With Liverpool fans putting the blame of their current dismal situation, dwelling in the relegation zone, on their American owners, Sir Alex Ferguson questioned Rafael Benitez’s input to their financial situation.

“I don’t know if Liverpool’s current situation is anything to do with the financial position,” said Ferguson. “In the last regime they spent a lot of money on players, far more than Manchester United did. They had a huge squad of players, so I don’t know if the financial position is anything to do with it. I really don’t know because I’m not there. So I can’t judge what the impact of these things is.”

You see, in Benitez’s time at the club, only Chelsea and Manchester City have spent more money on players. Liverpool fans complain about net spend, with Benitez selling so many players (who needs Alonso when you’ve got Lucas eh? Who needs Peter Crouch, Robbie Keane or Craig Bellamy when you’ve got David N’Gog?), however, when it comes to net spend, just four teams have spent more. When you consider that Liverpool finished 4th the season before Benitez took over, then 7th in his last season, you have to wonder what he spent all that money on? It certainly wasn’t for the betterment of the team. He just plunged them further in debt and had nothing to show for it on the pitch.

So, after spending months protesting with their ‘YANKS OUT!’ banners, Liverpool fans have welcomed new Yank owner, John Henry, with open arms. Understandably, former Yank owner, Tom Hicks, is not impressed.

“We did have the funds available to pay off RBS in its entirety,” he said. “But between RBS and the chairman and the employees that conspired against us, we could not pay off the debt. This was an organised conspiracy and it went on for months. It consisted of the Royal Bank of Scotland, Martin Broughton – who wanted a good PR event in his life because he’s a Chelsea fan, he’s not even a Liverpool fan – he wanted to be seen as the guy who got rid of the Americans.”

However, it is Hicks’ attack on what Liverpool fans comically used to refer to as the “Rafalution” which will add to his unpopularity in the slums, particularly given he quotes Sir Alex Ferguson to make his point.

“I read a very interesting article in which Alex Ferguson said ‘Rafa had more money to spend than the rest of us, he just bought bad players’. Rafa lost the club,” he said. “We didn’t finish at the top – that’s not the fault of the owners, we spent good money. Rafa has to take accountability for his own results.”

Lesson learnt. Ferguson always know best.