++ [ originally posted by Rickenbacker2 ] ++
I like your thinking, but I wonder, why not bring in some mifield talent? Hugo Viana, Andres D'alessandro, Andy Van der Meyde, or Deco would all be a big help to the club. Surely we could land two of them, buy our central backs and a new striker (perhaps Zlatan or Morientes). That would be a good squad upgrade to me...
Ian: Maybe I wasn't being clear but I don't think any good campaign for next season has been conducted unless we get that midfield talent. Whether he's young or 'not old'

is less important to me. Both D'Alessandro and Deco are choices I'd like over Liza' Fiore suggestion, but that's a subjective one. Van der Meyde I don't think we'd utilize well (being a true winger which Lipi has never really used) and Hugo Viana still has too much to prove for him to be a real option I think.. afterall- when you can't get in the first 11 consistently at the fake bianconeri.. why would you make any difference at the real ones

? I'd take Maresca over him every day anyway.
As for the strikers I think you're trying to pull a rabbit out of the hat as usual

. Zlatan is not for us, and Morientes carries the disease as we know... not SARS or anything contagious and dangerous like that... but the football disease called 'Missing my Paella'. I'd even shy away from the monstrous Baraja or incredible Vicente on those grounds alone? Why tempt fate I ask?
Liza: I love you too

:flirt: .
...but football first

.
The rumoured one year loan of Di Vaio to Lazio in the Stam operation... is to me good/bad depending on the totality of the deal. We will have to pay a €7 million installment to Parma in August (?) regardless, and seing how we can never get the full amount on him back even if someone wanted to give a decent bid- this might be an opportunity to cut costs in a sensible manner. For me Stam is however a cut and paste option and not ideal for age reasons alone. Obviously- he would make us clearly better, but... I've nbeen raving on about Mexés for too long

.
At Lazio there's only Stankovic and Corradi (as Trez natural sub) I'd really like for us to get. If we could take Stankovic

or Corradi for a reasonable price while including Di Vaio in the operation...

with me... but there are endless striker options to complete that department if we have DP, Trez and Miccoli confirmed as far as I'm concerned. The first Real Madrid game only underlines the need for more than Maresca to come back as we're likely to set out against the superstar galore team with Pessotto and Tudor in the middle as far as I can see it.... I'd prefer a choice with Maresca, Stankovic and Blasi to be honest...., and I don't see why we can't have 5 good central mids with two of them being relatively unproven, young Italians. Truly grand sides have options

.
Socilaizing on again...pheew

.
Did that book come out yet ? I never got the copy I believe I was promised

. Anyway- I hope it worked out fine for you in any case?
Movies: Too busy lately but did catch a few great/ good/ interesting ones over the last two months of which some are no doubt very old in America as they're getting on a bit here even:
"Hero" (spectacularly beatifull

amazing!!!), "The Hours" (great acting), "Far from Heaven" (OK- I'm a Julianne Moore fan

- but that was an interesting narrative, wellplayed, and brilliant use of colour in apparently picturesque Vermont [?]), and finally the "loathsome" 'Ken Park' which only zeal seemed to be fighting conventions; grossly overstepping at every turn which deflated the good sociological points and critique it had I thought, but still interesting as an experiment. That film instructed by Jodie Foster... hmmm.. 'The Dangerous life of Altar Boys' was very funny too, albeit a light weight. Innovative though with it's use of cartoons to 'act' as the boys subconscious desires and as an escape.
Then to finnish off the list- the nationalist that's not really in me..

would like to mention 'Fear X' with John Turturro by Danish instructor Nicolas Winding Refn. He tries to be Lynch, and doesn't quite cut it, but it's a valiant attempt

.
Now- your turn

. Just remember that I can't get around to US independent films like 'Ken Park' or 'TDLOAB' regularly

.
Again- nice to have ya back
Ciao.