You heard the '2 trill' 'rumour'?

This sort of backs up what I'm hearing

rlhttp://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id

Must admit just looked up their squad and those were the only three players I'd heard of.

If they're all fit though they should match anything else in the MLS! Marquez is still good enough to do a job in Europe, as is Henry even if not every week.

I think I'd rather have a sugar daddy than become the slick merchandising operation United have, where they'd sell the steam from Rooneys to make money if they could.

But to compete at the top level these days you have to have one or the other. History is all well and good, and you are right we don't need to buy one or fake support by giving away flags to try and create an atmosphere, but history won't get you trophies.

Anyway, this is a hedge fund that is backing this bid, and they do not spend money they won't get back so I don't expect a major splurge.

Genoa have signed Rafinha from Schalke 04. Another good signing for them.

At least we got one sorted.

And this weeks Champions League

FC Red Bull Salzburg 3-0 AC Omonia Nicosia
FC Red Bull Salzburg advances 4-1 on aggregate

MK Žilina 3-1 PFK Litex Lovech
MK Žilina advances 4-2 on aggregate

KAA Gent 1-3 FC Dynamo Kyiv
FC Dynamo Kyiv advances 6-1 on aggregate

FK Zenit St Petersburg 1-0 FC Unirea Urziceni
FK Zenit St Petersburg advances 1-0 on aggregate

KKS Lech Poznan 0-1 AC Sparta Praha
AC Sparta Praha advances 2-0 on aggregate

RSC Anderlecht 3-0 The New Saints FC
RSC Anderlecht advances 6-1 on aggregate

Hapoel Tel Aviv FC 3-1 FK Aktobe Lento
Hapoel Tel Aviv FC advances 3-2 on aggregate

FC København 3-2 BATE Borisov
FC København advances 3-2 on aggregate

FC Sheriff Tiraspol 1-1 NK Dinamo Zagreb (After Extra Time)
Aggregate 2-2. FC Sheriff Tiraspol advances 6-5 after penalty competition

FC Basel 3-1 Debreceni VSC
FC Basel advances 5-1 on aggregate

Fenerbahce SK 0-1 BSC Young Boys Bern
BSC Young Boys Bern advances 3-2 on aggregate

Rosenborg 3-0 AIK
Rosenborg advances 4-0 on aggregate

HJK 1-2 FK Partizan Beograd
FK Partizan Beograd advances 5-1 on aggregate

PAOK FC 3-3 AFC Ajax
4-4 on aggregate, AFC Ajax advances on away goals

Celtic FC 2-1 Sporting Braga
Sporting Braga advances 4-2 on aggregate

Draw for next stage is on Friday

T'is all a bit mad at the moment. Rumours saying CIC are backing the Huang bid/proposal, with some saying they have £300bn to spend overseas.

I dunno what to make of it all, really, but the pieces on CIC seem 'encouraging'.

Fingers crossed we're not another Citeh.

They wern't though. Well non that I heard anyway, all of the ones I know where buzzing and going a little OTT when Cole signed. Not really mentioned Aurelio.

So this Portsmouth thing then? How does that happen?

I'm all for sport but HMRC are right, footballing debt should be no different to other industries. In essence the ruling today means that football clubs do not have to pay any more than 20% of their debts, which must be interesting news for the owners of clubs like Manchester United.

It's supporting the gravy train that English football has become. Everyone is on the make, directors, staff, players and no one is paying for it. The clubs make enormous losses and the courts just roll over when they go belly up, freeing them to carry on spending.

Portsmouth should be made to pay every penny back before they are allowed to kick another football. They should have to sell their ground and all their players if necessary as well. Hearing their representatives on the radio just saying it's 'great news' that will enable them to look to build a squad to get back into the Premier League just grated on me.

The worst thing though, football debts (Players and other clubs) are paid before HMRC. How the fecking hell is that allowed to continue?

The Liverpool fans I know were skeptical about Cole, being mixed on his injury record and high wages.

If you look around the forums, when we signed Cole, many were happy as well as skeptical, but I never really seen too much OTT stuff, whilst the forums seem to be delighted that Aurelio is back over the likes of Young and Konchesky.

I would say the reaction Cole got is a little similar to the one Fellaini got at Everton, some were delighted, others were unsure, especially with regards to the amount of money invested into him.

See the silly season is in true swing.

Rumour has it once-touted-next-big-thing Hatem Ben Arfa wants Mille to let him join Newcastle over AC Milan, Hoffenheim etc, and also Yannick Djalo is on his way from Sporting!

Neither of them are available on free transfers, or a bid consisting of SportsDirect's unsold Newcastle merchandise from last season, so can't see either of them happening at all!

I can see good things happening between Gerrard and Cole.

Other than that, this match is garbage. Why didn't Rabies or what ever their name is just give up. Have they had a shot on goal yet?

Why are liverpool entering this tournament so early anyway? dont they have a good UEFA coefficient anymore?