Liverpool's principal owner, John Henry, will not set Brendan Rodgers a target of Champions League qualification this season. The failure of Rodgers's predecessor, Kenny Dalglish, to secure a top-four finish played a large part in his departure from the club.

"We don't want to put any pressure on Brendan by saying you have got to make the Champions League this year," said Henry, who has met up with the Liverpool squad at the start of their pre-season tour of the United States. "Of course he wants to make the Champions League, we all do and so does every team in the Premier League.

"I thought it was realistic last season but we were so far off that pace. At this point we're just trying to get things stabilised – that should be one of our goals."

Rodgers is the third manager since FSG, owners of Boston Red Sox baseball franchise, took over in October 2010, and Henry admits the group have had to get up to speed with their first foray into football. "We know more now than we did when we bought the club," Henry told the Liverpool Echo. "We didn't know a lot at the start. We have had something like 20 months to study and learn and this is really the direction we want to go in.

"Brendan has a very structured approach and he plays the kind of football that we think Liverpool fans will love to see. You can see why he was appointed. He's an inspirational figure.

"He's very charismatic, he's smart, he knows what he wants to accomplish and he's determined to accomplish it. Everything I have heard so far in the way of feedback about him has been very positive."