Liverpool veteran Jamie Carragher says Brendan Rodgers faces a massive challenge to bring past glories back to the club.

Carragher speaks with enthusiasm about the arrival of Rodgers.

"I've loved it," he told the Mail on Sunday. "Training has been fantastic. He's a great communicator, a great man-manager."

The suggestion the new man's tactics may not suit Carragher riles him.

"I get frustrated when people say 'Oh, you just put your foot in' or 'you're a great leader or character'. I'm not Xabi Alonso but I can play football, I can pass the ball. I've done it my whole life, I've played from the back," he says.

Still, the scale of Rodgers's task is clearly considerable.

"Things have changed from when we were in the top four every year," says Carragher. "Without being defeatist, you always knew Chelsea and United were going for the league and us and Arsenal were trying to catch them.

"But as soon as Manchester City got money, it was a reality that eventually they were going to get into the top four. I always thought it would be us or Arsenal who would be going out of the top four. The first time we got that bit of a challenge from City and Tottenham we finished seventh and we've just never been able to get back up there.

"That's the target now for us, to get back in the top four this season. The way the game is, we've got to be careful that this doesn't go on and on.

"But listen, great clubs always come back and Liverpool are one of them. Obviously the last few years haven't been great for us but I don't think Liverpool will never be back up there."