Bogman

No, put your mortgage on it. But, sentiments aside, we'll either do it, or not. So there you are, I'm going for a lose, a win , or a draw.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Foreign investors interested in Canadiens Possible sale of club by Gillett will take 'weeks, plural,' not days, source says DAVID NAYLOR AND SEAN GORDON April 9, 2009 Investment bankers working on behalf of Montreal Canadiens owner George N. Gillett Jr. are generating vigorous interest from both Canadian and foreign investors, sources say. If Gillett opts to sell the Montreal Canadiens, as expected, the process will take "a matter of weeks, plural," rather than days, according to a source. Potential investors have more time to get in the game. Reports this week citing a deadline of 5 p.m. ET today for expressions of interest were based on an outdated document. The original list of interested buyers was reported to include billionaire businessmen Stephen Bronfman of Claridge Investments Inc.; Joey Saputo, son of cheese magnate Lino Saputo; and Guy Laliberté, founder of Cirque du Soleil. Sources say the list has expanded to include people who own franchises in other pro sports, while some Quebeckers may have dropped off. The interest of non-Quebec potential owners may have been encouraged by the fact that Gillett, an American based in Denver, has operated smoothly in Montreal. While it was once believed that a non-Quebec owner of the Canadiens would meet resistance, Gillett has instead turned around the fortunes of the franchise since purchasing an 80.1-per-cent interest in 2001, along with sole ownership of the Bell Centre for a total of $180-million U.S. Fortune Magazine last year estimated the value of the Habs at $415-million (Canadian), not including the Bell Centre. However, the Bell Centre is said to be carrying significant debt - believed to be north of $240-million (Canadian) - and Gillett has reportedly taken money out of the club itself in the form of dividends. Gillett hired BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. to value his Canadian holdings. He is also obtaining valuations for his other interests in ski resorts, the Liverpool soccer team and NASCAR. He has insisted, however, that the process involving the Canadiens is not necessarily tied to a sale of the club and its arena. A source familiar with the process said it's clear Gillett would rather not sell the team, but that he has accepted the eventuality because the asset has appreciated significantly and is among his most saleable. As a seller, he would appear to have many more options than Molson Breweries did eight years ago. At that time, Gillett was the only bidder. He could sell his interests in the club and the arena outright. An alternative would be to sell a slice to a well-funded partner, creating an ownership structure similar to that holding Toronto-based Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which has the Ontario Teachers' Pension Fund as a minority owner. However, Gillett is more likely to receive a premium if he sells majority interest in the team, as the new owner would gain control. A scenario once contemplated involved taking the club public, according to a source. It's feasible, as the NHL allows public ownership of its franchises up to 49 per cent of shares. In fact, one reason that Gillett hired BMO Nesbitt Burns was because of its expertise in stock sales to a large Canadian retail investor base. If the blue-sky concept had played out, the Canadiens would have won the Stanley Cup this season, their 100th. A minority ownership position would have been sold to a rabid public soon after the parade, allowing Gillett to realize a significant cash gain while retaining control of the team (Molson owns 19 per cent of the franchise). But the Gillett group dismissed this concept as the markets sold off and eroded the potential share value. The provincial government is unwilling to invest in the Canadiens, but Quebec's new finance minister, Raymond Bachand, told reporters yesterday that government finance agencies could help a potential buyer finance a purchase of the team, as did the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec for Gillett in 2001. Gillett has refused to discuss his financial situation, in particular whether he needs liquidity. It is reported that he and Tom Hicks owe £350-million to Royal Bank of Scotland, which is secured by their stake in the European soccer team, Liverpool FC. The interest rate is about 5 per cent, and the loan is due in mid-June. Even if they're able to extend the loan with RBS, which is an open question, or find another lender to pick up the mortgage, the interest rate may go up given the outlook for sports clubs in general and Hicks's position as a creditor. Hicks recently defaulted on an interest payment for Hicks Sports Group, which is where he holds his stakes in the Dallas Stars and Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers. He's trying to renegotiate those loans with lenders, but bids on the loans in the open market indicate that investors don't believe he'll be successful. With reports from Andrew Willis, David Shoalts and Boyd Erman http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto.../TPStory/Sports

Nah, t'will be love child of Bellamy.

Good, costs a few bob for a shirt without having to fork out for Blaszcxvgchdfyfjreucjhjdufjfufki on the back.

30 love to rafa.

Depends what pans out.

'Tis now official. Tom Hicks' Sports Group defaults on loans 09:25 AM CDT on Tuesday, April 7, 2009 By GARY JACOBSON / The Dallas Morning News gjacobson@dallasnews.com Tom Hicks' sports holding company, Hicks Sports Group, which owns the Texas Rangers and the Dallas Stars, officially went into default Monday on $525 million of loans. Hicks stopped making interest-only payments March 31 as he renegotiates the teams' debt with about 40 lenders. The loan agreements mature in December 2010 and December 2011, according to lending data available on Bloomberg. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...brf.e50aac.html

Liverpool Is Next Living in denial is a recipe for disaster. Take former LBO king Tom Hicks, whose sports properties—Texas Rangers, Dallas Stars, Liverpool—have accumulated piles of debt. Hicks should have raised equity or cashed out of these teams months ago but obviously refused to acknowledge the depth of the financial crises. Now he will pay a steep price. Last week Hicks reportedly defaulted on more than $525 million in bank loans tied to the Stars and Rangers and is making a mad dash for cash to avoid foreclosure. That means he will likely have to sell his interest in the teams, previously worth $270 million and $400 million, respectively, at steep discounts. Shame on the NHL and MLB for allowing Hicks to saddle his teams with so much debt—their bad balance sheets could have a domino effect on the two leagues. Next up is Liverpool, the famed English soccer club worth $1 billion. Liverpool has $600 million of debt and a big chunk of it must be paid off or refinanced withing the next three months. Hicks will probably sell his 50% interest for much less than $500 million. Sauce is excellent: http://blogs.forbes.com/sportsmoneyblog/20...ol-is-next.html

From Setanta: Bayern Munich: Klinsmann to stay put Bayern Munich: Ribery going nowhere Barcelona: Lucio a doubt for Barca clash, Van Buyten out read comments (10) | have your say Liverpool hero Fernando Torres hopes to play Serie A and Bundesliga football in the future. The Reds goal-machine has hinted that he could secure a move to either Italy or Germany before the end of his career in order to try to shine in all of Europe's biggest leagues. The news could be a blow for the Kop, who are desperate to keep their Spanish star at the club for as long as possible. But the forward does not plan to hang up his boots as a Liverpool player just yet, as he is determined to establish himself in the top European leagues before returning to his first club Atletico Madrid. Torres told Don Ballon: “Well, within a few years I would like to play in Italy, try Serie A football in order to complete my CV by experiencing spells in all three big European leagues – the Spanish one, the English one and the Italian one, and the German one is also a good league." “To me Bayern Munich is a very attractive club, even if moving there would be far into the future,” he added. “Moves are part of football and even if I do not want to do it for the sake of it, I would like to go to Italy and Germany before I return to Spain, to play for Atletico of course.” Torres has turned his back on a possible big-money move to Real Madrid, and played down Los Merengues’ prestige. “To me, Real Madrid are not bigger than anyone. They are like Barcelona, Milan, Bayern, Inter...They are another great team,” he added. “I do not pay much attention to them but to my past as a Rojiblanco.” The striker was then asked if he has already said ‘yes’ to join Real to their probable future president Florentino Perez. “First I would say ‘yes’ to my girlfriend, not to him because I cannot see myself playing for Real Madrid,” he said. 'El Nino' is apparently happy at Anfield and he is determined to pay back the home fans for their unconditional support. “I would be happy to remain a Liverpool player for many years to come because I am very good here,” Torres said. “Still four years are remaining on my contract after this one. “The club have treated me tremendously and I owe the supporters a lot because they make me feel like I am going to stay here forever. “They do treat me like [steven] Gerrard or [Jamie] Carragher, which is impressive! I hope I will pay them back for their support by winning The Premier League they have been waiting for for a while." “No, they do not do that there,” he said when asked if his contract includes a buy-out clause. “They seal transfers when two clubs reach an agreement.”

Growing legs: Report: Hicks Sports Group Defaulted on $525 Mil in Rangers- and Stars-Related Loans By Robert Wilonsky in Business News for People Who Don't Read Business News, Sports Friday, Apr. 3 2009 @ 9:54AM Only days before the beginning of baseball season, Tom Hicks is, apparently, already down a strike: Something called FINAlternatives, which serves up hedge fund and private equity news, reports this morning that Hicks Sports Group -- the holding company for all of Hicks's sports-related ventures, including the Texas Rangers and Dallas Stars -- defaulted on $525 million in loans on Monday. Caveat: The story comes from a single unnamed source, and HSG reps have yet to comment. As in: According to the source, who has seen documents relating to the loans, Hicks defaulted on a $350 million bank term loan, $100 million second-lien loan and a $75 million revolving credit facility. A spokesman for Hicks Sports declined to comment. Hicks also owns a 50% stake in the English Premier League's Liverpool Football Club, but through a separate entity. According to the source, the loans are partially secured by the Rangers and Stars, but not by Hicks' stake in Liverpool or his personal assets. Unfair Park this morning left a message on HSG Chief Operating Officer Casey Coffman's voicemail. Representatives at The LeMaster Group, which handles Hicks's PR, said they are aware of the report and said they will provide Unfair Park with an official statement shortly; we will update accordingly. In addition to the Rangers and Stars, HSG is also the holding company for Liverpool FC, the American Airlines Center, Hicks Sports Marketing Group and the Mesquite Rodeo. Only days ago, Hicks acknowledged that he was indeed looking to sell off pieces of the Rangers and Stars -- anywhere from 40 to 49 percent of his ownership stake. Said Hicks last week, "I've been quietly looking for minority investors to come back into the ownership of the Rangers as a way to be prudent in a bad economy." http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark..._group_defa.php

Rangers/Stars Owner Tom Hicks: “We Want The Banks To Be Reasonable” Posted on April 3rd, 2009 10:10am by Evan Grant Filed under Bullpen, Dallas Stars, Sports business, Texas Rangers Rangers/Stars owner Tom Hicks said he is asking bank lenders “to be reasonable” regarding the interest payment on more than $500 million in loans relating to the two clubs and the assets of Hicks Sports Group. Before we go any further, we should probably explain to our British friends that Liverpool Football Club is not among the HSG holdings and neither are any of Hicks’ other business interests. An interest payment was due on March 31, but Hicks said Friday that HSG had elected not to make the payment. HSG is in the process of trying to negotiate with the 40 lenders to allow it to make the interest payment out of the interest reserve provision. Hicks must get approval from the banks that hold 51 percent of the loans to approve such a deal. The banks, however, could place the loans in default early next week if a re-negotiation in terms is not reached. “We’re optimistic that a satisfactory resolution will come together in the next couple of weeks with our lenders’ cooperation,” Hicks said by phone Friday morning. “The important thing is that none of this impacts either team or the fan experience at either venue. We’re prepared to fund the operations of both clubs for the next 12 months while we continue to seek additional investors.” Hicks announced last week that he was seeking to sell up to 49 percent of both the Rangers and Stars. Such a sale could add between $400-500 million in cash to the HSG reserves. A financial website, citing unnamed sources, reported Friday morning that Hicks defaulted on a $350 million bank term loan, $100 million second-lien loan and a $75 million revolving credit facility. “We just would like the banks to be reasonable and hope they will go along with our proposal,” Hicks said. “We’ve built two great teams, one with a great future and one that has been the most profitable and successful NHL franchise in the southern United States. We’ve built a great arena that is Dallas’ version of Carnegie Hall and Madison Square Garden all rolled into one. This is a short-term issue about a lot of long-term value.” http://insidecorner.dmagazine.com/index.ph...-be-reasonable/

That's gotta smart. Tom Hicks’ Sports Group Defaults On $525 Million In Loans April 3, 2009 Tom HicksPrivate equity legend Tom Hicks’ sports team holding company has defaulted on more than $500 million in loans, a source has told FINalternatives. Hicks Sports Group, which owns baseball’s Texas Rangers and hockey’s Dallas Stars, failed to make its interest payment on $525 million in syndicated bank loans on Monday. The group is now in talks with its lenders about a forbearance. Hicks made his billions on leveraged buyouts, founding private equity firm Hicks Muse Tate & Furst, now HM Capital, in 1989. He retired from the firm in 2006. According to the source, who has seen documents relating to the loans, Hicks defaulted on a $350 million bank term loan, $100 million second-lien loan and a $75 million revolving credit facility. A spokesman for Hicks Sports declined to comment. Hicks also owns a 50% stake in the English Premier League’s Liverpool Football Club, but through a separate entity. According to the source, the loans are partially secured by the Rangers and Stars, but not by Hicks’ stake in Liverpool or his personal assets. Last week, Major League Baseball’s Web site reported that Hicks had hired Merrill Lynch to explore the sale of a minority stake—of up to 49%—in the Rangers, which Hicks bought in 1998 from an ownership group that included former President George W. Bush. Bush, a longtime friend of Hicks, is scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at his former team’s home opener in Arlington, Texas, on Monday. According to MLB.com, Hicks is also trying to sell a minority stake in the Stars. It is unclear whether the proposed stake sales, which reportedly can be either in whole or in part, are related to the default. Hicks’ Liverpool co-owner, George Gillett, is trying to sell his Montreal Canadiens hockey team and his Liverpool stake. Hicks and Gillett have reportedly had a falling out over the soccer club, with the former blocking the latter’s attempt to sell most of his stake last year. The Hicks default is the most dramatic manifestation of the current economic crisis on the sports world. In February, the National Basketball Association borrowed $175 million—on top of its existing $1.7 billion credit facility—making it available to 15 teams having trouble making ends meet. http://www.finalternatives.com/node/7478

Don't wake me up from my day-dream.

Eto'oooooooo would bulldoze his way through any defence, and Nando would follow up and do the necessary. IF we get him, I'd be buzzin' A top two of Nando and Eto'ooooooo, with Stevie behind............mumma mia.

4 million IF they qualify for the champs league.

Think you'll find it was in the paper that has the same name as that glowing orange ball thingy in the sky, seen very rarely in this country.

Be a bloody good film.

Benítez to hold talks next week on Liverpool future :- Guardian Rafael Benítez has reiterated his desire to remain at Liverpool and will meet the club's owners to discuss his future next week, with a final decision to be made within a fortnight. Benítez's position has been the subject of recent speculation linking him with a move to Real Madrid and he has been quick to take advantage of Liverpool's win over the Spanish champions on Tuesday to defend his record. "Next week I am going to study my present and my future with my bosses," said Benítez, who was also quick to dismiss suggestions that he could leave ­Merseyside. "I have to decide on my future in the next two weeks. "People who see me leaving for Madrid are wrong. I have a contract with Liverpool, I owe Liverpool and I am only thinking about Liverpool. I am happy here and there is a project under way. I have been here for five years and [if I was to stay] from now on things would be easier." For the first time, though, there was the hint that he is considering other alternatives should Liverpool not allow him to lead a stable project on his terms. There was a hint too of irritation at those who have jumped on the Benítez bandwagon now but did not back him before. "I want a medium- or long-term project. I don't want to be working day to day, always hanging on the latest result, without a programme to follow or an idea to develop over a period of time," he said. "What I want is hard to find in Spain. Long-term projects do not exist [in Spain], like they do in England. I am young as coaches go and I can't predict my future. Real Madrid are a great club, a very great club, but I am at another wonderful club – one that really motivates me. I will work where I feel I can develop a project." Benítez defended his record at Anfield on what he insisted were limited resources. He also responded to those who criticised his team's style and admitted that the words of Vicente Boluda, the Real Madrid president who said that the Spaniards would "take the mickey out of Liverpool"‚ gave his team added motivation. "Competing with Manchester United and Chelsea is very difficult," he said. "I am not a cry-baby but they have enough money to sign five £20m players and, if one or two of them doesn't succeed, they have three more. I can sign two of them and, if one doesn't succeed or I make a mistake with one, then you really notice it." "I have been given a tag that I do not deserve and is not true," Benítez added. "I keep saying so but it doesn't do any good. Last season we scored 119 goals – more than anyone else in England. Liverpool don't just hoof the ball, as I keep reading and hearing. We have produced some very good performances to get to two Champions League finals and a semi-final in the last four years. We are the best team in Europe over the last five years. "With our full team against Madrid in the second leg we showed that we are aggressive and ambitious. We went for them. We could have scored more, too. Liverpool are a good team – despite the fact that people have showed us a lack of respect during this tie. I reminded my players of what Boluda said and that reinforced the need to win." The Liverpool manager also paid tribute to his Spanish World Cup striker Fernando Torres, who played through an injury at Anfield and worked hard to score the opening goal. "I didn't want to push him considering we have the game with Manchester United at Old Trafford coming up and we have no choice but to win that to keep our chances of winning the league alive," he said. "However, he insisted and insisted and insisted on playing, he fought against the pain, he took injections, they almost had to plaster his ankle – and the miracle worked with the first goal. That's Torres for you: a real great." That bit's quite interesting..........

Hmmmmmmmm.................. How will Parry exit affect Benítez talks? Guillem Balague The folowing is typical of a question that many of you have been asking this morning, since it emerged that Rick Parry will be stepping down as Chief Executive of LFC..... A reader, Ali, writes:"Guillem, does this mean that Rafa Benítez will now be signing the contact asap with Parry out of the way?" The situation is changing all the time. It is difficult to go into too much detail, but I think much of what will happen speaks for itself. For example, I can tell you that Rafa Benítez did not insist upon Parry leaving the club, nor was this a reason for the latest contract delay. However, ask yourselves the following questions: if you were Rafa Benítez right now and were being told that there could be either a change in ownership, or a continuation of the current ownership alongside new investors, would you not want to wait until you had confirmation of what the future structure at the club would be? Furthermore, if you were a manager concerned with the implementation of a framework that will bring about the long term and continued success of Liverpool Football Club, would you not wait until you had assurances that any potential buyers, or investors, were not about to spend their entire finances on a takeover - effectively meaning that investment in playing personnel would be severely restricted over the coming seasons and effectively limited to promoting players from the youth ranks. The immediate future is uncertain, and until the situation becomes clearer, we can only expect that there will be further developments and delays. There is at least one ray of hope: the American owners are scheduled to fly in to Liverpool for talks with Benítez` representatives next week. http://www.guillembalague.com/rumores_desp...lks?&id=177

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rick Parry set to leave Liverpool Football Club Feb 27 2009 World Exclusive By Tony Barrett RICK Parry is set to leave Liverpool Football Club. The ECHO understands Parry’s departure by mutual consent will be officially announced by Liverpool later today. The long serving chief executive will not leave with immediate effect though with all parties in agreement that he will remain in position until the end of the current season. Speculation will inevitably surface suggesting Parry has lost a power struggle with Reds boss Rafa Benítez but the ECHO understands the real reason for his power is an acknowledgement that his relationship with Tom Hicks is unworkable. As yet, there are no indications about who will replace Parry when his time at the club comes to an end. http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-f...00252-23025675/

Or a werthers original.

No contest really. Be daft to get rid. Next.

Absolutely bang on, mate. The most complete all round player in the league at the moment. So, so lucky, that he was brought up a red. Is the only player I know, who can pick a game up by the scruff of it's neck, and drag us kicking and screaming, back into it. Absolutely awesome, and he will only get better.

From This is Anfield Written by ASF on February 16th, 2009 Last week we added an interview with midfielder Xabi Alonso, translated from Spanish newspaper ‘AS’. And AS published another brilliant interview over the weekend, this time with manager Rafa Benitez. Translations provided courtesy of Alex, aka AnotherSpanishFan. How’s the kidney? - Hush, hush! First they found a stone and then they said I had a perforation/hole in the kidney. I had to go through three general anesthetic procedures for the first time in my life. I missed our game at Arsenal’s pitch, first I’ve missed in 22 years. I had a very high fever on the eve of that game. The first in 22 years… - The manager plays every match eh? I’m going all the way back to my days coaching Madrid’s youth teams. I started out very young. At 26 I was already managing. You had to quit playing because of a knee injury. - It happened at the ‘Universada’ in Mexico, 1979. I was part of the Spanish quad that took part in that tournament. We beat Cuba 4-0 and then Canada showed up, I was hit from behind and goodbye it was. It was on the same day that Pietro Mennea, the great Italian sprinter, beat the 200 meter World Record with a mark of 19.72. It stood for 17 years, until Michael Johnson beat it in 1996. And how good a player were you? - I could’ve played in Primera. Horacio de Leiva, our manager in Mexico and later the President of the School of Referees, proposed me to sign for Oviedo. I was playing for Real Madrid’s lower-division teams when Butragueño arrived. Chendo and Michel were also around. They were the good ones but every time they played for us we would lose. I played as a holding midfielder but I felt more comfortable playing as a ‘libero’. I had a better perspective of the game from that position. You were already thinking like a manager. - At 13 years old I was already doing the team-sheets, I would rate the other lads. I liked to organize things even if it was just for my own enjoyment. At the INEF I was a player-manager. I would sit on the stands and manage the team and when I thought I needed to take part on the match I would go on the pitch. I was balancing that with managing Real Madrid’s youth team. You know what? My classes would end at 5 pm, which was the same time our training session started. I would rush through the halls and get there at about half-past with the stretching and warm-ups all done. Those of us who were not stars had to fight very hard to make a name for ourselves. Yet, perhaps those were truly the happy days. - At that time you’re less aware of certain things. You’re so involved in everything that you don’t think…I Rafa!remember that after the first month training Real Madrid’s youth team I was 4 kilos under my normal weight. I would eat in a hurry, a plate with lentils and off you go!, to train the team. And besides all that I was enrolled in the School of Medicine at Alcala de Henares. You had to quit of course. - Yes, I couldn’t keep up. When I received the Honorary Degree at the University of Miguel Hernandez in Elche I was ecstatic because I always wanted to get my Doctorate at the INEF and I was never able to do so because of work. Sometimes I reflect back on those things and it all seems surreal. At Madrid I went months at a time working seven days a week, already as a manager. One day at Castilla ,the next day working alongside Garcia Remon with the first team, then coach the reserves in the lower divisions under the orders of Del Bosque, who was responsible for the whole setup… And I also taught at a school! And of course the games, I would watch as many as possible on the weekends, between 10 and 12. And all of this with a girlfriend? - Impossible! That came afterward, when I was a bit more calm, ha, ha! Who are you most grateful to? - Ramon Martinez (current General Manager at Celta) he promoted me every season. I will always be grateful to him and also I’ll always remember when Del Bosque told me: “There are no football managers, Rafa. There are people who manage football and you will manage for many years.” He was right. If you got the chance at Liverpool it is because you proved your worth in Spain. - There were some moments, not every situation was the same. I arrived at Valencia after Cuper had done a terrific job there. The team was very strong and we just were able to raise the bar. At Tenerife and Extremadura it was different, both in Second Division and both times we won promotion. At Tenerife, competing with teams like Atletico, Sevilla and Betis. What’s the problem now with the Liverpool owners? - England is different to Spain. Here, if you have a one year contract you have nothing… and I only have THicks18 months left. If people realise this, that the manager only has that time left, he’s dead. I have between ten and twelve collaborators whose contracts run out in June. What project can a manager develop if he doesn’t have his work-team secured for two or three years? Ah! And let’s clear up one thing: I never asked for absolute power; capacity to make decisions and to maneuver, yes. It’s not the same thing. United and Chelsea have a lot more money than Liverpool. Even City now. - United get a revenue of 65 mil euros more than us every year and they have the capability of buying three 20 million players every season. Chelsea will have spent £500 million over the past five years. We have built an entire team but economically we’re inferior and yet we are able to compete with them. There are plenty of stats to bore you with: United, only on Berbatov, spent £32m; every year they spend as they need to: £20m on Hargreaves, another £20m on Nani, £18m for Anderson. Seven years ago they spent £45m for Ferdinand! I, on the five years I’ve been here, spent less than £40m on Torres and Keane. There’s no discussion! And what about Arsenal, Rafa? - It’s a different philosophy. They sign a lot of young players but if they must spend 7 mil on one, like Ramsey for example, they do it. Or 18 for Arshavin… And Alex Ferguson? - He controls everything here, it’s a fact, it is what it is. And since he felt the need to talk about Liverpool I had to respond. In your peculiar English. - I made the mistake of not taking up classes when I arrived. I lack the vocabulary and the grammar. My daughters speak with the purest Liverpool lingo and quite often I don’t understand what they’re saying. I end up asking them to speak to me in Spanish. Claudia, the oldest, was 6 when we arrived in Liverpool. At first she was lost but after six months she came home with a teacher’s note that read: “Congratulations, your daughter has recovered her voice”. She never stopped talking. Agata, the youngest, is six now. Her English is better than her Spanish. And the food? - No problems there. I’m a meat-lover and Scottish meat is very good. And at home we never lack the Spanish dishes like paella, omelets or lentils. And the public relations? - My wife does a better job than me. She belongs to a NGO that fights against cancer, she often visits a hospital and when I come along I do my bit. Most weeks we play 3 matches; I live in my own world, but it’s your family’s life that changes the most. I arrive at the club at 9 am and leave between 6 and 7 pm…I haven’t done much holiday traveling. I know Liverpool, Chester, the lakes area, to the north. BernabeuThe big match against Madrid is only 10 days away. What are your expectations? - I have the experience of our games against Barça, who were the favourites then and we knocked them out. We were unlucky on the draw but so were Real. The outlook is different on each case: Madrid’s whole season rests on the Champions, we’re still fighting for the League. We’ll have to see in what condition some of the players arrive. Torres is still looking for his best form yet, for example. When Everton knocked you out of the FA Cup you received it almost like a liberation. Is that so? - We have to find the positive side and that is that we’ll play less games and we can concentrate on the Premier and the Champions League. The Premier is very competitive, more so than La Liga. You have to be on top of your game or any team can make things difficult for you with their direct approach, they fight until the end. We’ve never lost control of the games but we’re lacking on finishing off teams. Our problem is that we have great expectations surrounding us. The Premier, the Premier, we haven’t won it in 19 years! And when the Champions League time comes, then lets win it…In these years we’ve won four titles, played in seven finals, another CL semifinal. We are where we need to be, the problem now is the anxiety, we have to manage it and it’s not always easy. Gerrard is like Liverpool’s Raul? How’s he doing? - Recovering. Injuries happen and you need to treat them properly. And yes, you can compare him to Raul in many ways. He’s a charismatic footballer, with an enormous heart; his personality touches others. He always assumes responsibility and his effort never dwindles. Raul meets all these virtues and perhaps even more because of his longer experience. I’ve known him since he was 14 years old and he was at Atletico’s youth team. He’s always shined because of his character. I’m not surprised he’s still first-choice, he’s been a winner since he was a young lad. Hows your relationship with Florentino? - Good. Madrid would be the icing on the cake, the climax on your career? - If I say yes, some people will interpret it as me saying I want to go; if I say no it will seem like a snub to Madrid…The proper thing and the reality is to answer that I’m not thinking about leaving and I hope I can stay here for a long time. Would Madrid be the icing on the cake in the career of any manager? No doubt about it! Although that sounds like the final stages of someone’s profession and that isn’t my case. # Credit to AS for the interview and Alex (AnotherSpanishFan) for the translations. Thank you

Just done an identical thread on RAWK, was looking at a clip of Reina, searched LFC and came up with that exact same clip. Bloke was fooking awesome, just forget how good he was. I never saw Kenny play, but was lucky to be around when Digger was at his pomp. One of the best players we ever had. Would like to have him around now, he'd show that slimey t*** in manc land how it's done, but with grace and dignity. Top post.