fh

Well, there is that. Plus, he also told a mate of mine a couple of years ago when it looked like Rafa might go to Real Madrid that he felt that way

This is an idea that Parry himself subscribes to. And who would argue against him whispering same in G&H's ears? And them believing him - after all, they know very little about football and have to rely on others for advice.

Agreed. Parry's an accountant. And a good one. But he's no CEO. Anyone worth anything as a CEO would not have let this last week happen. Whoever started it, who ever was a at fault, Parry should have calmed everything down and got things under control immediately.

Don't know if this is to the point or not but a couple of years ago, when it looked as if Rafa was goign to go to Real Madrid, someone I know who was well connected to the old regime told me that Parry wasn't in the slightest bit worried, that he wanted Rafa to stay but also believed that managers, no matter who they were, were always replaceable. That all you had to do was put the word out and you'd find another one just as able as Rafa eager to come work for us.

This sounds like a good idea to me

That is so strange. I must be wrong. Old age, I guess, but I have this really strong image of him walking down the pitch towards the Kop goal to take penalties.

Anyone remember when our outfield players were so poor at penalties that Clemence used to take them? As I remember it, he never missed but is that right?

No, it's not just you. It reads like it was written by someone who's never heard of the notion of premise followed by discussion, followed by conclusion. He just makes points arbitrarily, almost none of which contribute to the overall argument.

Of course he's not a moron. I never suggested that. I was wondering if, as sometimes it's hard to understand the mores of a foreign country when you move there, perhaps after the press reaction to the Burnley game, he might think that we in England - unlike in Spain where, as I understand it, the cup is very much a third class competition - believe that all the cups are as important as the league and European games? And thus he doesn't get that we want him to prioritize the Premiership above all?

Isn't the argument about which games Rafa should rest Torres, Gerrard, Carra etc for, not whether or not he should rest them at all? Most people would agree that they can't play every game... and would be happy to see them sitting out domestic cup games. But Rafa seems to think differently. Is this perhaps because he doesn't really understand the way things work in this country? In his first year here, he was given a seriously hard time for the weak team he put out against Burnley in the FA Cup, slated for not taking the competition seriously. So maybe he's misunderstood how we feel about the domestic cups. I know from moving to a foreign country myself how difficult it can be to understand the nuances of a new culture, particularly if you're trying to operate in a language that is not your own.

And maybe Torres feels that way too? Not that it's more important overall but one of the main reasons he left Spain was to play Champions League. How would he have felt being rested on what should have been his debut appearance?

Can't seem to find it but there was a bit in the Guardian yesterday, written by Daniel Taylor, their Manc correspondent, saying that though United were still insisting publically that they wouldn;t give Heinze up to us, behind the scenes their stance had softened and they were prepared to negotiate....

If you do decide to watch it, try the Great Canadian Pub - yes, I know, awful name - in St Germain on the river. It's a good place - I watched the Chelsea semi-final there last year and it was full of reds.

It gets worse. At the semi-final, I was in the Tambling Suite. Accessed through the Spackman Reception

Not that they necessarily know anything, but the last few weeks in that run down they do of who's injured, doubtful, suspended etc. Guardian has had him out until August. Mind you, according to the Independent, he doesn't exist at all

Touch of technocretinhood on my part

I was sat about five seats away from Luis Garcia! Good on him - he could have gone in the director's box but he was in with Liverpool fans. And very embarassed when he was spotted and we all started singing his song to him. But he hung around at half time rather than running off and had his piccie taken with lots of us. http://www.ynwa.tv/forum/style_images/ynwa...icons/icon1.gif http://www.ynwa.tv/forum/style_images/ynwa...icons/icon1.gif On the down side, Michael Howard was four rows down from me. http://www.ynwa.tv/forum/style_images/ynwa...icons/icon7.gif http://www.ynwa.tv/forum/style_images/ynwa...icons/icon7.gif

I remember one taken at the time of him in the pub with it but would have no idea how to find it

Maybe you've also got passes to the director's bar for before/after the match? I've been in there a couple of times and all you can have is maybe a scarf or a discreet badge or they won;t let you in...

It's a Russian folk song of some kind - presumably a hymn of praise to their owner

Mate got me a ticket in the director's box last Wed. Saw Toshack beforehand in the bar. He spent at least twenty minutes walking round the room, looking at all the stuff in cabinets - minor trophies, gifts from other clubs, etc. - and studying the "Liverpool in Europe" map on the wall. Thought it was kind of nice - revisiting old memories and that. Course, he could just have been avoiding annoying fans like me!

Wonder if Fat Sam remembers his cross for Igor's goal against Notlob and thinks he does that all the time?

Don't think our problem with del Nido has much to do with his knowledge of our budget, or lack of it. He's not holding out cos he knows we've got lots of dosh, but because he knows that Rafa is desperate to sign Alves. And because he has no need himself to sell. We're in a bad negotiating position. And there's not much Rafa or Rick Parra can do about that....

This has got to be right. The thing we all forget when we get panicked about groundshare is that Everton have no money to pay for even half a stadium. At the meetings on the subject, they basically wanted us to pay for the whole thing and yet still accept them as co-owners. That's co-owners, not tenants. Yeah, right. Maybe, if they could come up with £90 million... but they can't.

Talk to him about football. Endlessly. Discuss the obscure game from the Greek League you watched in the middle of the night and the tactical substitution you liked. I'm convinced this is one of the reasons Rafa is so keen on Alves - apparently he is almost as obsessed as Carra with watching games.....