Kop revolt and Gerrard swipes at Liverpool boardroom unrest

Two goals in three second-half minutes had put Martin O'Neill's side within sight of a shock triumph. But England striker Crouch — on as a substitute — lashed home after Villa failed to clear, to prevent the Anfield crisis from deepening further.

It was clear from Gerrard's words at the final whistle that the continuing ownership saga involving George Gillett, Tom Hicks and Dubai Investment Capital was taking its toll.

The midfielder said: "It's not just this week it has been going on. It's certainly not helping the team. I have to be careful what I say but we know what's going on.

"The players have got a job to do on the pitch and you try to put it to the back of your mind. But it's impossible to ignore when it's going on every day."

Benitez refused the offer to back up his skipper.

He said: "I can understand why Steven has said what he has said but I prefer to analyse the game."

Liverpool's American owners were not present last night when the extent of feeling against them was made abundantly clear from the whistle.

There was little doubt as to the Kop's sentiments as both Gillett and Hicks were harangued in their absence.

Kevin Sampson of the campaign group Reclaim the Kop had earlier been scathing of the pair's motives.

He said: "The fans want them out — unconditionally. It's as simple as that. They are no good for us and no good for this club.

"Hicks and Gillett tried to capitalise on our goodwill and our unswerving love for this club. But they underestimated us.

"And the moment they admitted they had been plotting to oust Benitez, they may well have started saddling the horses because they are finished here. The fans despise them passionately."

There was speculation before kick-off as to exactly how much support existed for the proposed buyers. But it was soon made very clear.

There had been no protest marches on Anfield but the usual witty banners gave a clue.

'If it ain't broke, don't Hicks it' was far more clever than 'Yanks out'. But the best one was undoubtedly the slogan which read: 'One DIC is better than two'.

Goalkeeper Pepe Reina found himself with an avalanche of voices behind him. After a few introductory choruses, the fans rose as one and sung: 'They don't care about Rafa, they don't care about fans, Liverpool Football Club Is in the wrong hands'.

That was then substituted by the chant: 'Get out of our club, get out of our club, you lying b*******, get out of our club'.

Benitez blamed his team's failure to pick up a victory on the absence of a second goal after Yossi Benayoun had given Liverpool a 19th-minute lead.

The Israeli stuck out a leg during a goalmouth scramble, but Villa were so poor in the opening half that it seemed a comeback was out of the question.

However, Marlon Harewood netted a spectacular equaliser within seconds of coming off the bench and then Fabio Aurelio deflected Olof Mellberg's shot past Reina as Villa, unbeaten only once on their travels since February, sensed their first triumph at Anfield for nine years.

Benitez added: "You cannot finish the game if you do not get the second goal and we created enough chances to have done that. We have conceded goals from two set-pieces and the second was a deflection in a game that we were controlling.

"If we'd scored a second, we would be talking about a great game. I don't want to use what's going on as an excuse. Maybe it's affecting the players, maybe not."

O'Neill said: "I thought at halftime we could get something from the game and I told them we needed to have a bit more belief. We are delighted to have got something but disappointed that we did not see it through.

"We have a bit of a problem because our squad is not big enough. We should do something about it in the January window. That would be my only concern."