Ahead of TheGame: Liverpool fans make offer to Hicks and Gillett

The news in 60 seconds

LIVERPOOL FANS MAKE OFFER TO HICKS AND GILLETT
ShareLiverpoolFC, who are attempting to recruit 100,000 shareholders to buy the club, have written an open letter to the club's American co-owners offering to buy their stakes. "We believe we represent a real opportunity for both of you to bring to an end a troubled period of ownership; an 'exit strategy' which would lead to admiration and respect from many," the group said.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article5097432.ece

To sign up for the bulletin, click here.

RONALDO LACKS SYMPATHY FOR GUNNERS
The Manchester United winger is in an extra determined mood ahead of Saturday's match at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday despite Arsneal's long injury list. "We want to win the title so we have to get three points there," he said. "I don't know if it is tough for them at the moment but they will still have 11 players, the same as us."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article5097226.ece

PULIS FEARS BACKLASH
The Stoke manager is afraid referees could be swayed by Arsene Wenger's accusation that his team deliberately set out to injure players. "We have to accept that if you beat certain teams they're not going to take it that well," he said. "There are people who are good losers and there are people who are bad losers. The worry is that the perception of us being a dirty team will affect the judgment of referees."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/stoke/article5097032.ece

JAMES PLEDGES FUTURE TO PORTSMOUTH
The goalkeeper insists he is confident in the future of the club and wants to stay despite being linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur. "If we'd lost half of the players when Harry [Redknapp] left, then things might be slightly different," he said. "But we haven't lost any players and I'm confident we'll continue to do well."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/portsmouth/article5098550.ece

MODRIC WANTS TO BE ADORED
The Tottenham midfielder hopes to emulate Glenn Hoddle and become a legend at White Hart Lane. "I will try to play my best game so that in a couple of months or a year the fans can love me like the other players," he said. "I feel some pressure from all these compliments. But I feel self-confident and have to show on the pitch I'm worthy of all the expectations."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/tottenham/article5093230.ece

UEFA CUP PREVIEWS: DUNNE DOUBTFUL
Manchester City could be without their captain for the visit of Steve McClaren's FC Twente, which would limit the chances of them conceding an own goal. Stiliyan Petrov and James Milner will miss Aston Villa's tie against Slavia Prague through injury and Tottenham have rested Ledley King for the home match with Dynamo Zagreb.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article5088624.ece

LIVE MATCH TRACKER: UEFA CUP
Follow all the action from tonight's European games with our scores and stats service.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/live_match_tracker/

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FREE MOBILE SERVICE TRIAL
Try our football alerts service free of charge for 14 days and get match-day team sheet, goal alerts, half-time updates, full-time results and league position for your team.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/tools_and_services/mobile_times/article4541324.ece
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you've got another couple of minutes

Yesterday we asked for the names of combative midfielders who Arsene Wenger might consider buying in January to beef up his midfield. AOTG reader Ben Graham suggested Villarreal's Marcos Senna and Inter Milan's Mario Balotelli. Vin Noy put Daniele de Rossi, of Roma, in the frame.

So we asked Gabriele Marcotti, our European football expert, to look at the Frenchman's options and provide a comphrehensive list for him (and you) to consider. What do you think?
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/11/the-enforcers-w.html

One player who is unlikely to be snapped up by a European team is Andre Luis, Botafogo's short-fused defender. Watch him get his marching orders against Estudiantes in the Copa Sudamericana for a ridiculously daft act. He makes William Gallas look stable.
http://www.ifutbal.com/videos/15407/2008-11-05-botafogo---estudiantes-de-la-plata-2-2-.html

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>THE TABLOID TALE<<<<<
Ex 'trashed ref's Porsche' - The Sun
1) Mark Clattenburg's ex-girlfriend has been arrested on suspicion of vandalising his £40,000 sports car. 2) A corrosive substance was poured over the suspended referee's vehicle. 3) The official has been relieved of Premier League duties while the FA probe business dealings and alleged debts. 4) It's interesting to see his popularity extends off the pitch.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>>>>>THE RIVALS<<<<<

Elton: I don't wanna go on - The Sun
The singer has resigned as Watford's life president in response to chairman Graham Simpsons's plans to sell the club.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/

Diarra's lined up for City - Daily Mirror
The Premier League's richest club will make a £10 million offer for the Portsmouth midfielder in January.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2008/11/06/exclusive-manchester-city-bid-to-buy-pompey-s-lassana-diarra-115875-20872348/

Hammers crisis - Daily Mail
Owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson is under increased pressure to sell the club after the collapse of his main business in Iceland.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1083403/West-Ham-crisis-Fresh-turmoil-Upton-Park-owners-parent-firm-faces-meltdown.html

Mascherano applauds appointment of idol Maradona - The Guardian
The Liverpool midfielder believes the vast experience of the new Argentina coach will benefit the national team.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/nov/06/argentina-diego-maradona

QPR owners want to 'get hands dirty' - The Daily Telegraph
Amit Bhatia, the vice-chairman, admits to talking with the manager in the dressing room, but denies forcing direction of team selection.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/championship/queensparkrangers/3387310/Queens-Park-Rangers-owners-want-to-get-their-hands-dirty-says-Amit-Bhatia-Football.html

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3
Number of years since English clubs involved in a Champions League group stage week have failed to register a win between them.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In TheGame

Matt Hughes column: replacing Wenger is a tall order
Our man in London says that, unlike the structure at Manchester United which can almost guarantee success for Sir Alex Ferguson's eventual successor, the Frenchman has no obvious replacement considering he is the reason for the club's recent successful history. "Given Arsenal's reputation for attacking football the next generation of Dutch coaches such as Frank Rijkaard and Marco Van Basten could come into consideration, while an outside bet would be the Anglophile Slaven Bilic if he continues his good work with Croatia," he writes.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/11/arsenal-fans-sh.html

Fanzine Fanzone: respect has to be a two-way thing
Our Liverpool loyalist (yes, he has been prolific this week) believes campaigns such as Respect need to be driven from the top down. "Referees are removed from the game and placed on a pedestal, free from criticism and questioning," he writes. "Maybe if they interacted with the players, the managers and public a little more, explaining their decisions, holding their hands up after making a mistake and becoming a little more involved in the game and media, then maybe they'd start to be afforded a little more respect from everybody."
http://timesonline.typepad.com/fanzine_fanzone/2008/11/respect-campaig.html

Bill Edgar's daily trivia question
The leading European leagues are accustomed to having multiple entrants each year in the Champions League, but in which season did non-domestic champions first appear in the continent's leading club competition?
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/11/bill-edgars-thu.html

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Joe Bloggs' Soapbox

"So, it's Sir Alex Ferguson's fault that we drew against Celtic because he was arrogant enough to believe that Tevez, Giggs, Ronaldo and Nani would do the business against inferior opposition. On another night we would have won by three or four goals no problem."
James Binks takes issue with Tony Cascarino that Manchester United fielded a weakend team in Glasgow.

"I had to laugh when I read John Barnes could be poised to take over at Watford. This was the man that came breezing into Celtic, not having seen any of the players and then declared to everyone (including rival managers) he was going to play the visionary 4-2-2-2 - you can see how it caught on. Such was his tactical prowess, he could not overcome the might of a lowly Inverness Caledonian Thistle at home in the cup. Why he is still allowed to talk about football, never mind be actively involved, is beyond me."
Because, Allan Duffy, we live in a democracy where everyone is entitled to their opinion however worthless it may be.

"I can't win, can I? There is no easy way of describing the offside rule because referees, their assistants, players, fans and pundits can't seem to agree. Suffice to say that technically Nicolas Anelka's goal (off the feet of Alex) against Sunderland was offside as he was behind the goalkeeper and last defender when he tapped the ball in the net. Will that do?"
It'll do. True Blue Terri responds to our challenge of determining her gender [Tuesday's AOTG]. The new offside rules have muddied the waters for men and women alike. Reverse parking is now the only true test to determine a person's sex (we're joking of course).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And expect...

Luka Modric to receive a bunch of flowers from the official Spurs supporters' club with a card saying: "We love you, now get on with it".

To sign up for the bulletin, click here.