The Fish

Or a lad. C'mon Paddocklad, you're better than this.

I think you're attributing to him more long-term planning than he is capable of. Honestly? I think he's seen youtubers get famous and thinks because he has a modicum of success it's just a matter of time. He's got little to no original content, the production values are poor, his editing is amateur and he has all the charisma of a 3 pin plug. If he wants to make something like this work, he's got to be more creative, he's got to find a niche and exploit it. like, this matchday video for example. It's garbage. His delivery is flat, there's nothing he's saying that adds to the shonky video work. Compare it to this kid; Now, neither are my cup of tea, but the second one is much better than Pearson's

Yeah, if this was the final few days of the window I'd be a little worried, but it's not. Not even close, so people getting in a tizz because we've only signed a good PL left back who's already proven at the club AND England international 'keeper, they need to grow a spine, grow some balls and grow the fuck up.

No doubt, when we were linked with Choudhury on loan, I couldn't give enough of a shit to pore over anything. He might have been a decent player but because of a decade of Ashley and underwhelming transfers I knew he wasn't going to be great. Fucking Hell even with Saint-Maximin I knew that even though he was an exciting talent, the expectation that he'd have a suspect attitude, or not great end product or he'd be inconsistent came so easily. # Now, with Bruno, and Burn and Targett I had genuine faith that they'd, at worst, be good and certainly be better than what came before them.

I said the same when we first signed Dubravka on loan. I didn't think the 'keeper was a priority position, but then it shows I know fuck all because we were much better as a team when we brought him in.

One of the issues with the rumour mill running 24/7 and the emergence of sofa-analysts is we build up every player we're seriously linked with. We read articles about him, looks at his stats, watch compilations and a lot of it leans whichever way our bias wants. Ekitike maybe a great prospect, and everything I've read and seen suggests he is. But maybe, he's not. Maybe other options would fit better in the squad, or adapt better to the PL. The alternatives we've heard about are the likes of Raphinha, Hazard, etc. but, for all we know, Ashworth and the scouts have 3-4 other young kids with potential that we've not heard a real peep about? I do think this is another example of the club proving that, despite our attributed wealth, we'll not be held ransom. We won't pay the Newcastle tax.

Currently a group-wide conference call that I've spoken about to the team beforehand, talked it up, recommend people join it. You know, that kind of thing. That's me in the back garden, reading the kindle, drinking a bottle of coke for the next hour and 45 minutes then.

I think you're being reductive. Labour isn't likely to fully privatise the NHS and it's such a anathema for the British public to propose it, not even these Tories would run on it. What Renton is saying (and forgive me if I get this wrong) is that, right now, in this non-hypothetical reality whoever has the best chance to defeat these Tories should be voted for. If 50 yrs into the future, Labour has lurched as far to the left as these Tories have done to the right, and the Tories actually occupy a left-leaning centre position, cyber-Renton may actually vote for them.

Goes viral on Tick Tock?

My entire working life is proof that you can toss it off at work way more than you think. Under promise then 'over deliver', never agree to the first timeline suggested, block out chunks of you diary so people believe you're busy, schedule an email to send after hours (and respond to any reply that generates immediately with "I'll have a look in the morning" kind of thing. I'm lucky that I can automate a lot of my work if I spend a little time and effort at the beginning. This morning, I've listened to a podcast, I've fucked about with my football stats excel thing for the coming season for a bit, I've done some exercise in the garden, back indoors to send a few emails with work that was completed by a macro and do a bit of studying of coding that will make my job even easier. Despite this pisstaking, I'm getting a bonus and a payrise. And once I complete this study I should be able to negotiate a paybump or move to another company. Used to work on shifts with the Met police. Honestly, night shifts and weekends were mostly playing football manager, or watching tv. For years I did this for good money.

He's really committing to that bit, isn't he?

To be honest I can see why any young player would be cautious about the move to Newcastle United right now. Ekitike is getting a fuck ton of attention, someone is associating him with some legitimately huge clubs and right now, we're not one of those top top top top top top top teams. Sounds to me like his agent is wanting the best possible deal for his client at the biggest possible club. Well, fine, that's his job. I don't believe that Ekitike is sufficiently mature/aware to make this decision himself and will be leaning on advice from his agent, his teammates, his family. Right now, we've only a few things in our favour for a kid like him; We're a PL team, we can pay a lot of money and he's more likely to get game time. The other clubs mentioned are CL clubs, they won't be paying a pittance and they will convince him that if he's good enough, he'll play. It's different with Botman, he'll have a better idea of his level in the game, he'll see the trajectory this club is on and he'll know that if he shines in the Premier League for a season or two, a massive club will come calling. Even if he isn't in the CL.

Puke Edwards? Jesus...

You, you have.

Dignitas?

Why won't you let me enjoy my contempt?

The end of your penultimate sentence says it all though mate. You're willing to pay for it. The ones I'm talking about want someone else to pay for it. They don't want to end homelessness by providing for the homeless, they want the homeless people moved on or locked up. They would baulk at paying more for the NHS than they do, they want diversity officers and the like fired so they pay less. They don't want provisions made for the youth of today to keep them engaged and out of trouble, they want them locked up and moved on. They think the answer to reducing crime is more crime fighting, not crime prevention. They'd look at the high taxes in the Scandi countries and think the people are being robbed by the government, completely oblivious to the high standard of living that it provides. They're also convinced that their opinion is as valid as evidenced arguments. In that spirit, I think the answer would be found in education, in community engagement and pluralism.

Respectfully, I disagree. I think that there are people who are, at their core, motivated by what is in their interests first and foremost. They're the heroes of the story, they 'deserve' money, respect, freedom. This means they'll willingly accept any story that paints them as the good guys and the 'other' as a threat. They'll willingly accept a political party that feeds their ego with stories like ' Immigrants are taking your jobs', 'Liberal elites think you're stupid and racist' and 'They will have you jailed for saying you're English.' I have an issue with your stats, who's being polled? 85% of the people who answered the survey may well believe that the NHS should be free for everyone. But what's the number for those that voted? It also speaks to the pressure you feel when filling in a survey to appear virtuous, much moreso than the equally anonymous but ultimately more consequential act of voting. I do believe that a decent number of people the world over, likely a majority, are self-centered. There may be a sliding scale of it, but ultimately they're in it for themselves. And everything I've seen politically over the past decade backs that up, in my eyes.

What, the Denzel Washington supernatural thing?

Me too.

I'm not 100% but I'm fairly sure that we can spend whatever we like on the infrastructure, staffing and non-professional contracts, but once a transfer deal and professional terms are involved it does impact FFP. That said, with kids it should be easier to build the deal around a smaller up front fee and the rest after time/achievement.

Then, and it's just a thought, stop posting every single transfer rumour update from spurious twitter accounts?

Aren't uninformed morons way more likely to be racist, homophobic bigots? I think the overwhelming majority of people who vote Tory or Republican are self interested first and foremost. What are my rights, what am I owed, why doesn't everyone share MY opinion. I think that focus means they're more susceptible to stories that shift the responsibility for their lot in life away from them and onto others. Blame the immigrants for lack of job prospects. Can't say and do what you want with impunity? That's because of the snowflakes. It's not the people you support that have fucked it, it's these other people. It could be said the same is true the other way, we blame the Tories for a lot in life. But, to be fair, there's evidence to back that up... I think that when Trans-rights doesn't get the good ol' boys revved up any more they'll pivot to something else. Anything that is considered 'other' will suffice. Some minority group that practises multiple partner relationships will be 'Comin' for your kids!!!'. These 5 teachers want to cover African history and not European, "They're indoctrinating the children!" And because of social media, shit like this will be exaggerated beyond lunacy and be the fall of society for Fox news et al.

Is it a consequence? I honestly believe that the demagogues of the right will cast around for an obscure topic to enrage their base about and push it front and centre. Cancelling Christmas, straight bananas, all the way up to paedophile gangs, and trans-rights. These things are either inconsequential, or impact a tiny amount of people, yet become part of the national conversation. Partly, imo, to distract the populous from the issues that impact more people to a greater degree. Like climate change, government incompetence, etc.