Source: Telegraph
Liverpool's crunch week as Tom Hicks arrives in town
The importance of the week is underlined by the expected presence of the club's co-owner, Tom Hicks, who will arrive on Merseyside ahead of Sunday's Premier League match with Chelsea.[LNB]Hicks is saddling up to ride to the rescue of manager Rafael Benitez, bearing promises to sort out a new long-term contract to tie him to the club until 2013 which would underline the American's own commitment to Liverpool.[LNB]That commitment was seemingly strengthened yesterday when sources at the Royal Bank of Scotland, with whom Hicks and his business partner George Gillett have a £350 million loan due for repayment or refinance in July, suggested the bank were not expecting any movement on the club's ownership until July.[LNB]Reports in Texas suggest that Hicks has reaffirmed his desire to remain involved with Liverpool, telling friends in Dallas they "shouldn't believe what they read" about his desire to sell up and that he was instead seeking investors who could buy out Gillett.[LNB]Such a deal is unlikely, with sources in the Gulf suggesting that any Arab buyer would want full control. Any hope of a deal with the Kuwaiti Al-Kharafi family seemingly ended when details of talks became public. Gillett, meanwhile, is unwilling to sell up unless Hicks does the same.[LNB]No doubt these issues will all be on the agenda when Hicks and Benitez meet, as well as the Spaniard's demand for full control over transfers, the sticking point in his contract talks. So too, possibly, will be Liverpool's stuttering form.[LNB]Benitez's side have beaten only Preston this month and face a daunting run of fixtures, taking in tomorrow's game at Wigan, the visit of Chelsea and the journey to Goodison Park for an FA Cup replay on Wednesday.[LNB]That this is a key week in shaping the nature of Liverpool's season is not lost on the players. Two derby draws with Everton have added to the doubts about their ability to compete on three fronts, but midfielder Xabi Alonso is confident the best is yet to come.[LNB]He said: "We had enough chances to score the second goal and that is something we have to correct. We have to keep on going as we have been this season but it is important to be critical of ourselves.[LNB]"We played better in the second game against Everton than in the first. We controlled the game on Sunday but we're not happy with the mistake we made for their goal. We never fear anyone, but we know we can improve in certain areas." [LNB]
