Village Idiot

Incidentally one of the reasons I love Sir Bobby is because he bought him

New Racing owner Ali Syed to announce a €30m cash injection into Racing Santander, in the form of shares. He has also invited his pal Hassanal Bolkiah (aka the richest man in the world in the 90s) to El Sardinero to watch their game against Real Madrid in March. Looks like they won the lottery.

He didn't like playing DM IIRC.

Nah, you had players like Arbeloa becoming Spain regulars while playing abroad (Alonso and Torres were already established). You just have to play for a media darling. That's imho, what is making him think twice about extending with you. He knows he is good enough to play for Spain.

Does he get talked about much over there? Not at all. Our media tend to ignore any foreign based player not starting for a "top" team.

We should be looking to replace the likes of Marchena/Puyol/Capdevila, don't think they'll cut it - at least as starters - for the Euro. Del Bosque just seems to cut and paste the same squad every time he makes a call, though. Can't understand why we didn't use the friendly last week to try some new legs.

Close. Ronaldo is the better goalscorer (we have a way better team to support Messi this time around, so to me Ronaldo's 34 goals are more impressive) but Messi is a better playmaker. Probably will go with Messi given the patchy career the fat one sadly had.

I think the best thing that could happen for you lot is that he got a Spain cap ASAP. I think he knows that he's getting into his prime years and being able to be in our setup while still playing for you would assuage his anxiety imho.

Still the best striker I have seen wearing our shirt. Makes me proud to know we had him at least for *that* year. Legend.

Ugh, it would have been so monumental had he crushed the French in the final You wouldn't have signed Guivarc'h!

Marcelo is the best attacking LB in the world right now.

Adebayor making Benzema look like Ronaldo tonight.

Pepe is such a twat

Dátolo for Luís García, and you complain about your striker options

Sevilla got promoted back to La Liga in 2001, and managed their first UEFA berth in 2004, and won it in 2006. I think Del Nido's presidency in 2002 is what started their current era. 3-4 years to built the basis of their current start, taking into account that Reyes, Baptista, Ramos, Dani Alves, Poulsen... got bought/developed and sold with huge profits in the process.

Xabi Alonso looks berserk. Could have had a second yellow already.

Pochettino has done a great job with them, sadly. Club legend IIRC too. Could be favourable for them if one of the bigger names come sniffing around. He's a bit pissed off after the winter window, but will stay put. Loves the club and indeed he's a legend there.

Classiest moment of Espanyol-Barça rivalry is Iniesta being clapped off the pitch at Cornellà after he paid homage to Jarque, with whom he was very close. Sad that he have to put aside our emnity for such a tragic matter, but still a great moment.

Pochettino has done a great job with them, sadly.

Yeah, he was a quite good CB. Wouldn't say world class or anything but good.

I won't say it. EDIT: Okay A______ keeper.

Yeah, that's class actually.

Espanyol have very little going forward with Osvaldo injuried, if Real sneak a goal they'll be fine.

Only free number they had after M. Diarra left. In Spain members of your 25-man squad have to take numbers 1-25. Anybody with a higher number is a youth player.

Antonio Adán, B team keeper. Played in their last CL match and in the Cup. He's decent enough although this is the first game he plays where there's something at play.