Liverpool's American owners drove yesterday's series of public apologies after the controversy at Manchester United.

The Telegraph says during an extraordinary afternoon when Liverpool issued three chastening statements in an effort to repair the damage of another grubby episode, the club's American owners, Fenway Sports Group, took a hands-on role to restore a sense of order at Anfield.

FSG were furious about the sequence of events before and after the match, having recently demanded everyone at the club recognise the importance of repairing Liverpool's battered image.

After coming under mounting pressure, in both England and the United States to take the lead, this was the day the men in Boston took firm action.