MICK McCarthy has admitted that his position is under threat but, with Liverpool hoping to pile on more misery this evening, the Sunderland boss denied that Saturday's post-match rant proved he is cracking under the pressure of trying to keep the Black Cats in the Premiership.

After weeks of defending his players to the hilt, McCarthy accused them of being both "gutless" and "embarrassing" in the wake of last weekend's 1-0 defeat to Birmingham, and questioned whether they had the ability to survive in the top-flight.

The emotional outburst underlined the frustrations being felt by the former Republic of Ireland boss, but also hinted at an inability to cope with the demands of leading a side who have now gone 18 games without a Premiership home win.

Ironically, that success came against Liverpool in December 2002 and, with the Anfield club back on Wearside this evening, McCarthy is aware that his job will be in jeopardy if their losing run is not arrested soon.

The Black Cats boss accepts that, having signed 12 new players in the summer, he is ultimately responsible for their failures.

But, while he will continue to criticise if he feels it is necessary, he insists his frankness should not be taken as a sign of weakening will.

"If I'm not under scrutiny now, there's something seriously wrong with the game," said McCarthy, who watched his side lose 1-0 at Liverpool in their second game of the season.

"If I wasn't under pressure with five points on the board and my team at the bottom of the Premiership, there would be something seriously wrong. It's acceptable and I don't shy away from it.

"I don't like it, but it's something I have to live with all the time. When I get up in the morning I'm thinking about the game and when I go to bed at night, I'm still thinking about the game.

"But people shouldn't take my demeanour after last weekend's game to mean I was felling the pressure.

"It's not what's driving me on or what's bothering me.

"It's trying to win games.

"It doesn't matter if it's a game of head tennis, a game of tiddlywinks or a game of Premiership football, I want to win and that won't change.

"People are saying I'm under pressure, but I don't think I'm walking around looking as though I have the weight of the world on my shoulders.

"I try to make sure that my demeanour is no different whether we're at the top of the league or the bottom."

Nevertheless, a successful manager does not feel the need to berate his players in public. Last weekend's verbal volley was startling in both its frankness and force.

McCarthy was scathing about his players' lack of belief and seemed to be suggesting they were destined for the Championship if they continued in the same vein.

Unsurprisingly, he has subsequently sought to qualify his criticisms, claiming he was happy with his side's effort but disappointed with the response to Birmingham's opening goal. This evening, he is hoping he will have to retract his comments completely.

"There's nothing I would like better than for them to stick two fingers up at me and say 'I'll show him that I'm good enough'," said McCarthy. "If they want to prove they are good enough and they want the ball, great.

"I won't say that what I said on Saturday was a last resort. I'm not sure it was provocation either. It was telling it as it was and being truthful about a performance.

"I'm not questioning their ability individually, but I have the right to expect more.

"I have never condemned them, never criticised them, never come out publicly and said anything. But it warranted it at the weekend - let's see how they come out and respond."

Publicly, at least, Sunderland's players have backed their manager's actions. Nyron Nosworthy has been one of the Black Cats' few success stories this season, but even he felt McCarthy was justified in everything that was said on Saturday night.

"We know what's acceptable and what isn't," said the full-back, who suffered relegation with Gillingham last season.

"We knew it wasn't good enough, but the gaffer told us as well.

"There's only one way to take harsh words like that.

"If you're going to take it negatively and be really down about it, that's your tough luck. I think you've got to be positive and take inspiration from whatever has been said."

While this evening's game pits Sunderland against the European champions, much of the pre-match build-up has focused on the meeting of two of England's most unsuccessful strikers.

Jon Stead has failed to find the target since making a £1.8m move to Sunderland in the summer, while his opposite number, Peter Crouch, has gone 20 games for club and country without hitting the back of the net.

"This is bound to be billed as the game in which Crouch will score," said McCarthy. "We have been shipping goals and he hasn't been scoring, so it's inevitable. People will think it's a certainty, but not all things that are certainties happen.

"Jonathan has done really well recently and, you never know, he might beat Crouch to the kill. He might get the goal that his play has deserved."

With Anthony Le Tallec barred from facing his permanent employers, Stead could be partnered by Chris Brown in preference to Andy Gray.

Alan Stubbs will not feature - the centre-half faces two weeks on the sidelines after straining his groin - and both Julio Arca and Stephen Elliott remain ruled out through injury.

* Liverpool still have doubts over the fitness of midfielder Xabi Alonso, who missed Saturday's win at Manchester City with an ankle problem.

The Spaniard is still suffering pain from the injury and may not be risked.

But boss Rafael Benitez expects to have Luis Garcia back in the squad following a hip injury received in the Champions League match with Real Betis.

Liverpool will be without winger Bolo Zenden, who could be out for a month with a knee injury and is out of the World Club Championship next month in Japan.

Read more about Sunderland here.