Former Liverpool star Jan Molby said today that the club's on and off-the-pitch problems was putting off top stars from joining Rafael Benitez's team.
Speaking to the Liverpool FC Supporters' Club New York through their MP Red Podcast, the 46-year-old - who played 281 times for the Reds between 1984 and 1996 - said that fans could no longer expect the world's star players to want to play for Liverpool.
Speaking to the Liverpool FC Supporters' Club New York through their MP Red Podcast, the 46-year-old - who played 281 times for the Reds between 1984 and 1996 - said that fans could no longer expect the world's star players to want to play for Liverpool.
"Liverpool right now is not something that anyone would want to get involved in," said Molby, "So what we [as fans] have to do is to concentrate on what we have got now. We have a manager in Rafael Benitez, we have a group of players, and we have to get on with it, to get the best out of that group of players.
"We can't keep turning up lists and hopes of what we can and can't do, we have to focus on what we have got. Other teams have had to do it for years, and Liverpool have to do that now."
Molby is one of a host of ex Liverpool stars to express concerns over the running of the club and the team's poor first half of the season, which has seen them crash out of the Champions League and lose seven Premier League games.
Last year Benitez admitted that the club's debt burden was affecting his side's title aspirations and co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett are continuing to face a growing backlash from Liverpool fans.
In an interview published by Goal.com UK yesterday Molby accused Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard of having a 'sulk on' this season whilst he labeled the contribution of new £20 million signing Alberto Aquilani as 'zero'.
Molby also believes that 23 year-old Dutch forward Ryan Babel - reportedly the target of an £8 million bid from Birmingham City - has underperformed at Anfield and would be no great loss to the club should he leave this month.
"Babel seems to not want to do what he has to, to get his head down and work hard, and to grab the opportunities he is given.
"He doesn't seem interested in that, and he seems to want everything in life a little easy."
Molby said Liverpool had conceded far too many goals this season from set pieces and blamed Benitez’s much maligned zonal-marking system.
"Personally I am not a fan [of zonal-marking]" he said, "I would like to pick our four best headers of the ball and say to them 'mark their [the opposition's] four most dangerous players', then let everyone else deal with the space
"As a player, you like something to hold on to, to say 'that's my man'. I'm sure the likes of [Martin] Skrtel, [Daniel] Agger and [Fernando] Torres would prefer to say 'that's my man, that's my responsibility'.
"It almost comes back to the blame game if you like, and with a man-marking system you know who is doing their job and who isn't."
And with the transfer window opening, giving Benitez a month in which to bolster his squad, Molby believes the Spaniard will be looking to bring in at least one new face to Anfield.
The Reds have been linked with a host of players including West Ham midfielder Scott Parker, whom Molby believes could flourish at Anfield.
"Parker probably went to Chelsea at the wrong time in his career," said Molby, "but I think he would do a good job at Liverpool with the way Rafa sets his side up.
But Molby is sceptical over whether out-of-favour Real Madrid striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy would be a shrewd signing.
"With Van Nistelrooy, I'm not sure Liverpool can give him enough games to get him back to the level he was once at. He is very much a penalty-box player, and the way Liverpool set up perhaps wouldn't suit his style."
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