Steven Gerrard has revealed he is desperate to be involved in a genuine title challenge. And he insists he has the belief that manager Rafael Benitez can deliver the championship to Liverpool for the first time since 1990.
But the Liverpool skipper maintains that Benitez must have help from the board in the transfer market to make Liverpool stronger. Gerrard has just witnessed Manchester United win their 10th Premier League crown and take their overall title haul to 17, just one short of Liverpool's all-time record.
Liverpool finished 11 points adrift of United, and have just completed their second successive trophy-less season under Benitez. Gerrard told Liverpoolfc.tv: "Other teams are going to strengthen and become better sides, so it is important we do the same. "There is a lot of money in the league - teams and squads will become stronger in the summer. It's important we do not fall away, we want to stay up there with the best.
"To keep doing well in the league and Europe we need to strengthen the squad, there is no doubt about that." Gerrard is more concerned with Benitez's transfer market activity, saying: "I don't know much about Rafa's transfer plans. He doesn't call me in and tell me names. "But he does assure me and the other players that if anyone becomes available who would strengthen the side, then he will go out and buy them. It's important Rafa gets the right backing above him as well.
He added: "This is a tough league to win. We are strengthening all the time, working as hard as any other team. "But sometimes you have to realise there are other sides that are as good as us who are strengthening and working hard as well. They want it just as much as us.
"But it has been a long time for this club (since winning the league), so we all maybe need to give that extra five or 10 per cent. "It's difficult to say how many world-class players we need. You look at the points difference and over the last few years we have made it smaller.
