LIVERPOOL will give Roy Hodgson every financial assistance if he chooses to pursue another striker when the transfer window re-opens on January 1

LIVERPOOL will give Roy Hodgson every financial assistance if he chooses to pursue another striker when the transfer window re-opens on January 1.

The Reds received more than £20m for Javier Mascherano when they sold him to Barcelona last month and were subsequently able to bring in Paul Konchesky and Raul Meireles before deadline day.

An intensive search to bring in a forward though, came to no avail, PSV Eindhoven’s Ola Toivonen was regarded as being too similar to the players they already have and their attempts to lure Bayern Munich’s Mario Gomez on loan were rebuffed.

Hodgson, whose side return to Premier League duty tomorrow with a difficult assignment at Birmingham City, is happy to spend the next three months with David Ngog and Ryan Babel as Fernando Torres’ understudies.

But if he decides that changes need to be made in the New Year, Liverpool have made it clear they will back his judgement and there are still funds in place for the manager.

As Hodgson points out, though, finding a player of the sufficient quality who is available – and can make a difference – is a task that is easier said than done.

“I wasn’t too disappointed (that he never signed a striker) as, quite frankly, I don’t think there was a great choice of centre-forwards out there – we didn’t see much movement,” Hodgson explained.

“There are a lot of clubs chasing a particular type of player and, at the minute, that player doesn’t exist in many copies.

“The money that we would have needed to sign that type came to the club very late. Only after we had received the Mascherano money could we have done a transfer at a high enough level.

“I would have been a little concerned that we were jumping into something without researching it and, quite frankly, I didn’t see the players out there that made me want to spend.

“I prefer to put my weight behind David Ngog, Ryan Babel, who has never really been given a chance as a striker. We have good players who can operate behind a lone striker.

“Until Christmas, we will have ample quality and possibilities to see us through that period. In the mean time, we will have chance to do thorough scouting. So maybe then if money was available in January, we would be able to take a look at the situation once again.”

The Reds have not beaten Birmingham in the Premier League since running out comfortable 3-0 winners in May 2004 but have recorded victories in both the FA Cup and Carling Cup in the intervening years.

Yet if they are to rectify the league statistic, Hodgson has warned his side will need to be at the top of their game.

“I think Birmingham will be strong this year,” said Hodgson. “They showed what a good team they are last season and their home form was extremely good.

“We know that Sunday’s match will be a very stern test. They will want to win, we will want to win and that’s how it should be. That’s what makes it such a fascinating league.”