Liverpool’s Lucas Leiva aims to improve on ‘difficult’ season

Lucas Leiva believes Liverpool are well-placed to build on a mixed 2012-13 campaign next season as Brendan Rodgers prepares for his second year in charge.

Rodgers’ men finished seventh in the Premier League in the Northern Irishman’s first season at Anfield since taking over from Kenny Dalglish last summer.

The Reds improved gradually throughout the campaign after a slow start and lost just once in their final 13 Premier League games.

And the 26-year-old believes that the Merseysiders will benefit from the stability of having Rodgers in charge during his second year at Anfield.

“It’s been another difficult season because a new manager came in again and there were more players coming and going,” Lucas told the Telegraph.

“Next season is our first season for a while where we have a manager going into a second full season.

“The second half of the season was not bad but the start has cost us. Next season with the structure settled we know the manager, how he wants us to play and if we need to find the consistency to have a better chance.

“The chances of success are always higher when you are stable which is why I think next season will good for us.”