Inter Milan and ex-Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez blames the club’s previous American owners and managing director Christian Purslow for the woes that the Reds are facing currently.

Benitez left Liverpool for the European champions in the close season but, with so many English journalists in town for Wednesday’s Champions League Group A match with Spurs, many of the questions at his news conference focused on his former side.

Liverpool were sold to New England Sports Ventures last week after a legal battle with unpopular American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett but still lost 2-0 to city rivals Everton on Sunday to prolong a slump which started in Benitez’s final season.

“The only thing I can say is that I am very sorry for the fans. We have a saying in Spanish that says ‘white liquid in a bottle has to be milk’,” the Spaniard said.

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European and Itallian champions Inter Milan and Rafael Benitez are after the signature of Bafana star and current Everton player Steven Pienaar.

Pienaar, who left the country two days ago after an extended holiday following the World Cup has been under the radar of new Inter coach Rafael Benitez, who is believed to instructed Inter president Massimo Moratti to contact the Blues with a view to signing Pienaar.

Pienaar had an impressive run last season where he was also voted Everton’s player of the season. That performance got the attention of a number of major clubs including Liverpool. The player has yet to reach an agreement on a new deal at Goodison and David Moyes is keen to avoid the type of ongoing saga that saw Jolean Lescott leave the club in acrimonious circumstances last season.

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After six years in charge, Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has left the Reds by mutual consent.

The club have agreed a compensation package with the 50-year-old after a turbulent 2009-10 season.

Liverpool, having begun the campaign among the title favourites, finished a disappointing seventh in the Barclays Premier League and were eliminated from the Champions League at the group stage.

The Premier League result represented an alarming slide for the club after a runners-up finish the previous season.

Benitez, who memorably led the Reds to Champions League glory in 2005, told the club’s official website, www.liverpoolfc.tv: “It is very sad for me to announce that I will no longer be manager of Liverpool FC.

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Liverpool‘s 2 – 1 victory over Wigan Athletic last night at Anfield came as a welcome relief for Red’s boss Rafael Benitez.

Young French striker David Ngog’s 10th-minute glancing header from Fabio Aurelio’s cross and Fernando Torres’ second-half scrambled effort proved enough to see off a Latics side, for whom Charles N’Zogbia scored an injury-time consolation.

It was only Liverpool’s fourth win in 16 matches and just their second at Anfield since September 26 but it will do much for the team’s shaky confidence.

Although Ngog impressed in the first half the crowd eagerly awaited the arrival of substitute Torres for his 100th appearance, which eventually came in the 64th minute. The striker duly delivered with his 61st goal for Liverpool to wrap up victory.

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