Despite being one of the richest, most well-known and well-supported clubs in world football, Liverpool’s policy regarding scouting and recruitment has in past years often had the feeling of being overseen by a bunch of amateurs better suited to dealing with the running of a Sunday league pub team rather than an elite Premier League outfit.

For all his tactical mastery in Europe, Rafa Benitez was not known for his astute dealings in the transfer market – Alberto Aquilani, Robbie Keane and Ryan Babel, I’m looking at you in particular – while the less that is said about the £35million spent on Andy Carroll during the disastrous reign of Damien Comolli as Director of Football Strategy the better.

Although Brendan Rodgers’ appointment as manager three years ago was meant to herald a new era for the club, in the transfer window it has very much been a case of bad business as usual for Liverpool. The 42-year-old has so far made a total of 24 signings during his time at Anfield, totalling an eye-watering £211 million. Of this double dozen, one could argue that it has only been Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho who have been the unqualified successes.

Not only do their combined fees come to just £20.5 million, but they were also both brought in during the same transfer window in January of 2013, meaning that in the other five windows, Rodgers has failed to make a single effective signing, squandering more than £190 million.

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Of course, the matter is more complex than Rodgers simply being given a sum of money to spend on who he wishes. Much has been made of the ‘Moneyball’ method adopted by Liverpool’s American owners Fenway Sports Group, whereby statistics are used to identify young, relatively inexpensive players with great potential who, if signed, have a high chance of increasing their value whilst at the club.

However, while such an approach has been championed in the world of baseball, Rodgers has found it difficult to make it work at Anfield. Bar Sturridge and Coutinho – both of whom certainly fit into the mould of young, hugely gifted players signed at a low cost – the Liverpool manager’s other ‘Moneyball’ signings just haven’t delivered.

Although the club owners’ approach to their favoured model has relaxed in recent times, sanctioning the signings of established – and often expensive – Premier League stars such as Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert who are unlikely to see their respective values increase, they are nevertheless unlikely to want to see Rodgers once again spending vast sums of money on players whose contributions to the team’s performances are negligible.

All of which means that Brendan Rodgers faces a crucial summer ahead. Last week’s sacking of his long-time assistant Colin Pascoe and Reds first-team coach Mike Marsh was a clear sign that the Northern Irishman is living on borrowed time, and another cack-handed performance in the transfer market will surely not be tolerated by the owners.

His dealings thus far bode well; James Milner on a free from Manchester City is an excellent coup, while Danny Ings is a ‘Moneyball’ purchase through and through, suggesting that Rodgers is beginning to get an eye for a signing that can immediately improve the quality of his squad.

However, the Reds still need to bring in a ‘marquee’ player if they are to have a decent chance of seriously challenging for the Champions League next season, and it is here that we will see whether Rodgers has learnt his lessons from last summer. The money generated from the sale of Luis Suarez was largely wasted, and a repeat of that profligacy this time around will surely signal the end.

The key for Rodgers this summer is to find the perfect combination of relatively cheap, effective and reliable squad players on the one hand and one or two top-class matchwinners on the other. While he seems to be on the right path in the former category, his success in the latter could ultimately decide his future at the club.

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