Quite often, football managers let their side's football do the talking. Not so today, ahead of part three of the not-so-epic Liverpool-Arsenal trilogy.
Both Rafael Benitez and Arsene Wenger have been out in force to extol the virtues of their respective teams in the build-up to Terrific Tuesday, and with the former giving assurances his side will attack from the outset, we have been led to believe tonight's clash at Anfield could well rank up there with some of the famous stadium's classic European nights.
Two disappointing 1-1 draws over the past week says it won't be.
Liverpool are hardly known for their brand of exciting attacking football, so why should they start playing that way in such a crucial European game?
Arsenal have hardly been playing with the fluency we have come to expect from them over recent weeks and with their strike force suffering problems ('Samson' Adebayor really shouldn't have cut his hair), goals could well be difficult to come by.
Call ED controversial, but it would rather watch the Chelsea game tonight. Yes, you heard right, Chelsea.
Now usually we'd rather stick red hot pins in our eyes than watch Avram Grant's side in action, but if you're looking for a classic, you're best off at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea may be the kings of dourness, but at least we can expect them to attack from the outset tonight - they have no other choice - and Grant's side are always more exciting in that situation. Indeed they rarely come out to play until they go a goal down.
Enough of these musings, it's time to let the football do the talking. Or you can do it, on the message board below in the usual manner.
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This one was too good to ignore this morning - despite giving off the impression he is a no-nonsense hard man, England manager Fabio Hat, in true Italian style, is actually a mummy's boy.
In a moment that everyone in football dreads, Evelina Tortulo Capello has given an interview that in one fell swoop has succeeded in destroying the image her son has tried so hard to build up over a managerial career spanning 17 years.
"He was always a mummy's boy, being a single child," Eve said in The Sun. "He is tender like a mimosa flower. He still calls me every day."
Now ED isn't too sure what a mimosa flower is, but whatever it is, it doesn't sound much like a tough, disciplinarian kind of plant. Alex Ferguson might get compared to a prickly cactus or Roy Keane to a hardy hedge, but a mimosa flower? Surely that's not the tough guy image Fabio wants to promote.
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So Ronaldinho could yet be making his way over to the Premier League, could he? Think again, and not just because it is Manchester City who have been linked with the former World Player of the Year.
Why not? Three words - Roberto De Assis. You have to hand it to him, Ronaldinho's brother knows how to manipulate a situation to get what his client wants - and a nice big fat ten per cent for himself to boot.
Now, at this junction you could be forgiven for accusing ED of having become rather too cynical, but that's what happened with the onset of age. And this latest development in the Ronaldinho saga has too large a mark of his big brother on it to be entirely innocent.
Does anyone believe the Brazilian will actually sign for City in the summer? Will he want to swap Champions League football for Intertoto Cup football?
Unlikely, despite the presence of the respected Sven-Goran Eriksson and compatriot Elano at Eastlands.
Far more likely is that, with the former World Player of the Year's future at Barcelona seemingly over, Ronnie's camp have realised there is plenty to be gained by sparking a bidding war for his services.
So, off on tour to all the big buying clubs with rich owners across Europe - City is merely the first stop - in an effort to prompt speculation a deal is in the offing. And who said agents are mercenary?
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Perhaps April Fool's day has come a week later than expected. Certainly Wenger wanted to outdo Manchester City in the pie-in-the-sky stakes when he revealed yesterday that he really believes a double is still a distinct possibility for the Gunners.
"I still believe we will finish champions in the Premier League," the bespectacled tactician deadpanned. "The result (Middlesbrough 2-2 Manchester United) helped a lot. If they had won, I would have thought we could not (win the league) but, now, I still believe we'll do it."
The odds on that actually happening? 125-1. Expect a statement to be issued later in the week to let us all know that we've been, in the parlance of Rio Ferdinand, merked.
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FOREIGN VIEW: So it turns out that Italy defender Marco Materazzi isn't such a bad person after all. If the Daily Star was to be believed in the aftermath of the 2006 World Cup final, Materazzi was not only a racist, but even more unpopular than Cristiano Ronaldo. Imagine! But the tabloid has finally admitted to making a mistake, because in fact, the Internaztionale player did not call Zinedine Zidane's old dear a "terrrorist whore" after all. Nothing of the sort it seems. A formal apology has been issued to Materazzi, who said: "The truth is now coming out - finally. I am looking forward to a quick and positive conclusion to my claims against the other newspapers who published lies about me. Only then will be truly satisfied." Screw 'em all, Marco!
QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I hope it's true. I would not protest against it. But I don't know if Ronaldinho wants to play in the Intertoto Cup next season." Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson comments on yesterday's second most ludicrous transfer rumour. Well, nothing was going to beat Milan being linked with George McCartney, was it?
TALKING POINT: Forget Roberto Baggio's skied effort in the 1994 World Cup final, the same tournament saw what sikka316 thinks is the worst penalty miss of all time - the comedically poor effort from soul diva Diana Ross. It's the way the goal falls apart as the ball rolls wide of the post that makes it so memorable. "But even she could have done better than Bendtner," sikka316 added.
For today, what's the most ridiculous transfer rumour you've ever heard? And of course, your thoughts on tonight's big match. And the Liverpool-Arsenal game.
COMING UP: We'll have all the latest team news throughout the day and then, of course, live text commentary on both of tonight's big games from 19:45 BST. Plus, round about lunchtime, we'll bring you the latest European Power Rankings.
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