BRENDAN RODGERS made a stunning admission to the Kop faithful last night.
He would never have allowed Andy Carroll to join West Ham on loan had he not been ‘very confident’ of securing a replacement in the transfer window.
Liverpool’s boss watched his shot-shy outfit flop at home to Arsenal and was left to rue the departure of the £35million former Toon hitman.
The Merseysiders actually have an option to recall Carroll in January but it would be a humiliating climbdown if they have to do so.
Rodgers was stony-faced when questioned about Carroll’s exit on a season-long loan to the Hammers.
Asked if Carroll would have gone had Rodgers known he would not be able to secure a replacement, he offered a one-word reply: “No!”
But when pressed on what had happened to his plans to replace him — with Clint Dempsey his No 1 target — Rodgers was more forthcoming.
He added: “I was very confident I had a deal sewn up but it has gone and I can’t do anything about it.
“There’s no point me crying about it or wishing we had or hadn’t done this or that.”
Yet Rodgers refused to blame Liverpool’s owners for blocking his attempts to bring in a replacement for Carroll.
The Kop’s failure blew up in their faces as Liverpool were brushed aside by the Gunners.
Ironically, it was the visitors’ new boys Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla who were on target.
Rodgers admitted he only let Carroll go to Upton Park on loan because he had been promised the resources to bring in another top-class striker.
But Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, refused to fork out £7m for Fulham ace Dempsey, who eventually signed for Tottenham almost on the deadline limit.
That made a nonsense of chairman Tom Werner’s boast when Rodgers was appointed as successor to sacked Kenny Dalglish in June.
Werner claimed then: “I would say we certainly have the resources to compete with anybody in football.”
Rodgers painted a different picture yesterday but loyally denied he had been sold a pup by Fenway.
He declared: “I have to be honest, I wouldn’t change whatever has happened for the world. I feel very proud and privileged to lead this club.
“I always knew it would be very difficult at the start. But my fight to keep the supporters proud and preserve the great name of Liverpool going forward, well, I have made it my life to do that.
“What has happened has happened and we will see where we can go over it in the next couple of months.
“Hopefully, in January and the next window, we will make the transitions to get a group that can compete.
“That was always my intention at the beginning of the season. I wanted to build a squad that could be competitive.”
Rodgers agreed he knew Werner and Co were not going to throw cash about as they did last season, when Dalglish was given an open cheque-book.
Dalglish splashed a fortune on Carroll, Luis Suarez, Jordan Henderson, Stewart Downing and Charlie Adam — and Suarez is the only one who has not proved a Kop dud.
Rodgers said: “It has been a big learning curve for the owners as well.
“They have come in and invested more than £100million in the club.
“They have made big changes and one of the most iconic figures in Liverpool’s history has left. They have made a commitment to have me here for the long term. I have a group of people I work with very well.
“The owners are very honest and up front with me. But there are one or two things we have to iron out. I don’t feel they have misled me in any way. There are just one or two operational things we need to organise.
“If we do that, it will certainly help us in the windows to come.
“There is no doubt the finances here had to be changed. That was the reality. But, like I say, we can’t do anything about it.
“The players have gone out. We have lost nine players. We have brought in three. From the business side, the club has done well.
“What we need to look after now is the football side. We have to help the players here.”
