Dolly Potter MD

+If you weren't such a mug you would've known that yesterday, when the TT secret forum (by invite only) knew about it. Typically straight-shooting, and i mean that respectfully, but reads more like a slightly cryptic 'fuck-off' on behalf of the lads. Mugrighted nonetheless. More mugs, myself included definitely - you can place me near or top of the list, should be periodically nominated for the Creche Section. Establish a 'mugs nomination' thread up there in the Secret Forum, and let the process play out via the GC forum, in the form of a petition style thread. Fifty signatures from the general membership and that nominee is relegated to the Creche. The best case scenario being that member gets what is more than a subtle hint and duly fucks off. If it was easy enough to eradicate one lingering presence, lets say Paul Wynn, by forcing us mugs out with a pointed tap on the shoulder probably won't pose any problems. I'd doubt you'd receive any hassle from most folks here, in the event of being virtually evicted, because most of those would rather enjoy a bbq (while eating a few prawns, and downing a few beers with some mates) rather than post about it on a bloody football forum (in a thread alongside the lines of why zip-eyed/Asian footballers are shite) in real-time.

Alot of drawn results down the stretch, particularly if HBA's status as a bit-part player continues. We're an organised outfit but we're predictable & pedestrian in attack, within the link-up zone between the midfield & the front two. Whether in a free-role (off the main striker) or out on the right, with the license to cut-in, we look more balanced from left-to-right. Right now teams have figured us out to an extent. A fit Obertan (and Pards is showing a ton of faith in him) offers no threat down one flank, and opposition managers have caught on to this and they've duly shifted their defensive focus to our left side/gambling that Obertan doesn't punish us with the extra space afforded to him. It posed problems back in 00/01 (with Glass on the left) when Solano's ball-retention play, and creativity was curtailed. And i think it's posing a similar problem now, and there is too great a reliance on Ba creating his own chances thanks to his all-round play, workrate and movement. Low 5O's. If Collo is offloaded to a club jostling for a CL spot (akin to when we got the jump on our rivals when we signed Woody), we lose our only ball-playing outlet when the midfield line is being hassled/pressed. Collo as a pressure release valve, is the team's fifth midfielder. If Collo goes, and i think Tiote to Manyoo is just about a certainty for shite/nonsense football reasoning i posted a while back, then it's mid 40's as the team will be running on petrol fumes. Don't discount team morale taking a hit if the team is sold down the river again in January, through the actions of the club's ownership. Some brave/courageous management on Pardew's part (re-HBA), and the club's heirachy resisting bids for our best players and removing it's current marker as a 'feeder club' in what is a sellers' market' come January. Those are two considerable 'ifs' to overcome if we're to hit the 60 point mark.

This obviously isn't going to sit well, but it's poetic justice in a way ie. this low-ball figure clause, if Redknapp is on the money. Ashley/the club are unwilling to pay the going rate for very good players, and have become adept at sniffing out these clause related deals. This is were the club's involvement with Kia Joorabchian, as a consultant (as reported last year iirc), comes into affect imho. The bloke has an extensive list of contacts in the player agent game, so in some cases we'll get the jump on rivals ie. Wenger calling a meeting, with his recruiting department, regarding the one that got away/Cabaye. Fair play to Ba's agent, for insisting that a clause be written into the contract. A sensible contigency plan, that takes into account the players perceived transfer market value & likely earnings potential at a base rate - as opposed to an incentive orientated deal, if the player (in this case Ba) experiences a break-out season at a club that utilises an uncompetitive wage cap. As was the case with Enrique the ball is now in the club's court, that is to offer a competive wage package and to show some ambition (to lay a down marker of intent) and this includes hanging on to the team's top performing players. Ba (at 26) is at the peak of his powers right now, and probably has just one big pay-day left in his career, and as a late-bloomer it makes little sense to sit on an incentive-based deal up until the twilight stage of his career where there is downward slide kicks-in re: earnings. We've live by the sword by sniffing out clauses, and securing good players for relative peanuts, or below their true market value. Pardew/the club played the 'media game' (tried to unsettle the lad at Swansea) and tried to activate a clause. Now it's time to duly die by the sword.

Posting on my phone, which is a killer, but tbh i completely overlooked the targetman Sow, when referring to their '2' in-form strikers. I was originally thinking along the lines of the two Demba's, P.Cisse and Ba. Well that's three clinical & in-form forwards then. I can't think of a better striking line-up going into this tourney in recent times. Ghana & Ivory Coast may have a greater talent pool across the 2 outfield lines, but lack of composure in front of goals is a killer in what is an open/attacking/free-flowing tourney. Senegal with either of the two Demba's playing off the big man (in Sow) are a decent shout for the tourney win. Worth laying a few quid on them imo.

Senegal's management team have given him a pretty light build-up, on the unforgiving tracks they would've held their training camps, ahead of the African Finals. It's been commented that it's rare to find a national coach being so respectful of a player's duties at club level. On Senegal's part , given Ba's consistency once match-fit, his form warrants an influential role in their finals run. Unforgiving training camp tracks + Ba's well documented knee issues = a sensible preservation based strategy. They've nursed him into the finals by handling with cotton gloves. Last thing they wanted is a red-hot striker pulling up lame on the eve of a major tourney. Having a pair of in-form & all-round strikers available (as they currently have) is a rare plus in a tournament that features alot in the form of scattershot finishing/an overall lack of composure in front of goal courtesy of many of tourney's strikers. I think they've nursed him through the last month of their preparation with the view of a further reaching playing role - his performances certainly justify it. Senegal won't be quite so conservative come finals time now though, if they're basing their striking set-up on current form. Ba's serious workload, on those aforementioned training & matchday tracks, begins now. Obviously hoping the next month bares little consequence to his domestic campaign down the season's final stretch.

*Big-game atmosphere and the crowd was up for it, particularly in the second half as Manyoo were up against the rack. *The team was flying tonight, with a 100% level of commitment. Taking into account the big-game atmosphere, the opposition, and the coinciding level of commitment on show across the pitch they're pretty infectious ingredients for a positive/increased level of defensive application - in HBA's case. This is primarily directed against the argument (scoreline-based substitution) that at least Best provided some defensive presence/chasing back as Manyoo were chasing the game. He'll never be anywhere near text-book perfect in any situation for a contested ball, but a team performance like tonight can be infectious re: defensive effort for an otherwise pure ball playing/attacking weapon. As a counterattacking outlet, his late inclusion would've been a non-argument from me. If anything, with him not sharing the moment on a great night given the amount of work he's put into coming back from the injury he had, it's probably further ostracized a player who was already issued a 'come & play me' plea in the press. That aforementioned plea to the press, with reference to the difference to the football playing philosophies that exist between Pards & himself, has solidified the current forwards' pecking order.

Robert similarly criticised our style of play, under Souness, and dinged-up the manager's ego too. Giving a positive critique about the opposition's style of play, in particular - when refering to an obvious difference in football playing philosophies, is going to sting one ego a fair bit. The clock is now ticking.

Food for thought, relating to the final stages of his reign at West Ham prior to his sacking. Harewood, Zamora and Cole were his first choice three, as forward options, while the temperamental & creative (but world class all the same) Tevez was rotting away on the bench. The point is former three were struggling, and the team was screaming out for creativity/a spark, amidst a relegation fight but Pardew continued to stick to his guns while results continued to slide southwards. It would appear that Pards has a leaning towards grafters, those who carry little risk factor (those who won't try the outrageous, but offer more in the way of physical presence defensively) in the final 1/3. You can coach a rigid, defensively orientated gameplan around these type of players, where the mercurial types like HBA/Robert/Ginola will stray from the script, hence the risk factor involved in playing the likes of the latter three mentioned, even Tevez. But courageous managers weigh up the pros & cons (ie. HBA's cons are nigh on identical to Robert & Ginola) involved, without picking apart the negatives and basing their selection criteria accordingly. I'm of the growing opinion that Pardew is another Souness, who sadly is incapable of handling & man-managing these type of flair players, that do carry that enigmatic/unpredictable streak that makes them impossibe to coach against, and in the case of their handlers (who have no room for compromise) impossible to manage. If there's no way out of the dog-house for HBA (based purely on the negatives/baggage he brings to the table) we may as loan him out now, or sell him in January.

....... Paul Dalglish.

Patton respected the German military, including the higher ranking officers as well. Likewise that respect was mirrored by the Germans. He was pretty outspoken after Stalin's forces moved in, and questioned alot of things that were going on at the time. The Germans were honorable fighters, on land & sea, and deserve a fairer depiction on film rather than being typecast as the 'cardboard cut-out villains' as thrown at them by a director with an axe to grind, and an agenda to push based on racial lines etc.

If this is the case, which is certainly a possibility as he fills that 'moody, flawed genius' mould. He's a certainly a player who is going rub particular managers (those who can't man-manage them, are unwilling to compromise) up the wrong way. If there is a battle of egos going on anything positive he produces on the pitch will be done out of spite, against the manager. If he's getting similar minutes during the ANC, while playing second fiddle to crap, you can put this down as 'Souness v Robert, Version 2' with different cast members obviously.

Saving Private Ryan: it's depiction of the field of war, by parading German grunts as cardboard cut-out villains, shits all over the premise of 'to kill, or be killed' in the heat of battle. Hard to think of a more offensive illustration of the field of war, captured on a cinematic level. To be expected though, taking into account the subject matter and the director's ancestry. A shitstain on the war movie genre. 1 out of 5...... and the '1' is purely based on the technical aspects of the film.

For such a progressive club (under the current regime) we could've a thrown out a more expansive search net. Fu Kin Krud, of Ghuke FC, over in some obscure zip-eyed league is banging them in.

Done, despite your lack of manners! Thank you dear. ..... better yet, for the sake of freeing up some bandwidth, just delete the thread & OP.

Aside from keeping up with my usually shite standard of posting, i've thrown this in the wrong forum. I was at forum jumping at the time, and forgot to switch back to the footy one. Mods: switch it to the appropriate forum.