Liverpool fans gathered at Anfield yesterday to protest against the club's American owners.

Tom Hicks and George Gillett, who bought the Reds in 2007, recently announced their intention to sell the club, which is currently £351million in debt.

The news that the club have parted company with manager Rafael Benitez sparked the impromptu protest, which swelled by word of mouth.

James McKenna, spokesman for the Spirit of Shankly fans group, said: "This has not been arranged by Spirit of Shankly, but fans have just started turning up.

"It is not necessarily about the manager, but about how Tom Hicks and George Gillett are continuing to run this football club - they are running it into the ground.

"What has happened to the manager is the straw that has broken the camel's back. They have got rid of him because of the financial situation.

"People have seen the lies and the broken promises from Hicks and Gillett about the new stadium.

"They always said they would back the manager. He has gone in and asked for a transfer budget but that budget cannot be provided because of the financial situation."

Failure to qualify for next season's Champions League could have serious financial implications for the club and the board feel a change of manager is necessary for fresh impetus.

But McKenna added: "No manager should be undermined by the financial situation of a football club and that is what has happened.

"There are 200 people here now and hopefully that is going to grow.

"Last season was disappointing but to me that is a direct consequence of the financial mismanagement of this club.

"Rafa is a world-class manager and he will probably go on to bigger and better things."