Liverpool fans' groups have criticised Tom Hicks' latest attack on the way the club is run as "destabilising" ahead of next week's Champions League semi-final.

Neil Atkinson, the chairman of the Spirit of Shankly group set up to fight the Americans' ownership, is angry at the timing of the Texan's comments: "We have a European Cup semi-final coming up in a few days time and this is a terrible time to do what he has done," Atkinson said. "He [Hicks] thinks he can rattle out this sort of stuff and leave everyone to get on with it. Rather than be silent and stay in the background over the next four or five weeks. He had one big go in the week between the Arsenal semi-final and the Hillsborough memorial service.

"There were huge numbers of supporters grieving for loved ones. It was a time to be respectful and understand what this football club is all about. But Mr Hicks seems to have no respect for anyone. He didn't say anything on the day of the service, but straight afterwards he is up and running again.

"Tom Hicks has got no respect for football or this club. The man cannot be trusted at all. He said there would be no debt on the club, but that is not what has happened. The situation with Rick Parry is really an irrelevance. He is good for one thing only, and that is his vote at board meetings to keep Hicks at bay. Apart from that, it looks as if whoever ends up owning the club, be it Hicks or DIC, Rick Parry probably won't be in a job any more."

Les Lawson, spokesman for the Liverpool supporters' club, believes that nothing Hicks has said will change the view the fans have of him. "We've seen what Hicks has said and we still want him out," He said. "For all this to come out again as we are about to play Chelsea in the Champions League semi-final has angered the fans more."