IF only changing owners could be this simple. Confusion may reign off the field, but on it Liverpool enjoyed another straightforward affair last night.

Takeover talk made way for a walkover as Roy Hodgson's first home game in charge was marked with the expected stroll against Macedonia minnows FK Rabotnicki to book their place in today's draw for the UEFA Europa League qualifying play-off round.

Of course, it won't always be this easy. But the new Liverpool manager will be grateful for the further encouragement and confidence that will be garnered from this result.

From the moment David Ngog continued his goalscoring start to the campaign by heading the opener midway through the first half, this was nothing more than a glorified training session, a chance for many of his senior players to gain much-needed match fitness.

Inevitable, then, that thoughts should drift to the ongoing jostling for position among the runners and riders purportedly ready to take the club off the hands of unloved and unwanted American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

Liverpool's board have urged the talking to stop and potential buyers put words into actions with concrete offers, determined to avoid yet another long, drawn-out takeover saga.

And for Hodgson, the shadow boxing of pre-season is now at an end with his team's next outing the Premier League opener against Arsenal on Sunday week.