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Deadline day looks set to be a quiet one at Melwood. There may still be some dead wood which needs shifting on Monday but Brendan Rodgers has done the bulk of his summer business.

A back-up keeper is his only remaining target and he might even wait for the next window to address that.

There will be no repeat of the final day back in January when Ian Ayre was in Ukraine battling - ultimately forlornly - against the clock to try to complete the transfer of Yevhen Konoplyanka.

Twelve months ago deals for Mamadou Sakho, Tiago Ilori and Victor Moses went to the wire but this time around it will be more serene.

The biggest spending spree in Anfield history has already seen nine players come in at a cost of £116million. Key areas have been strengthened and Liverpool possess the kind of competition for places they haven’t had during Rodgers’ reign to date.

The Reds look well equipped for the challenges ahead but the influx of so much new talent has had major ramifications for a number of Academy graduates.

Jack Robinson was sold this week to Queens Park Rangers, who immediately loaned him out to Huddersfield. Just a month ago during the tour of America the 20-year-old left-back was still clinging to the hope he could establish himself at Anfield. “I know it’s now or never for me at Liverpool,” he said.

“I’m going to give it everything because I want to be a success here.”

Sadly, he will have to make a name for himself elsewhere and the same goes for Swedish attacker Kris Peterson, who despite impressing in the opening friendlies has been off-loaded to Utrecht. Martin Kelly (Crystal Palace) and Conor Coady (Huddersfield) have also moved on permanently, while Joao Carlos Teixeira (Brighton), Andre Wisdom (West Brom) and Jordon Ibe (Derby) have gone out on loan to gain experience.

The challenge facing young players at Liverpool now is very different to when Rodgers arrived in 2012.

In his first season Rodgers gave 32 appearances to Jonjo Shelvey, while Suso played 20 matches and Wisdom 19. He had precious few other options.

Since then the bar has been raised considerably. Liverpool are no longer bobbing around in sixth or seventh in the Premier League and gracing the Europa League.

Now they are competing for the game’s biggest prizes and preparing to lock horns with the might of Real Madrid.

The club’s return to the Champions League has enabled them to attract a higher calibre of player. It means the youngsters and staff at the Academy must also aim higher if that conveyor belt of talent is to provide Rodgers with future first-teamers.

Unlike at other top clubs, there remains a clear pathway through to Melwood. Rodgers has repeatedly demonstrated his willingness to put his faith in youth and that isn’t about to change.

If they are good enough, they will get their chance. Raheem Sterling is proof of that.

But only those with both the desire and determination to accompany their talent will flourish. The rest will have to make a living elsewhere.

FA should be concerned by fans' apathy

Forget the fact Roy Hodgson oversaw England’s worst World Cup campaign in history.

What should concern FA chiefs most about the current state of the national team is the general feeling of apathy across the country. The reason there wasn’t a clamour for Hodgson to be sacked after the finals in Brazil didn’t have anything to do with fans seeing signs of foundations being laid for a bright future.

It was simply a worrying acceptance that England are slipping further and further into mediocrity. The World Cup was littered with examples of teams exceeding expectations and tactically-astute managers assembling sides where the whole was greater than the sum of its parts. In stark contrast England hopelessly under-achieved.

The complaints about the influx of foreign players and the lack of a winter break were put into context by Costa Rica’s progress to the last eight. Rather than voice their anger, the public have simply turned their backs. Only 20,000 tickets have been sold for Wednesday’s friendly with Norway.

“I don’t think we’re heading for mediocrity,” Hodgson said this week. For once he was right. England are already there.

Real Madrid will feel the power of Anfield again

It was the day when Real Madrid became painfully aware of what a big European night at Anfield is all about.

On the morning of the second leg of their Champions League last 16 clash with Liverpool on March 10 2009, the front page of Spanish newspaper Marca, the club’s unofficial mouthpiece, had bullishly declared: “This is Anfield – so what?”

But by the end of an unforgettable evening they had their answer as Real were humiliated by Rafa Benitez’s side. An electric atmosphere inspired the Reds as they dished out a 4-0 thrashing to go through 5-0 on aggregate. Only the heroics of Iker Casillas saved Juande Ramos’ Spanish giants from further embarrassment.

From that glorious high, Liverpool’s remarkable European adventures under Benitez quickly unravelled amidst the backdrop of the damaging civil war in the Anfield boardroom.

Chelsea knocked them out in the quarter-finals and the following campaign the Reds didn’t even get out of their group. It’s been a long journey back to Europe’s elite.

It’s why Wednesday, October 22 promises to be such a momentous occasion. Real know what’s in store.

Ayestaran takes on job at Maccabi

Former Liverpool assistant boss Pako Ayestaran has moved to Israel after being appointed manager of Maccabi Tel Aviv.

The 51-year-old, who worked alongside Rafa Benitez at Anfield, has taken over following the shock resignation of Oscar Garcia.

Garcia only rejoined Maccabi in June after parting company with Championship outfit Brighton. However, his family’s concerns about the ongoing conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians led to him quitting after less than three months at the helm.

Ayestaran, whose previous job was managing Mexican second tier outfit Estudiantes Tecos, has put aside any worries about the security situation to accept the challenge with the champions of Israel.

He flew with the team to Cyprus for Thursday’s Europa League play-off round second leg with Greek outfit Asteras Tripolis but didn’t assume control until after the match with sporting director Jordi Cruyff at the helm.

Maccabi won 3-1 but crashed out of Europe on away goals as it finished 3-3 on aggregate. The start of the Israeli Premier League has been delayed due to the conflict in Gaza.