Ken

From the Daily Telegraph news site; AOC president John Coates questions British hygiene standards AUSTRALIAN Olympic Committee president John Coates today weighed into the Aussie-British Games showdown with a slur questioning Britons' approach to cleanliness. Asked if he was surprised by Great Britain's good performances in the swimming, Coates said they had done well - for a nation short on pools and soap. "Great Britain may have been in lane seven and eight but, um, they seemed to be getting there for a country that has very few swimming pools and not much soap,'' Coates said. Coates's remark, while tongue in cheek, are sure to fuel the growing rivalry between Australia and its old sporting enemy during the Beijing Games. Sports Minister Kate Ellis has already bet her British counterpart Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe on which country will stand higher in the medal count. Her challenge came after the British team declared they would win 41 medals and beat Australia for the first time in 20 years. Britain has poured hundreds of millions of pounds into its Olympic sportsmen since 2005, when London won the right to host the 2012 Games. The splurge appears to have already paid dividends, with Britons picking up two unexpected gold medals in the first three days of competition.

And they do that by attacking countries much weaker than themselves. This situation can get really ugly, very fast. I know the West feels like something needs to be done, but what can you do? If you step in, you make Turkey, Russia, us, and the rest of Central Asia very uneasy...and people forget how close Iran is to all of this. Granted, Iran's relations with Georgia aren't the best, but they are good friends with Azerbaijan. All the countries you've mentioned, well I know Russia, Turkey and Iran (I'll add China to that as well) would sacrifice thousands and thousands of men to achieve objectives. It's the type of war Western Europe and the USA would not favour, hence why they would virtually be left alone, or at least why disputes would not be met with force but only diplomatic protests. Turkey may not, they're still after the EU bid, but Russia, China, and Iran would. They are preparing themselves for that. As far as Kazakhstan and the other 'stans, what we do with our military is for defense. I highly doubt we would get involved in this particular, hypothetical conflict because we really don't have any bad relations with anyone. We would be neutral, but that would mean no free airspace. I don't know much about Kazakhstan, so pardon my ignorance but is that the country where the head of state built a new capital city from scratch. Supposed to be a smashing city, and the work done (infrastructure, buildings etc) rivals that of Dubai??? As for Turkey, yes luckily they are a secular state, with modern thinking people, but there is support for a religious head of state... very dangerous if that happens.

And they do that by attacking countries much weaker than themselves. This situation can get really ugly, very fast. I know the West feels like something needs to be done, but what can you do? If you step in, you make Turkey, Russia, us, and the rest of Central Asia very uneasy...and people forget how close Iran is to all of this. Granted, Iran's relations with Georgia aren't the best, but they are good friends with Azerbaijan. All the countries you've mentioned, well I know Russia, Turkey and Iran (I'll add China to that as well) would sacrifice thousands and thousands of men to achieve objectives. It's the type of war Western Europe and the USA would not favour, hence why they would virtually be left alone, or at least why disputes would not be met with force but only diplomatic protests.

Yep Russia doesn't want Georgia to join NATO. They've (Georgia) got a oil pipeline going through there country too. As it stands Russia dictates the price of oil that it sells to Western Europe. Georgia may have been tempted to lower their prices which Russia won't like. You've got to love punishment...Russian stylee. Russia would LOVE to control Georgia. Not just for the ease of sending oil but for other exports. It would be complicated for Georgia to lower the prices since it is not their oil. The oil usually comes from us, Russia, or Azerbaijan and I think we and the Azeris would bomb Georgia if they lowered the price of OUR oil. Excellent point. Aside from the sphere of influence bit, Russia wants it to be known they are a world power once again...

Yep Russia doesn't want Georgia to join NATO. They've (Georgia) got a oil pipeline going through there country too. As it stands Russia dictates the price of oil that it sells to Western Europe. Georgia may have been tempted to lower their prices which Russia won't like. You've got to love punishment...Russian stylee.

You don't want the UK obliterated do you?

Dan you clueless twat, Viduka's heritage is croatian Australian! Your lot didn't get the chance to deport them for stealing bread. Hahahaha that only happens to scum Poms right Sammy? Imagine that, being punished by going to a paradise for stealing bread and scraps and avoiding the black plague. Oh Mother England...

Well if you look at the Champion's league, not that shit. Although what there certainly is in the Premiership is pretty much two separate leagues. Last time I checked there were more than 4 teams in The Premiership. Mate besides Inter, Roma and Fiorentina, the Serie A is shite. Besides Real Madrid, Barca and Sevilla the Primera League is shite. All four Premier League teams are still in the Champions League. Tottenham, Portsmouth and Everton are good sides. The Premier League is still the best competition in the world. Unfortunately though, there aren't many Englishmen playing in the domestic league. That is where we lack. As for relegation, Newcastle are shite. Every player has a blatant weakness about them. Every fuckin' player. If we don't get relegated I'll be happy to drink 'till I need to be taken to a hospital. It's never happened to me before, but I'll be happy to do it on this occasion...

Or Barcelona if they don't win the CL (looks like Madrid are going to win the league). One or the other would be my guess. Steve Archibald was on talksport yesterday saying how the fans were sick of Rijkaard as his approach is based on defence and not the attacking Barca way. He went on to say Mourinho would be great at Barca !!!! Fuck me, if the fans think Rijkaard's football is boring they're in for a hell of a shock once Mourinho goes there. Steve Archibold hasn't got a clue. Barcelona's philosophy on playing is free flowing and attractive football. Anyone can see that that isn't how Mourinho likes his teams to play. Real Madrid have changed there philosophy from free-flowing attack to a more conservative and solid approach. If Mourinho chooses to go to Spain it'll be to Real Madrid. But all my money is on him going to AC Milan. It is a match made in heaven. Technical, but slow and defence orientated, Mourinho would love it at Milan. That plus the team has to be rebuilt virtually from scratch. It's the oldest team going around in any division in Europe and it'd be a challenge 'The Special One" would savour.

I had a read at some of my old posts on NO the other day, and fuckin hell when you read them back, some of them, I come across as such a cunt. I can't even be reasoned with on some of the threads, but it's good to be self critical. However, I've never come across as big of a cunt as the posters mentioned above. Geez you must be one bored geezer...

Useless tart. Waving his arms around and trying to direct players around. The sooner he goes the quicker our defence will improve...

Seeing that it's a NOTW article are they proper quotes or are they souped up and bogus "quotes" like the one with Mike Ashley?...

Ive given up on the blind faith and optimism and replaced it with "were all fucking doomed to a life of hell and misery" Good...you've come to your senses then

£50m is absolutely peanuts. Remember KK spent £50m at Man City the year they got promoted and they came 9th. The quality of our squad now and Man City's the year they were in the Championship before they got promoted bears a strinking resemblence. £50m would be needed on our midfield alone, and that's minimum. But then you need to look at our defenders, strikers (of which we need to replace a minimum of two) and maybe a gk if Shay cannot overcome his chronic groin problem. Splash the cash Ash...

That's rubbish imo. Of the three or four players I'd keep for next season, Duff would be one of them. N'Zogbia, Owen and Milner are the others. The rest can go and ponder a future elsewhere. What's Duff done to warrant that? Over and above...say...Martins. I think Duff has done well since he's come back from injury. He's a better left winger than N'Zogbia. Duff has the experience and puts himself about. He'll bob up on the left, then switch to the right and try and link up with other players. The sort of stuff he did well while at Chelsea. N'Zogbia is sort of one-dimensional, but I'm not critisisng N'Zogbia at all. He has pace to burn, a decent shot and he takes on players too, but Duff is all over him with his experience and know how. I just would have Duff over Martins myself. Although in saying that Martins isn't our worst player and he wouldn't be in the group of six or seven I'd love to see the club get rid of in the summer.

He's looked uneasy the times I've seen him play. Could be the language barrier. Could be he isn't good enough. Could be he isn't used to such a physical and direct way of playing football. Could be a combination of all these things. Congrats by the way Sam my my mate, Newcastle born and bred. The mighty Jets are flying high! Three cheers to Sammy. Hip hip...HOORAY. Hip hip...HOORAY. Hip hip...HOORAY. I shall be traveling down that way down October, to Sydney and its beautiful surroundings.

Well...you're lucky there like. If we weren't so relegation-tastic I would love to see the likes of Troisi and Carroll in the first team. Just to see if they could cut it...

Enrique. Upon reflection, and not from depising because of lack of sleep and other reasons; I'd keep Beye, Faye, Given, N'Zogbia, Duff, Milner (as a squad player only), Owen. The rest can FUCK OFF RIGHT NOW. PISSANTS!!!!!!!!!!!!

He is dirt. To think the lad wants a pay rise too...

That's a huge call, especially the later, joke or not. Have you actually every seen Troisi play? If he isn't joking than it's fair to say the poor lad wouldn't know what day it is.

Agreed - Taylor is awful and shows no positional awareness at all - the tackle(?) he made for the second ronaldo goal was nothing short of disgraceful and he should be viewed by all as a liability. I still like faye - he was not as solid as i have seen him but he has good positional sense and wins loads in the air - best of a bad bunch and i thought he was having a blinder for much of the first h Couldnt agree more with this, Taylor has learnt nothing positionally and makes rash decisions which dont pay off. He is our new Bramble unfortunately. Barton needs to be dropped. Gave the ball away several times, played passes too heavy, looks like a man waiting on a prison sentence. How bad must Enrique be to not get a shot at LB? N'Zogbia needs to be put back into midfield, although where Im not sure as Duff was one of the better players yesterday. Do you want me to go the full dig? Nicky Butt cannot pass a ball 5 yards. Watching yesterday it's like he purposefully gives the ball to the opposition. I don't care for his "hard" play. Milner cannot cross a ball, or if he has the ball he prefers to dance and wriggle with it...into 4 defenders, while a player is unmarked on the wing. Barton is shite, hope he does time. Smith is a pansy. What Scott Parker was to us last season in midfield, Alan Smith does for us now as a forward, except he can't score like Scott Parker. The team tried for 20 minutes, but once it settled down, we couldn't compete. God help us.

I love the smell of optimism in the morning. Optimism?..what the hell is that, it's been a while?

Taylor is no better than a Championship player. In fact if he doesn't go in the Summer, then he should be loaned out to a Championship side next season. He was pathetic. Waving his hands around, trying to tell others where they should be. I mean who the fuck does he think he is? Then doing a dance that led to the Ronaldo goal. Those who think he is worth the time are kidding themselves. He is no better than Bramble. Our squad are pathetic, and not much better than Wigan's or Birmingham's. That is how shite we are.

That's rubbish imo. Of the three or four players I'd keep for next season, Duff would be one of them. N'Zogbia, Owen and Milner are the others. The rest can go and ponder a future elsewhere.

Yes, but being a better team on paper means fuck all mate. I'm not saying we're in a dogfight right now, but in two weeks when we get smashed by Man Utd and if Fulham, Reading or Birmingham sneak a win, then things will be different. Anyone with half a brain should realise that.