Ziege had a highly successful first season on Teeside after a move from Inter Milan, but he is expected to be tempted by the possibility of joining Hamann and Babbel on Merseyside.
On the possibility of losing majority control this November, Ashcroft, who is expected to run for the GOP's 2000 presidential nomination, says he thinks the Republicans could certainly lose the House or the Senate.
So on top of the likelihood of the Fed raising rates higher than the market expected comes the possibility of higher rates in Japan and Germany before the end of the year.