The Spanish Steve Clarke

thebaz

Just saw an interview with the new WBA manager Mel - is it just me, or does he look & sound like a Spanish version of his predessor

Too Tough To Die

Early contender for worst thread of 2014.

brevity

Good article by Sid Lowe on him here:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/jan/16/pepe-mel-west-bromwich-albion-real-betis

The discovery of a collection of ancient manuscripts in a cave near the Dead Sea grabs the attention of an eccentric millionaire by the name of Cail Lograft, provoking a chase for the truth that will rock the very foundations of the Catholic church. Soon, the intrepid archaeologist discovers that he is not alone. As the mystery unfolds, even the Vatican is drawn into a dramatic, unpredictable pursuit that takes Lograft all the way round the globe with the Egyptian mafia on his tail.

El Mentiroso (The Liar) is a blockbuster of a book, weighing in at almost 600 pages. At its presentation, the author described it as a thriller with a touch of Dan Brown about it. The following year, he unveiled his second novel: El Camino al más allá (The Road to Beyond). Now, the author's bio needs updating. Pepe Mel, it will say, was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1963, and he is the manager of West Bromwich Albion Football Club.

Mel certainly has a way with words. When his former club Real Betis lingered near the foot of the table last season, he publicly claimed that he would rather his teenage daughter announced she was pregnant than see his team relegated. Betis recovered brilliantly, while the remark said something about Mel's ability to communicate with the fans, creating a communion between stands and pitch. It also showed how much he cared.

thebaz

Too Tough To Die wrote: »

Early contender for worst thread of 2014.

it was late - I was tired & emotional