La Liga 2011-12

[Arn]

I always think Barca and us are quite similar. They don't see themselves as Spanish, we don't see ourselves as English. Fiercely parochial.

Again, another Manc mate of mine reckons Barca and United are "uncannily similar as football clubs"

We had the chance to build up something very similar. Rafa wanted to do it but he got sacked when he only just had started to change the club around. He understood the potential in the Liverpool way. He wanted us to be LIVERPOOL FC and not an English club. He wanted many players from the Academy to play for the first team. He wanted us to copy Barcelona but in a Scouse way.

I think Kenny will continue what Rafa started and something we had lost with Houllier in charge and then later with Gillett and Hicks as owners.

[saj]

I always think Barca and us are quite similar. They don't see themselves as Spanish, we don't see ourselves as English. Fiercely parochial.

Again, another Manc mate of mine reckons Barca and United are "uncannily similar as football clubs"

That's just Spain as a whole - it's split into regions and each region has it's own language - Catalonia, Basque Country, Andalusia. Some even have their own national team (although they are not recognised by Fifa so the a fair few Barcelona players have played a couple of games for Catalonia as well as being regulars for the Spanish national team). I don't think there is much of a comparison at all between any English teams and Spanish teams.

[saj]

We had the chance to build up something very similar. Rafa wanted to do it but he got sacked when he only just had started to change the club around. He understood the potential in the Liverpool way. He wanted us to be LIVERPOOL FC and not an English club. He wanted many players from the Academy to play for the first team. He wanted us to copy Barcelona but in a Scouse way.

I think Kenny will continue what Rafa started and something we had lost with Houllier in charge and then later with Gillett and Hicks as owners.

I'm pretty sure he used the AC Milan team of that late 80's as his benchmark of he wanted his teams to play

[Arn]

I'm pretty sure he used the AC Milan team of that late 80's as his benchmark of he wanted his teams to play

I'm not talking of how we play on the pitch. I'm talking about how he wanted to build up the club from top to bottom.

He wanted the whole club to be something you know is Liverpool FC.

[Shaggy]

That's just Spain as a whole - it's split into regions and each region has it's own language - Catalonia, Basque Country, Andalusia. Some even have their own national team (although they are not recognised by Fifa so the a fair few Barcelona players have played a couple of games for Catalonia as well as being regulars for the Spanish national team).

No ****

[saj]

I'm not talking of how we play on the pitch. I'm talking about how he wanted to build up the club from top to bottom.

He wanted the whole club to be something you know is Liverpool FC.

I agree with the fact he wanted the youth structure to be similar to Barcelona's. But he wanted total control of the club at all levels from the youth team right down to the transfers. That's not the Barcelona way at all and would never have worked. What we have now since Rafa left and the owners came in, is a very continental or if you want to call it, a "Barcelona" like set up. We have a director of football which is common in Spain, something we never would have had with Rafa in charge.

[saj]

No ****

Did you also know that some of the regions have their own government/parliament. I'm not sure how that would work

[Neil Young]

Did you also know that some of the regions have their own government/parliament. I'm not sure how that would work

Yes, it's impossible to conceive how devolution of power from Westminster might work in the UK...

[Alex]

Did you also know that some of the regions have their own government/parliament. I'm not sure how that would work

Same as it does in America?

[saj]

Yes, it's impossible to conceive how devolution of power from Westminster might work in the UK...

I'm sure it's not as easy as you think. I'm not too clued up on politics but would the country then be split into States like America? Each state would then potentially have it's own goverment and justice system? There would be different laws depending on where you lived? Would the police in one state be able to arrest someone in another - if not would we need something like the FBI? I'd love to work for the FBI, well the British equivalent - I'd probably be able to get some bitches then.

[The Erectile Banana]

Devolution, eh? Will never catch on.

[Neil Young]

I'm sure it's not as easy as you think. I'm not too clued up on politics but would the country then be split into States like America? Each state would then potentially have it's own goverment and justice system? There would be different laws depending on where you lived? Would the police in one state be able to arrest someone in another - if not would we need something like the FBI? I'd love to work for the FBI, well the British equivalent - I'd probably be able to get some bitches then.

Like the pic.

As for the rest, please tell me you're kidding.

[Shaggy]

Did you also know that some of the regions have their own government/parliament. I'm not sure how that would work

Yeah mate my in-laws live in the autonomous region of Extremadura.

[dww]

I doubt that Real will ever overtake Barcelona as long as they don't get in a manager that is genuine Real Madrid supporter. A man that bleeds for the club.

Mourinho will continue to create so many problems off the pitch that the players will simply not give 100% on the pitch. They will get bored with all the fighting and clowning off the pitch.

The same problem we had the 2009-10 season when Rafa had to shift to much focus away from the pitch. He had to do it as we all know but Mourinho do it just for the sake of it.

Not convinced by this line of reasoning - a lot of players (such as Adebayor who is hardly renowned for his full blooded commitment) have said that Mourinho's biggest strength is getting players to go out there and give 100% and be willing to fight for the teams cause.

[Fredo]

Yeah mate my in-laws live in the autonomous region of Extremadura.

Are they Spanish or expats?