I think the Americans are hiding from the reality that it is time for them to put their money where their mouths are or try to press ahead with making sure they can get a sale.

But if they have got nothing to hide, they should both come over for one game, and whether it’s to a press conference or a shareholders’ meeting, come out and say what their intention is for the football club.

Answer all questions, get everything out in the open and then go back to hibernating in America again if you want.

But everyone connected with Liverpool Football Club deserves some answers.

They have had to endure all sorts of nonsense totally out of keeping with the traditions of the club since that dark day the Americans completed their takeover almost three years ago.

They deserve better than to be worried about whether their best players will have to be sold, a fear manager Rafael Benitez revealed he has for the first time this week.

I’ve never been one for the scare stories about Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres but the longer all this goes on it just gives the lads the perfect excuse to leave

The owners could just take it out of Benitez’s hands and say: “What, £120-130million for two players? You’re on!”

It is a great worry.

But the behaviour of the Americans is worrying. They’re never at the games, they were looking to replace the manager when he was doing well and now this e-mail row.

They certainly don’t have the Midas Touch – everything they touch turns to debt instead of gold.

Of course, addressing fans’ concerns won’t help repair the relationship so you can understand why they remain distant.

But surely just as a gesture of good will they should come out and make contact to show that they don’t hold any personal ill feeling towards them.

And that would be a far more sincere way of apologising for the younger Hicks’ bizarre actions.

Mark Lawrenson was talking to NICK SMITH