There have been plenty of noises off at Anfield this year, in fact we’ve heard pretty much nothing else since the American owners fell out before Christmas. But I’m yet to hear anything from any of the parties that made quite as much sense as Tom Hicks blasting of Rick Parry. “We should have 20 sponsors, not three” said the Texan and it was hard to disagree. Hicks’ manner may be a problem but his business brain is spot on – by turning their backs on commercial opportunities Liverpool have left found themselves in direct competition with the likes of Villa and City, rather than the big three.

Now sharp observers will note that i am no LFC apologist, but it seems that the day Dalglish resigned in February 1991 was the day LFC ceased to be a competitive force in English football. Now they may have won three FA Cups, a UEFA Cup, a pair of League Cups and the fabled 2005 travesty in Istanbul but to all intents and purposes they relinquished their seat at the top of football’s highest table the day the Scot walked out following a cup defeat to Everton.

At the time most people thought Souness would carry on the Evil Empire pretty much as before with average players slotting in to a ready-made championship team as and when neccessary as had been the case for the previous 15-20 years. Fortunately Manchester United and Alex Ferguson raised the bar sufficiently to prevent this from happening and within a few seasons Liverpool were left trailing in the dust on and off the pitch as United badges turned up on everything from bedspreads to condoms.

As a result of a decade of doing things the ‘Liverpool Way’ ie. not speaking out of school and dealing with club politics ‘internally’, the scousers descended from their accustomed spot on the summit of Olympus unaware of the impact the Premier League was having on English football. In the meantime the team, ground and brand were allowed to wither on the vine. Poignantly, when United drew 2-2 there during the 1999 championship run-in, scousers celebrated as if they had won the league. Instead LFC finished seventh and United won the treble – the turnaround was complete, from Princes to Paupers in 8 short years.

Since Rafa’s arrival, in particular since the 2005 Istanbul travesty, Liverpool fans have rallied round, believing the rafalution will return them to pre-eminence. Yet this case has become harder and harder to make with each subsequent failure. 2006 saw Liverpool touted as Chelsea’s main challengers but United were the only club to push them in Mourinho’s quest for back-to-back titles. Last season they were puffed as Chelsea’s main rivals again only to fall out of contention before the leaves had fallen from the trees with three successive away defeats. This season a 0-0 draw at home to Birmingham in September from which Torres was rested as part of Rafa’s rotation policy, signalled the beginning of the end of another title bash.

Yet the in-fighting has allowed Rafa to escape all criticism since late last year when it emerged that Hicks and Gillette disagreed about the club’s future. LFC fans’ groups have been keeping their powder dry until the season is over (next Wednesday perhaps) while the media typically couch Liverpool’s season as a success ‘in spite of the on-going boardroom dissension’ forgetting of course that Benitez’s failures in the Premier League kicked it all off in the first place.

Last night’s semi-final was a chance for the Kremlinologists among the assembled journos to wonder at the proximity of Hicks, Parry, Gillette and the DIC rep. In truth, the speculation about Liverpool’s future ownership is becoming smokescreen that obscures Benitez’s failing as manager. An exit to Chelsea next week and his real record may finally get the close examination it deserves from both owners and fans.