Back-to-back successes over Norwich City and Watford lifted Leicester back into the top half of the Premier League table and another three points against Southampton on Sunday could secure an eighth-place finish for his side.
Speaking following the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge against last season's European champions Chelsea on Thursday evening, which made it three games unbeaten for the Foxes, Rodgers feels the players will enter their last fixture – a 4pm BST kick-off at King Power Stadium – high on confidence.
“I think we’re getting a little bit of consistency back,” the Northern Irishman told the media, as he turned his attention to facing the Saints. “That’s been the challenge for us this season with the pandemic and players out. It’s been hard to get a consistent level of performance. The last couple of weeks have been really good, we’ve scored goals and defended well.
“Versus Chelsea, we had to show a different side to our game. We scored a great goal, but had to defend against a really good side. That gives you confidence. We’ll play differently at the weekend, and then hopefully finish with a win and it’ll be a good end to the season for us.
“Despite the season we’ve had, if we even halved our goals we’d conceded from corners, I think we’d be in the top six. So, it’s definitely something I have to improve with the team next season, and we will improve. They showed that they can do it against Chelsea.
“It’s just the level of aggression. It’s that ability to want to get to the ball first. We did that well throughout the night. They’ll get a deserved rest after the weekend and then we’ll have a hard pre-season. We’ll want to start the season well.”
Adding another goal to his collection in that Chelsea draw was James Maddison, who has played a key role in recent months. Scoring 17 times and contributing 11 assists across all competitions is the best return rate of the midfielder's career.
Following a difficult spell, Rodgers credited his attitude and a focus on all areas of his game as key to being able to produce the sort of displays which have brought his highest top-flight tally of 18 Premier League goal involvements (11 goals and seven assists).
“It’s all down to the player,” the 49-year-old said on City’s No.10. “What I’ve always tried to be with players is clear and give them clarity on where they need to improve. He’s the type of boy that you can do that with. He’s very honest. You can tell him. He’s a young man now who is maturing in his game all the time.
“He was in a vulnerable place, but he showed great courage to recognise that. And it’s just about stripping back his game and fundamentally getting the work into his legs and focusing on that and everything else comes with that with James, because he’s so talented.
“I love watching him play, I really enjoy seeing him in the game. How he takes the ball, how he can manoeuvre past top players, the threat he carries, the confidence he has... but he knows in my teams, you have to run, and you have to work.
“And then when you add that together for James Maddison – the intensity – you see how efficient he is. He’s one of the top English players over these last couple of seasons. You can’t argue with his talent and his quality and how he’s maturing as a footballer.
“His numbers prove that. He’s having to create and manufacture a lot of this himself. He’s a fantastic player, a big player for us and is improving all the time.”
Reaching the UEFA Europa Conference League last four, following the UEFA Europa League run, has brought a huge number of fixtures to contend with, which, at times, restricted Leicester’s ability to compete to the best of their ability in the league, the manager believes.
Looking ahead, Rodgers is keen to push on and create more memories, after guiding the Club to their first FA Cup triumph, the Community Shield and a maiden last-four appearance in European competition across the last 12 months.
The former Liverpool and Celtic manager explained: “We were three or four games behind teams this season and obviously we had the challenges with the injuries and European football. If you look at it, we’ve got an opportunity to finish eighth having got to a European semi-final.
“Apart from the top six and West Ham being above us, who have had a fantastic season, then it really shows how well these players have done. The last couple of years have been great for Leicester, being this team who challenges for Champions League, and we’ve won trophies, which is absolutely brilliant.
“But the reality for ourselves, when you look at the depth of our squad compared to Chelsea, we’re nowhere near that level. However, that doesn’t stop us competing and fighting.
“There’s always going to be a challenge for us to be up there. I certainly think we can fight like we’ve done for a couple of years. This is our 57th game and for a squad like ourselves without the depth, it’s a challenge.
“Next year, we’ll reset again, come back in the summer, be stronger and then we’ve got a full season to go again and hopefully be up there competing and disrupting the top teams. We will have extra coaching time to work. One game a week is a holiday, but let’s make it a good holiday and hopefully we will be up there again.
“I’m really looking forward to the summer already. Hopefully we can get in some players who can help us improve and develop. We’re going to have a real strong pre-season, get that robustness and strength back in the players, add some fresh energy into the squad and then we can really attack next season and see if we can be up there where we’ve been.”