Liverpool Transfer News: Strong Deadline Day Highlights Brendan Rodgers' Success

Brendan Rodgers deserves more credit.

Even with Liverpool sitting atop the Premier League table after a victory over defending champions Manchester United and the completion of another successful transfer window, the Reds' boss isn't getting much attention.

Since taking over at Anfield last summer, Rodgers has consistently made smart moves to upgrade the Liverpool roster. He's quickly proving a manager doesn't have to splash for high-priced players in order to rebuild a squad.

The trend continued on deadline day. Liverpool were able to bolster their defense by adding Mamadou Sakho from Paris Saint-Germain and Tiago Ilori from Sporting Lisbon.

They also helped the attack by bringing in Victor Moses on loan from Chelsea.

Rodgers talked about all the deals with James Carroll of the club's official site. He discussed the strengths of each new player and said the signing of Sakho is a massive coup for the Reds. Overall, he was happy with how the day went down.

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I'm obviously very pleased. The window this summer has been very productive for us. Sakho who we've brought in was probably a surprise for many people because he was highly rated at PSG and a French international player.

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He should be pleased. Once again, Liverpool were able to improve the squad without having to make any major investments in a single player, which are the deals that always come with a massive amount of risk.

The focus was more attainable targets, and it worked.

Perhaps his biggest move of the summer wasn't a signing at all. It was finding a way to have the transfer deadline pass without losing Luis Suarez. The dynamic striker was the focus of rampant speculation, but stayed at Anfield in the end.

Keeping Suarez made the entire set of signings even more impressive because it's now clear they were brought into the fold to help the squad improve rather than replace one of the top strikers in Europe.

When you compare the current Reds squad to the one that was in place when Rodgers took over, the progress is obvious.

The club is currently far more prepared to compete with the top clubs in the league than it was when last summer began.

Stalwart members of the squad like Steven Gerrard and Daniel Agger remain, but there's also a new wave of players providing support—Daniel Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho, Simon Mignolet and Sakho being among those additions.

Does that mean Liverpool are ready to beat out Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham to capture the league title this season? Probably not, but the club is clearly making major strides in the right direction.

Rodgers has played a major role in that process. He's brought in players that fit his system and give the Reds a better chance to compete without breaking the bank to do it. That's a task that's always easier said than done.

Maybe if Liverpool can keep building off their strong start following the international break, Rodgers will finally start getting the credit he deserves.