Redknapp: Kop stars can't hide behind boardroom squabbles

Jaime Redknapp has called on the Liverpool players to "show character" and not use the Anfield takeover saga as an excuse for failure this season.

The former Kop favourite accused current owners George Gillett and Toms Hicks of "destroying the club" which has slumped into the bottom three.

But Redknapp insisted there should be too much quality in a squad containing Stevie Gerrard and Fernando Torres to worry about the drop.

And he said Liverpool needed to show greater fight and determination - starting with the Merseyside derby next weekend.

"I heard Roy Hodgson say they are in a relegation battle but I don't see that for one second," said the former England midfield.

"But it doesn't get any easier. Next up is Everton at Goodison Park and I know how difficult it is to go there. I have played there countless times and it is tough.

"At the moment they have got to show character. I think the players can't use it as an excuse. Although it is very difficult when you are playing because people are protesting and it doesn't make it enjoyable, the players have to get on with it.

"They can't use it as an excuse - and say it is the financial situation or the owners. They have to play for the club . They are at a great football club and the performances have to improve.

"With the players they have, they shouldn't be in the bottom three so fingers crossed they can turn it around."

But Rednapp has called for a swift resolution to the power struggle at the club so Hodgson can invest in the transfer market in January.

"The club has fallen behind the other big teams and it needs to get into a better financial situation," said the 37-year-old, who spent 11 years at Anfield.

"In a dream world, you would like the same money as the Abramovichs and the Man Citys of this world but at the moment we can't really be choosers.

"We have got to get the club financially better and then get a new stadium if possible. And then they will be attracting better players.

"If Liverpool want to get back and be a force in the future, they have to be looking at the better players in the market and not signing players who are coming to the end of the road. They have got to be going for the big names and you are not going to be able to do that unless you can compete financially.

"The guy who is trying to takeover owns the Boston Red Sox so he will be in a better financial situation than Gillett and Hicks. It is just not working. For the good of the club, I hope they can turn around Liverpool's fortunes. It is a bad situation that needs to be dealt with quickly, I think they are destroying the club.

"I am just hoping they will come to their senses and just do what is right for Liverpool. There is the money but it is a very proud place. It is about the people and the community and the finances and the position they are in the league are pretty scarey."

Former West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola added: "As a football supporter, you don't want to see a team like Liverpool struggling. A lot is down to the fact that they have had a lot of trouble with the club and that is affecting the players. But they will come back and I hope they come back strong because it is a good club. "