his enthusiasm for football up close on the training pitch.
And he believes Ings' attitude means he is a dead-cert to become one of the Barclays Premier League's most feared centre forwards in the future.
"I've been really happy with his contribution since he's come in," the manager told reporters in his Friday press conference.
"He's a very positive young guy who comes in every day to learn, he wants to talk about the game, he studies his game, he analyses his game, where he can be better.
"Every time he's played he has grabbed the opportunity and you saw in the goal he scored last week and in midweek, he wants to get goals.
"I think over the next few years he's going to improve into a top-class striker."
Including extra-time against Carlisle United, the Reds have netted two goals - both through Ings - over the course of 210 minutes from around 70 shots in total in their last two outings.
But the manager is pleased to see his players at least getting into the positions to have an attempt on goal, and says working on being more clinical is now the focus.
"I always look at the positive intention of it," he added.
"After the first few games we wanted to be more creative and if you're getting into the areas to have those shots then that's obviously very pleasing.
"However, what you're looking for is to be clinical, you have to be efficient in your game, there's no point in having those shots if you're not going to turn them into goals.
"That's something that we've worked hard on over the last couple of days, reinforcing that mentality and positivity to score, and in the game it's all about confidence.
"Once we get a sequence of wins and we get the goals that the players are working hard to create and score then I'm sure you'll see that confidence level lift and the players will really go on and express themselves."
Rodgers also offered his thoughts on this weekend's opponents, Aston Villa, a team that he knows boast plenty of attacking quality.
As ever, though, the boss hopes to see his players impose themselves on the game at Anfield on Saturday, rather than worry about who they are facing.
"Watching them in the week [against Birmingham City], in particular in the second half, I thought they were fluent and I thought they played very well," he said.
"They've got some talented players. They obviously lost some players in the summer but they've got some very good players.
"The young boy [Jack] Grealish is a top talent who plays with freedom, has real good technical ability, can beat a player - so he's one we have to watch.
"Scott Sinclair is a player that I know very, very well and I'm delighted to see him resurrect his career and get back playing. He's got a goal, he's fast, he's got quality.
"And they've got other players that can be dangerous so for us we know it's going to be a difficult game but the focus is on ourselves, the importance of our own game and how we can hopefully get the result."