Liverpool: Parry, Hicks and Gillett battle it out

Liverpool's Parry & the boardroom battle are media fodder once more

At the end of a week in which Liverpool reached their third Champions League semi-final in four years, after not reaching it for the previous twenty (a fact lost on Rafa Benitez's critics), Liverpool’s unseemly boardroom battle plunged new depths in the national media.

Tom Hicks letter to Rick Parry, demanding his resignation, and which was splashed all over the media, was sent in the in full knowledge that he couldn’t force Parry's resignation. Moreover he was unlikely to get it given the support Parry has from the rest of the board (Hicks and his son aside).

Parry himself remained dignified, commenting only on the need for unity and focus as Liverpool chase fourth place in the Premier League, and more glory in the Champions League. Rafa Benitez too, chose his words carefully, particularly as his criticism of Parry’s transfer dealings were part of the reasons given for demanding Parry’s resignation.

David Moores has been quoted as saying he’s ‘heartbroken’ at the present situation Liverpool find themselves in, and that he’s determined to put it right. What he can do is clearly limited but at least he’s in there battling for Liverpool’s future. You can’t help feeling sorry for Moores. He’s done what he believed was in the best interests of the club, only to see his beloved Liverpool become engulfed in all his worst nightmares rolled into one.

Sources in the press say DIC’s pursuit of Liverpool is ‘remorseless’, and the caveat that gives one of the partners veto on the sale of the other’s share runs out in a month. Then events should pick up, with DIC waiting in the wings to do a deal with Gillett, and then force Hicks out.

Liverpool is clearly a valuable commodity, given the amount of battling that is going on to take control of the club. It really is unclear how this is going to end. For someone supposedly looking for an exit Tom Hicks is doing a good impression of a man determined to remain in control, come what may. You would have to think that somethings got to give in the end; the question is whether it will be Hicks, or the opposite camp of Parry, Gillett and DIC.

The Footy Focus team is praying it’s Hicks! This Parry resignation row really is plumbing new depths, and is as Moores says making Liverpool a laughing stock!