Carragher looked really wound up as well, I don't know how true any of this is but it seems plausible that all is not well within the club right now.
Why would Real Madrid put in a bid for TAA unless they were encouraged to do so by his people? Nowadays hardly any clubs go around putting in bids without the player encouraging it. I agree with Carragher on that point, he has probably asked R.Madrid to put the bid in so at the end of the season when he leaves for free he can say well you were offered the money and didn't take it. Liverpool fans have not forgiven Owen and McManaman for the way they left the club and nowadays players are so PR driven he probably wants to take some heat off himself.