Owen: we need to improve

WORTHINGTON Cup final hero Michael Owen believes Liverpool must still “grow and develop” before they can be considered a top-ranked side.

Owen scored the second goal which secured the Cup against Manchester United on Sunday.

But the England striker will be aware his team still have their critics, especially in a season when Liverpool were expected to expand and improve their style and to cement their place back among the elite at home and in Europe.

That has not happened and 19-goal Owen, who has been used as the spearhead of what some might call a long-ball game, 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."

Meanwhile Roy Keane has admitted that beaten finalists Manchester United are now pinning their hopes on a Champions League triumph as they bid to stave off successive seasons without a trophy.

In the aftermath of Sunday's 2-0 Worthington Cup final defeat by Liverpool, Keane hinted he felt the club's Premiership title hopes had also been dealt a shattering blow by Arsenal's home win over Charlton.

"We have to get ourselves together now and try to put some pressure on Arsenal by beating Leeds," he said ahead of tomorrow night's Premiership battle.

"But we are eight points behind them, which puts them in a very strong position and again we are pinning our hopes on the European Cup, which is a dangerous game to play as we saw last season. What we have done so far this season counts for nothing because it's all about getting your hands on the trophies."

Both Keane and manager Sir Alex Ferguson have described going successive seasons without winning a trophy as "unthinkable", yet their weekend defeat, coupled with Arsenal's growing Premiership lead has made the prospect an uncomfortable reality.

If they are unable to drag Arsenal back, the Red Devils will have to maintain their impressive recent form in the Champions League in order to overcome the likes of AC Milan, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Juventus, all of whom are likely to advance with them into the last eight of the competition.

"By not winning, we let the fans down," said Keane.

"The players, staff and management are all upset at this defeat it was a disaster but it's probably nowhere near as bad as it is for the fans. There is no doubt they will be hurting, we are as well because we wanted to get some silverware but there is nothing we can do about it now.