It has been an action packed two weeks since I last sat in front of a computer to write an article here on WFC, both personally and in footballing terms. Over the last 7 days, I have been travelling around Italy, taking in Sicily, Sardinia, Bari and Venice. Back home, however, the action around Merseyside and, indeed, the High Court has been on a completely different level.

As I departed from Liverpool airport last Friday evening, a sudden change in the ownership dynamic of Liverpool Football Club was taking place, with the board of directors, Ian Ayres, Christian Purslow and Martin Broughton, seemingly reaching an agreement over a proposed sale to New England Sports Ventures. However, as has become expected with Hicks and Gillett, things were not allowed to proceed as smoothly as the red half of Merseyside would have hoped.

Rather than accept the decision reached by the board, Hicks set out on a course to undermine their judgment. This despite the fact that he and Gillett had signed a contract with RBS, agreeing to rescind all powers in such matters, in order to secure a 6 month extension on their finance agreement. Instead, Hicks moved to dismiss the board and replace them with new members, specifically to override the decision that had been reached. RBS then filed legal proceedings against Hicks for being in breach of the contract.

Mr. Justice Floyd had choice words for the Texans, admonishing them for disrespecting his previous decision and continuing to giggle over his wig.

In the week that followed, there has been much backwards and forwards activity, in what can only be described as vintage comedy. The High Court in England ruled in favour of RBS and it appeared that the proposed sale would now be free to go through. Ayres, Purslow and Broughton were not only legally entitled to agree the sale, but Hicks was declared unable by law to challenge it. The very next morning, it emerged that Hicks had sought a temporary restraining order in the courts in Dallas that would block the sale.

The High Court was again the centre of attention, with Liverpool fan’s new BFF, Justice Floyd, not only implementing an injunction against the Americans, to get their restraining order removed, but also chastising the pair for their behaviour. Hicks complied, having the restraining order removed  but as late as this morning, it was not clear whether this was a move to permit the sale or an attempt to instigate a sale to Mill Financial.

Just hours ago, the American co-owners seemingly conceded defeat, although based on recent events, a change of heart may not be surprising. As things currently stand, the £300m sale to NESV, the group headed by John Henry, seems all set to be ratified. This will not be the end of things, though, as Hicks is now determined to sue for £1bn in damages!

To offset the bluster of the Texans, John Henry assumed the persona of a more 'mild mannered' American hero

As if all of this was not enough to set hearts racing, there is also the little matter of a Merseyside derby to contend with this weekend!

In one of the fiercest rivalries in world football, the stakes are suddenly quite different, this time around. After terrible starts by both of the Liverpudlian clubs, Sunday’s match shapes up as a desperate relegation battle.  The Reds find themselves in 18th place with just one win in their opening seven games.  The Toffees sit one place above their rivals, with an equally bad record, albeit three goals to the better.

The circumstances ensure that there is much more riding on this encounter than any of the previous duels. A loss for Everton would plunge them back into the relegation zone, whilst a loss for Liverpool would cast more uncertainty on the ability of the players and manager, just as there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel. It is too early to claim that this is a defining game, but there is clearly a hell of a lot at stake for both sets of players and fans.

In recent times, I have been a little negative about my team and that mood, despite the promiseof the developing situation, is still quite firmly in place for me.  My day job requires me to work alongside several Everton and Manchester United fans.  It hasn’t been an easy time for me, since the season began, and I can only thank my lucky stars that I’ve been out of the country whilst the Hicks and Gillett circus has been in town. Similarly, a bad result for my Reds this weekend may result in me wishing I was still out of the country, as the knives will surely be out.

Everton, despite being low in the table and struggling to pick up points, have actually not played that badly this season. I believe their position in the league is not really in keeping with their performances. Having gallantly fought back from 3-1 down against Manchester United to share the points in a 3-3 thriller, their most recent outing was a very impressive 2-0 win at Birmingham, who, of course, had not been beaten at home in a year.

Matt doesn't hold a sunny disposition towards the Red's chances.

On the other side of Stanley Park, Liverpool have struggled to impress having lost two and drawn three of their last five games. During that time, they have been dumped out of the League Cup by a resolute Northampton Town and, most recently, gone down 2-1 at home to an Ian Holloway led Blackpool side.

It says a lot that, coming into the match, ‘Olly declared that he was going to send his players out to go for the jugular. So low was the level of recent performance from the Reds that an opposition manager, of a team which would normally never be expected to beat them, was brazenly confident, even at Anfield!

For Everton, there is uncertainty surrounding the fitness of Marouane Fellaini and Phil Jagielka, both hamstrung.  Fellaini has been ruled out for six weeks but David Moyes is hopeful for Jagielka’s return.

“He is not as bad as we first thought but it may just come too quick for him – that is the way it is looking at this moment in time.” –Manager Moyes on Phil Jagielka’s possible recovery for Sunday

Despite much recent success against Everton, I find this encounter extremely difficult to judge. The gut tells me that Liverpool will take heart from recent events and bounce back from their recent troubles, to record a long overdue win.  The brain, however, is warning me very strongly not to put anything down on that.  The fight that is so necessary in this type of match has been missing from the Liverpool team for quite some time now, whilst Everton, despite the returns, have been as vociferous as ever.

Whilst I still hold some hope, apprehension and a distinct lack of confidence have definitely taken the fore, so I’ve fingers crossed for a win, would be satisfied with a draw but would not be surprised a bit by a loss.

anfield, david moyes, everton, hicks & gillett, Liverpool, marouane fellaini, martin broughton, merseyside derby, nesv, phil jagielka, reds, stanley park, the scouser report, toffees