BR: Aspas offers something different

In a chat with Liverpoolfc.com, the manager also delivered his verdict on the Reds' pre-season performances to date and his provisional team for the season opener against Stoke.

Read on for the full Q&A with the Northern Irishman; LFC TV Online subscribers can watch our interview with Rodgers on demand by clicking play on the embedded video below.

Liverpool have a fantastic fan base in Norway, how much are you and the lads looking forward to going over there?

Very much so - with the pre-season, as well as our preparation work for the new season, it's also been about bringing the club and the players to areas where we have great support and we're off the back of a wonderful tour to Asia, where the support was immense. I'm fully aware of our great supporters in Norway so we are really looking forward to bringing the team over there as part of our preparation.

Are we likely to see one or two changes in personnel, perhaps players who didn't play on Saturday getting a game on Wednesday night?

Yes, there has been a plan in place over the course of pre-season. There are some players who will play 45 minutes and obviously we have got another game at the weekend against Celtic. So we're having to taper the preparation. But it's also important that we get as many players game time as much as we possibly can.

The lads were extremely sharp against Olympiacos - how pleased were you with the overall display?

I'm very pleased in terms of the condition of the players. At a similar period last year, we're so far ahead in terms of the physicality, and it was interesting talking to a few managers and former players afterwards about how sharp and how fit the players look. But that's a testament to how hard the players have been working. It's also a great testament to the staff in terms of the detail that they put into the work, so we just have to keep it going so we can end up ending the pre-season as ready as we possibly can be for that first game against Stoke.

Watch the video here »

Five games, five wins, no goals conceded, seven different goalscorers - that must give you a great deal of optimism ahead of the new season?

This season is going to be a big year for us. There's no doubt last year was difficult, but I think we showed come the second half of the season the momentum of the team and everything picking up pace. We have continued with that over the course of the pre-season; the players are comfortable in the way of working and they understand my methods more and the model of which we are working. But make no mistake we are here to win this year. There is still a long way to go and a lot of work for us still over these next couple of weeks. But as I said, I have been very pleased with the quality of our game. The new players have come in and settled in really well and it gives me great encouragement going forward.

With two pre-season games to go, do you have it in your mind - injuries permitting - what your team would be against Stoke on August 17?

Yes, I have an idea. But my duty is for all the players, I need to ensure the group work - I am going to need every single one of them this season so it is very important that we are looking to narrow and finalise the team, but it will be about the whole squad this season every single day and every game. The duty is to take care of the group, and the group at the moment are doing very well.

Iago Aspas has certainly caught the eye in pre-season; he was desperately unlucky not to score at the weekend, he provided an assist. How is he setting into life at Anfield?

Very well, I can see that he loves being here. He has already thrown himself into the language. He is mixing with his friends very well, and you can see in and around the box he's exciting; he's got a nice touch, he can create something out of nothing - which I like, players that can do something a wee bit different. Overall, he and the other players have been very good.

Besides your good self and your scouting department, probably not a lot of Liverpool fans knew a great deal about Iago - but can you see the No.9 becoming a real Kop favourite?

He's certainly going to come into the squad, and I think what was important for us this year was to bring in players with that winning mentality and a fighting spirit. You see it with him every single day and in all the games, he is prepared to fight and run and work for the team. That can really help us get to where we want to get to. So align that with his quality, he's got an eye for a goal in whatever position he plays, he's quite flexible to play along the front line. But wherever he plays he will always be a goal threat and that was one of the aims this year, to bring in players that could add to our goal tally.