Henry finds Reds fans at a low ebb

Liverpool owner John Henry has revealed initial talks with supporters' groups brought to light the feelings of "disenfranchisement" many Reds fans have towards the Anfield club.

Having replaced the unpopular Tom Hicks and George Gillett at Anfield after a protracted buy-out which was dragged through the courts, Henry is keen to start making an impact as soon as possible, and met with supporters and local MPs on Monday to discuss the future of the club.

"We met with supporter groups. We didn't give any assurances - we're here to listen and to learn from them, and we learned a lot," Henry told reporters at the conclusion of the talks. "I think the biggest issue was the sense of disenfranchisement and their sense of not being a part of their own club, so that's what we discussed. This was a big first step."

Henry is under no illusions about the task which awaits him and NESV after their £300million takeover.

The 61-year-old, who as part of the NESV group of 17 investors is owner of the Boston Red Sox baseball franchise, was at Goodison Park on Sunday to watch Liverpool's 2-0 Merseyside derby defeat.

But it is unlikely the team slipping to 19th in the Barclays Premier League, on the back of one victory in eight matches, will have made much difference to his planning.

"What am I thinking? How much work this is going to be. How steep the learning curve is going to be. This is not going to be easy," he said after the Everton match.

"We realise the challenge that lies ahead if we are going to go toe to toe with the other big clubs.

"We are not asking for a long honeymoon. This is a contact sport we are in and the going can get rough sometimes. We realise that.

"We are not going to make any promises but we are going to listen and consider."