Owen on the attack

The England forward believes that Liverpool must adopt a more fluent attacking style if they are to regularly compete with the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal both at home and abroad. If the Reds are to improve they must, according to Owen, move beyond their long-ball strategy.

Owen said: It's a ball we play a lot, and we played it well in Cardiff.

"But we need to develop as a team. We are not the finished article but we need to develop and to go forward.

"Defensively we are very good, but we still have to improve to be considered among the very top sides.

"We have one of the best defences in the league, if not the best, but we have to develop more as a team going forward.

"Everyone wants the team to move on. It's been a backward step this season but we still have time to put it right and to get back to the level we were at.

"Obviously we have to improve a bit but I'm sure that is going to happen."