Roy Evans believes it is vital for the future of the club that Liverpool bounce back to form next season.

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After a disappointing campaign that has seen Rafael Benitez ultimately leave the club, the former Anfield boss says the next manager has to get the Reds back in the Champions League qualifying places as a matter of priority.

"We need to make sure that next season we get back into the top four," Evans told LFC Weekly magazine.

"Yes, we did have a hiccup and last season, more or less everything that could go wrong did go wrong. But we still have a strong spine to the team and if we could keep them together and happy next season, we could bounce back.

"Otherwise, it will be a lot more difficult for us to achieve something in the league. We need to bounce back straight away."

As for the next manager of the club, Evans has his own ideas on what attributes the successful candidate should have.

"Ideally, the new manager would encourage an attacking style of football with an astute tactical awareness. I'd like to see the players be given the confidence to make the right decisions on the pitch themselves.

"In the modern game, it seems that the manager makes all the choices but if you're signing players with great quality, how can people like myself or even Rafa - people with limitations in their playing careers - tell them how to do it? As a manager, you have to trust your players."

The full Evans interview, in which he talks about the pain of leaving Anfield, is in this week's LFC Weekly.