Michael Owen has insisted he is not shocked to see Liverpool just four points above the relegation zone, believing that they are a team dragged through by a couple of players.

“I am not particularly surprised,” he said. “I would say their position reflects where they are right now. They are in the middle of a transitional period and off the pitch they have had a change of ownership. They are also very reliant on a couple of star players and if they are out injured, they have tended to struggle.”