Liverpool hero John Aldridge has called for the club's American owners to sort out their financial problems. George Gillett and Tom Hicks have come under fire from Liverpool fans worried over transfer spending and their treatment of manager Rafael Benitez.

Plans for a new stadium have been beset by delays and Aldridge is concerned by the direction the club is heading.

"The club's not really getting run at at the moment; it's getting neglected," the former Reds striker told BBC Sport.

"Whilst the Americans have their problems, the club is getting deeper and deeper into trouble, especially with the new stadium and everything else."

He continued: "On the pitch (Liverpool) are not doing too badly, they're holding their own, but the stadium is nowhere near to what it should be at this time.

"But that is just part of what's happened unfortunately.

"Liverpool Football Club never do their business in public, but over the last 12 months or so it has become publicised.

"The Americans have done a lot of homework, but they obviously don't know the true history and how the club goes about itself."

Aldrige, a supporter of Share Liverpool FC, also has fears of new Premiership power Manchester City.

"All of a sudden they (Manchester City) have got this sugar daddy who is going to make them into a force," he said.

"We've hung on to third or fourth spot in the last few years, and done well in Europe, but that's a must now because Man City are going to come into the fold.

"If we get pushed out of that top four, all of a sudden the stadium problems escalate and the board problems escalate.

"We could be in a bit of the mess. We're in a bit of a mess at the moment, on the pitch we're OK, but you can see it getting worse."