TEAMtalk guest Pete Hall thinks Brendan Rodgers can oversee an improvement at Liverpool and ensure the club are top-four challengers again.

I was as surprised as any at the appointment of Brendan Rodgers, especially as he wasn't followed through the Shankly Gates by a high-profile director of football.

Having been poached from Reading by then-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho to be the Blues' youth team coach in 2004, the Northern Irishman was later promoted to reserve team boss, where he learnt how to impose a philosophy on a club, in a way only the 'Special One' could.

The plaudits Rodgers won for his one-touch, counter-attacking football at Swansea , which dismantled the likes of Arsenal, was played with (more-or-less) the same players that secured promotion from the Championship the previous campaign.

Now at Anfield, with a squad that know each other, he can impose his easy-on-the-eye football on a side in need of improvement in front of goal.

For any new manager, the first summer is key to implementing their own philosophy on the club, and re-building the squad to suit the style of football that new coaches bring.

However, aside from the astute capture of young Italian forward Fabio Borini, the Merseysiders have yet to announce any major transfer coups.

With the Joe Allen transfer saga expected to be resolved in due course, Rodgers is, by and large, expected to have the same squad of players at his disposal this term. That should ensure he has ample time to do what he does best this summer - coach.

It's all about getting the best out of the players he has at his disposal. It's no secret that the Reds hugely underachieved last season in the league, but with the correct guidance, and a system that is fitting of the abilities of the players, can signal an immediate improvement.

Last season's league form eventually brought the axe down on Kenny Dalglish's second spell in charge, despite the fact King Kenny captured the Carling Cup, as well as guiding the Reds to an FA Cup final.

A team doesn't get to two domestic finals without talent. A lack of consistency was the downfall in the league, with nine home draws summing up the frustration felt by all concerned.

However, with a bit more fortune in front of goal, some of those exasperating home stalemates could easily be turned into vital victories. Hitting the woodwork more than any other team in the country meant there were often only inches between success and failure.

An eighth-place finish was clearly good enough after spending over £100million in the second Kenny Dalglish era, and many of these expensive acquisitions came under much scrutiny throughout much of the Scot's ill-fated tenure.

Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam and Andy Carroll were the most high-profile to receive criticism for their below-par displays, with none of them even coming close to paying back any of their inflated transfer fees.

Now, without the pressure of them being 'his' signings, I expect the quartet to at least perform to a higher standard under Rodgers' expert tutelage.

The future of Carroll is obviously up for serious debate but I think it would be in his best interests if he stayed at Anfield, and effectively started with a clean slate. He impressed many with his tenacity and eye for goal in his limited game-time at the Euros, and if he were to continue where he left off last season, he could yet become the forefront of Liverpool's attack.

This new era at Anfield also represents a fresh start for forgotten men Joe Cole and Alberto Aquilani, who look set to be given the chance to prove themselves at Anfield all over again.

The return of Lucas Leiva will also feel like a new recruit, and I think he will be pivotal in making Rodgers' system work.

The new chieftain may well dip further into Fenway Sports Group's seemingly deep pockets to strengthen his squad, with competition for places on either flank looking pretty thin.

While the six-year trophy drought was ended last season, it is the league title that the Kop faithful want, even need. Since bitter rivals Manchester United overtook their proud top-flight league titles record, the desire to get this giant of European football back where it belongs has increased ten-fold.

If Rodgers is afforded time we could yet see the dawning of a new era of success on Anfield. For now though - and for his first season in charge - the main aim must be an improvement in the league, and, who knows, perhaps a possible return to the elite of European football.