Rayvin

:lol: Holy fuck...

How is it possible that The Fish hasn't posted in this yet?

Agreed, very interesting. If the Clintons hadn't fucked up the US-Russian relationship, maybe we wouldn't be where we are. It's hard not to have some sympathy with Putin as much as we want our Western hegemony to continue and for Russia to ultimately be absorbed into it. We're seeing a bit of an 'Empire Strikes Back' moment presently it seems. Hopefully Russia isn't resurgent to the point it was, although the history here definitely has shades of 1920-30s Germany about it.

Interesting! Thanks for that.

Do you think he'll be a success here though? Conte seems to have gotten off to a better start even if you consider that the squads are of comparable strength.

I think he's struggling and tbf I'm kind of pleased about it. Sort of proves that the PL does have different requirements, and that not all styles are a good fit for tackling the different tactical strategies that other managers might employ. That said, he's hardly had time to put his stamp on the team in a meaningful sense. Next season will be the key thing IMO.

But you don't think they'll do a Leeds because (as you rightly assert) their debt is with their owner. So if they go down, what is the likely scenario? That they downgrade as a club to the point where they become run of the mill Championship cannon fodder?

Actually a very fair point, I don't have the energy for this today anyway. I'll get on with some work I guess...

FFS. Was never his biggest fan but I don't understand at all how he's managed to let himself fall so far.

Why? If they're not going to be ambitious and competitive, what other reason would they have for 'just surviving' other than greed? Unless perhaps you're thinking that they were once ambitious, realised they couldn't manage it, and now have to stay in the PL to avoid financial armageddon.

Yep, this makes sense but then Labour don't have anyone else in that mould. Moreover, I remain somewhat bemused that you guys think jettisoning Corbyn is going to bring the good times back for Labour. All I see it doing is alienating their 600k strong membership, a large proportion of whom will abandon the party if it heads back to the centre, and having to start all over again. I don't think I'd vote for them in future if they leave the left once again. Although to be honest, it's sorely tempting to just resign myself to the fact that my votes will always be meaningless and that I shouldn't bother. EDIT - If Corbyn stood down of his own accord it might go differently.

I'm not saying immigration isn't an issue, I'm just saying it isn't the only issue. If we consider that austerity is one of the main driving forces behind our current woes, then I think it would be possible to create a narrative around that which many people would buy into. That said, as I've mentioned, the ship may well have sailed on this front as the immigration rhetoric has been entirely unchallenged in the same way that the austerity rhetoric was entirely unchallenged. Labour has been so crap at identifying and challenging these positions for so long now that it's hardly a surprise that it is where it is. I'm not saying that this initiative -will- work. I'm saying that 1) they have to try something and 2) populist narratives are not limited to immigrants - other options are possible.

Well, he either needs to do that or convincingly shift the narrative elsewhere. He isn't going to turn around on immigration so the plan must be to hijack the narrative. It's doable, it's just unlikely to work since UKIP have already made and entrenched over about a decade their case for anti-immigration populism.

True enough but it's worth a shot. I'd far rather we had populism of the left and really, the same things people get angry enough about to join the populist right could be co-opted by the left with the exception of immigration. But they could replace that with the rich probably.

I think it's a good idea, personally. Better than continuing with what they're doing, at least.

That transfer for that Alvarez guy pretty much sums them up. Paid £10m for a player who went to another team because Sunderland were attempting to weasel out of the deal. I never think they get enough stick for that, it was probably one of the least competent things I've seen in football.

Well, I'm hammered. Typical Thursday. Work Christmas party tomorrow followed by a visit to the in-laws. Not sure what state I'll be in but meh, its Christmas.

:lol:

She looks like the socially awkward kid at school.

I think it's just that they're newly promoted and the mackems consider them to have the shittest name and stature.

You've got time, and just think how much more impressive/how pissed ewerk will be if you manage it now

I know, but surely more of us read Murdoch's papers than read RT. Look, my point was Murdoch is consolidating his power to become the most powerful media force this country has ever seen