Village Idiot

We are paying something ridiculous like €3m, if reports are to be believed. Suppose he'll be cover/rotate with Iniesta in the "A"MC and winger positions. Anyway, he any good?

Seems we are about to close the signing of Afellay for January. I don't watch the Dutch league much anymore, he that good? A bit of a weird signing since with Thiago coming up and presumably us trying to get Cesc again we'll have a bit of a glut in the middle of the park (although right now Xavi is struggling with fitness and needs resting).

Phil Brown should still be managing in the PL.

Four in a row, yes. A league record actually. Long it may continue.

Actually we've won more convincingly at their place than at ours since Pep is at the helm. 2-6 and 0-2 vs 3-0 and 1-0. Their home crowd makes them throw caution to the wind.

Aye, it's been like that for quite a while, fixed draw if you ask me (to make the Clásicos more rellevant as they are played towards the end of the league).

convenient excuse for him to use the whole world is against me card. Probably did it on purpose. What did he do? Called the referee something bad, can't remember what. "Véte a la mierda" (literally "go to shit")

Mourinho has been delivered a 2-game touchline ban and will "miss" the Clásico (as much as managers with touchline bans actually miss games).

He's just removing Alex Ferguson from up Ferdinand's arse.

Yes, so it doesn't clash with the Catalan election on Sunday.

The usual suspects for Spain. Boring. Would have had Thiago or Dani Parejo.

Hey I just deleted it This debate just makes me think of that movie every time it comes up. And, I'm a Catalan. We were actually barred from going to the Americas (they were exclusive to Castilla). Still, the Spanish Black Legend is grossly exaggerated, but I really don't want to go there in an English forum.

Mou was sent off in the Real Madrid cup game for allegedly telling the ref to "go to shit" (Spanish equivalent to "go to hell"). Fun.

they broke or something? Yes, they actually are. Second or third highest debt in the league IIRC (higher than ours). Makes sense they would like to cash in now that Diego is 31 and still a marquee name... but Real Madrid? The board that sanctioned this move would be sleeping with the fishes of the Manzanares the morning after.

Except that the equivalent of Hibs happens to be the champion of the EL.

Marca reporting Atlético have offered Forlán to Real Madrid for €18m

This will prompt a January move to Spain out of fear of facing him again.

It's great to have found to lone person in the world that's more tune-deaf than me, Thanks Robbie Savage

Good to see Pedro scoring again, has had a bit of an indifferent start to the season, compared to his goalscoring strength last season.

We lack a bit the directness that Eto'o and Henry (when on form) had. The mix of slick passing and potent runs was just mouth-watering. That's why I want us to sign somebody like Bale (not necessarily him).

He's actually been playing quite well, but his finishing has been subpar.

Yes, of course. It's on the contract they sign. But a lot of times, particularly young players, they don't have enough leverage.

Get in. Good luck in the second half.

Yes. The clause is supposed to be "reasonable" according to the law, and even though it's not defined what "reasonable" is, some players have successfully challenged and succeeded in reducing the amounts. Proportionality with the salary is usually the criteria most followed by courts (remember this is supposed to be a penalty paid by the player from their own pocket). There hasn't been any high-profile case yet, but there are quite a few cases of youth players that had small salaries but huge release clauses that have seen them reduced. Cronaldo's clause is some 70 times the amount of his yearly salary. That just wouldn't fly in a court if he chose to go down that path.