TURNS out the departing Tom Hicks junior had the right idea – it was about time the Americans starting responding to supporters’ concerns directly.

Not in the way he did it of course. But communication between the owners and the fans is non-existent and that needs putting right.

Because the silence is too deafening.

Tommy Hicks broke it in a way which kind of sums up the three-year tenure of his father and George Gillett.

There were elements of stupidity in the way he stuck his abuse in an e-mail, in black and white – so it was always going to come out into the public domain and come back to haunt him.

It was a very strange response and only heightens the hostility between this regime and the Liverpool supporters.

However, Tommy was only really his dad’s eyes and ears around the place – him going is just a board member stepping down, and one who really wasn’t doing very much anyway.

The real problem with the current regime is there is no useful information from the club any more and the supporters would like to hear from these two about some very urgent issues.

About the possibility of the new ground, possibility of being able to buy new players at some point, how they perceive the club now and where they want to take it.

The chief executive Christian Purslow probably speaks to them on the phone which is fine – but does he speak to the two of them? Do Hicks and Gillett even speak to each other? How do they communicate?