Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez remains determined to hold onto power at Anfield ahead of his planned meeting with the club's American owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks.

The Times says the manager is not willing to let the club dilute his power or relax their spending in the transfer market, which he maintains is not comparable to that of Manchester United, who visit Anfield on Sunday.

Benitez is expected to apologise for his part in the "misunderstanding" that led him to criticise Hicks and Gillett for their supposed lack of knowledge about transfer matters but, while a conciliatory approach should stabilise his regime for the immediate future, the Spaniard's position remains precarious in the longer term because of his differences with the board.

Benitez is eager to stay on, but some of the noises emanating from Anfield are disconcerting, with the tension likely to be fuelled by the Spaniard's reminder yesterday that his summer spending - which Hicks viewed as an act of benevolence on his part - did not come near to that of United, the Barclays Premier League champions.