Liverpool legend Steve Nicol says the Reds have nobody else to blame but themselves for their shock FA Cup loss to underdogs Barnsley at Anfield over the weekend.

Nicol, currently on the Island with the New England Revolution, said his former club were clearly the better team on the day and as such should have been able to put the match away.

"I'm absolutely shocked to say the least," Nicol told The Royal Gazette. "I'm completely gutted and I feel it.

"Whenever Liverpool win it's great and when they lose it's definitely no fun. But clearly Liverpool are a better team than Barnsley.

"They had chances but not enough clear ones that would have told you they were far superior to Barnsley."

The Reds went ahead in the 32nd minute through a strike from Dirk Kuyt, only for Barnsley to draw level on 57 minutes with a goal by Stephen Foster.

Brian Howard's 90th-minute dagger finally settled the cup tie, and put a slight damper on Nicol's annual pre-season pilgrimage to Bermuda with the Revs.

Nicol added: "Liverpool should have comfortably won the game. It's always easy to say that, but at the end of the day you have to go out there and do it and unfortunately when you don't you have to suffer the consequences."

Hardly before the dust had settled on the Reds' shock cup exit, local Liverpool fans were calling for the head of manager Rafa Benitez to roll.

Nicol, however, disagreed and called on Liverpool supporters to exercise patience with their manager through this difficult period.

"I'm not for sacking the coach because you have to remember six months ago he had them in the Champions League final," he said. "You have to remember at times things can become difficult and at the moment Liverpool are having a difficult time. I would prefer they didn't sack the coach."