Liverpool fans are prepared to turn their protests against Tom Hicks and George Gillett into a financial boycott of the club should the Americans remain in control at Anfield, a survey of 2,000 disillusioned supporters has found.
The Liverpool Supporters Network, a coalition of fanzines and leading websites, polled members this week in response to the uncertainty surrounding the ownership of the club and of the manager, Rafael Benitez, following Hicks's revelations that he and Gillett approached Jurgen Klinsmann about the Spaniard's job.
Unsurprisingly 99 per cent backed Benitez over the co-chairmen when asked who had the best interests of the club at heart and 98 per cent said they did not trust Gillett and Hicks after they reneged on their promise not to burden Liverpool with debt similar to the Glazer family's takeover of Manchester United.
That may become a reality today, however, with the Americans hoping to announce a £350 million loan with the Royal Bank of Scotland and the US bank Wachovia that would refinance their initial takeover and strengthen their control on the club in the short term at least. They will then be in a position to unveil their revised stadium proposals.
Liverpool are facing £30 million annual interest repayments should the Americans refinance and continue to resist offers to sell from Dubai International Capital, and supporters intend to exert their own financial pressures should Gillett and Hicks stay.
The survey found 76 per cent were willing to withdraw their financial commitment to the club in the form of match tickets, merchandising or subscriptions to the official Liverpool website. The Supporters Network will also propose extending the boycott to include club sponsors Carlsberg, the kit suppliers Adidas and even the RBS should the loan go through.
A spokesperson for the network, Neil Atkinson, said: "The results of this survey are indicative of the strength of feeling among Liverpool fans that the club is very much in the wrong hands at present.
"Tom Hicks and George Gillett are not trusted by Liverpool supporters and that three-quarters of fans would consider withdrawing their financial support of the club should the present owners remain in charge demonstrates how committed Liverpool fans are to seeing the club removed from the control of the present owners."
The striker Andriy Voronin was taken to hospital yesterday after damaging an ankle during training. The club has yet to put a timescale on the Ukrainian international's absence but he will certainly miss Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round tie against non-league Havant & Waterlooville. Also on the sidelines, and for at least the next fortnight, is Alvaro Arbeloa. The versatile defender suffered an abdominal injury during Monday's 2-2 draw with Aston Villa.
Mohamed Sissoko believes he could complete a move to Claudio Ranieri's Juventus by the end of the week. "It's a matter of a few days," Sissoko told the Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport. "A maximum of four days and then everything will be decided. I know there has been some movement but we have to wait. I've known Ranieri since my time at Valencia and I did really well with him. I confess that wearing the Juventus shirt would be the maximum for me."
The former Liverpool striker Milan Baros is a target of Portsmouth.
"We need more bodies up front," said manager Harry Redknapp. "That was the case before (Nwankwo) Kanu went (to the African Cup of Nations) and now we've only got two. Baros is a player I know. I like him and would be interested."
