Well, it’s a joke. It has to be. Tom Hicks can’t be that stupid, can he? Maybe all that time spent with George Bush has affected his brain somehow.

And what of his 'silent' partner George Gillett, who seems to be enjoying the idiotic show his friend dishes out to bamboozled fans? Tom and Jerry, as they have come to be known, have a lot in common with their cartoon namesakes, making people laugh all the time. But it's sick laughter and fans are left asking: Are these guys for real?

While the team performs terribly I ask myself, do they know something we don’t? Is what they know so heinous that it could affect the players on the pitch? Now picture this. Fernando Torres struggling to find space against Inter Milan, looks up to the technical area for instructions from Rafa for a quick tip. Instead, there stands the new guy, the man the Yanks felt was the right guy for the job, Jurgen Klinsmann. “Dive, like I used to,” is the retort.

'Rafa Benitez remains the man destined for bringing the title back to Merseyside. Not this year, of course, but in the not-so-distant future'


Not a pretty picture. But it could all have been a sad reality. It is ironic that Klinsmann owns an agency called Soccer Solutions. One can almost picture Tom and Jerry shouting for the limousine driver to stop after seeing the sign in Los Angeles: “Maybe he can help us understand 'saaker', so the next time Steven Gerrard scores a 20-yard touchdown, we will understand the concept better.”

''Yes,Tom," quips Gillett, ”and when the Champions League play-offs start next month, we will be there when that Mexican youngster Torres scores the crack in, Rick Parry will be so proud of us.”

Back to the serious issues now. Rafa Benitez remains the man destined for bringing the title back to Merseyside. Not this year of course, but in the not-so-distant future. How must the man, wanted by so many top clubs, be feeling that the Liverpool top brass were lining up someone with absolutely no coaching pedigree to succeed him?

Most fans have now resigned themselves to Rafa’s exit, and would not blame him if he felt it was best to leave at the end of the season. The 'unemployed one', Jose Mourinho, is lurking around like a starving vulture, waiting with close anticipation for the wall to crumble. Maybe he should takeover at Newcastle, I’m sure he will last the average span of six months there.

Reports have emerged that DIC are back in the bidding. Good thing, too, as the American duo have clearly lied their way to Anfield. DIC, with Reds fan CEO Sameer Al Ansari, are the ones to take the club to the heights the fans expect. DIC, for Liverpool fans,could well stand for 'Do It Correctly'.

Moving to problems on the pitch, it is impossible to separate the boardroom from the white line. Fans watching the Luton and the Middlesbrough games will have been in a state of shock and disbelief at the display by the team, bar Riise and Kuyt, who were being the best they can be ,ie. Not good enough even for Luton Town..

Gerrard and Torres seem to be the only regular outlet at present, with Yossi Benayoun and Ryan Babel chipping in occasionally. But Kuyt has not found the net since November 24, and looks less of a goal threat with every passing game.

All in all, Rafa has his work cut out and hopefully, the players will pull their socks up for the embattled manager, and most important, their patient, suffering fans.