Wigan Chairman Dave Whelan says he feels for Liverpool supporters with the way things are at Anfield at the moment.

Reds boss Rafa Benitez hasn’t been backed fully by the club’s owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks and this season’s form has left supporters with little to smile about.

Whelan said: “The big sympathy I have is for the Liverpool supporters because they are a fantastic lot.

“Liverpool are in a mess. The owners, being American, I don’t think they feel what we feel. I’m really, really sorry for their supporters.”

He added: “We went to Anfield earlier in the season and there’s absolutely no atmosphere and no heart at all at present.

“The supporters feel that and I think the players are starting to feel it.”