BG

Rafa looks like David Brent. I worship a man who looks like David Brent.

Has Garcia actually gone?

IMHO the images shown are of such terrible quality that I find it completely inconceivable that they would have been produced by HKS.

My Spanish is far from perfect but I've just read an article on AS.com. Gil is, in my opinion, quite clearly, now starting to condition Athletico fans to the fact that Torres may well be off. Saying that no one is irreplacable, that they're after Forlan as someone who complements Torres, but also, if necessary as an alternative. Saying that they want Torres to stay but it's all up to him etc etc.

Surely more hasta luego if you'r round for the next couple of days.

I suspect in retrospect that may have been the result of some encouragement fro Rafa...

Very close to Barcelona. We must be swapping him for Eto'o.

Last few hours.

Various Spanish websites are saying that Torres can leave for E36m and that our offer is E24m plus Sangria. I can't see us going to that sort of money personally.

It is, but so is the endless stream (and it is now pretty endless) of people who've seen them, enjoy telling others they've seen them but don't descibe it and can't post the pictures...

You should calm down a bit. The desperation shown here for the pics is laughable. As is the holier than thou moralising of some of those who've seen them. I was under the impression you'd just finished your school exams so talking about puberty (which you're probably still in the midst of) may not be best place to start insulting other posters.

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This seems to be true. El Mundo Deportivo (the Barca equivalent of Marca) are reporting it and saying he has already signed. Here Maybe bad news for us on the Torres front.

Don't worry. Rick's not got his hands behind his back for no reason.

Here.

There are relatively detailed descriptions on The Liverpool Way forum of what it's like. And it's certainly not the pic above.

Vintage Parry. The moustache is a brilliant touch.

I note that Rick today appeared WITHOUT a tie. Open-necked Rick. Also seems to confirm that Rick is not on a goalkeeping course.

Don't worry. He's popping down the road to an internet cafe and asking to use their fax machine as necessary. And once Benayoun deal agreed he'll just nip into Western Union to transfer the cash.

Agreed. It seems to me to have been naive to think that a source was going to let him release what would have been a significant excusive which would have been picked up on by the mainstream media within minute... Bit unfair that. Koptalk would say they could reveal it if you joined a premium site.

Owen and Bent are very different - Bent can play one up for a start which Owen can't. I've not seen him enough to really judge but have always thought he looked good against us. Im a fan of Owen but there wouldn't be this clamour for him if he hadn't played for us before IMO. He's made 50 club appearances in the last three years. That would worry me a bit.

Agree 100%. if money is tight I fing Lucas and potentially Benayoun very odd signings indeed. Lcas may be very good for I all I know but I doubt he's going to improve a position a top player. Rafa talked about taking "two steps" to catch up with the others. Benayoun will not do that. To me, as to many others on here, it seems obvious that we don't need a bigger squad, we need a squad with two more top level attacking players. In the big games we lost this season (United and Barca at home, the final spring to mind) I couldn't help but think we'd have won all of them with one or two top level attacking players. Without them, even with a bigger squad, I'd say we're looking at the fight for third again.

I would imagine that to be about 30 seconds after they are initially annouced...why would the provider give the ok before then? If someone posts them they'll be on the BBC within five minutes. Were I G or H I'd want to announce them myself rather than have them shown to the world by ynwa.tv A decent description wouldn't go amiss though.

Some lad over on TLW claims to have emailed Tom Hicks and got a personal reply saying we are in negotiations with several top players. Hope this helps.