Park Life

Indeed. They threw millions at Afghanistan to defeat the Russians. And then nothing whatsoever to rebuild the country after the ravages of war. I don't see how Clinton could have forced this through 2 presidents before he even got into office. The Taliban were just a symptom of this root failure that grew and fed on the anger of US abandonment. They made a similar mistake in Iraq with debaathification. Sacked an entire nations army and hoped they'd give the weapons back and go home quietly. Nice move Bemmer, created an armed militia in one fell swoop. Bremmer is a nutcase, but perhaps there is bounty in keeping Iraq destabalised as so many U.S. companies are making 'a killing' out there (you know the usual list). Sacking the Army (who as you say are essentially leading the uprisings) shows for me that the core strategists are more than happy with the permanent bases way. At this point they are really unhappy about the fact that the Shia have had so much success in the Govt. Personally I think Iraq will ultimately break up into 2/3 semi-autonomous regions under the control of different factions. The Kurds will get a chunk.

The thing is as we rise up the table, suddenly the club becomes attractive to other (better) managers.... However I'm thinking we should give him a fair crack of the whip as he's done most things right and the team are responding.

Fixed.

Keep him till the end of the season? Get rid in Jan? Just started thinking last night that even the new owners might keep him on till the summer as he seems to have got a grip of things. I'm in two minds about him now.

Fop handing it out?

Anyone getting the feeling MA wants to stay? The feeling among our group has swung from "he has to go" to "he can stay as long as we're winning". That's what only losing one in five can do for your popularity. "You only had to blow the bloody doors off"!!

We should expect it though, we're Newcastle United and they're Aston Villa.

Anyone getting the feeling MA wants to stay?

He's another one. They don't actually lose football games without a list of mitigating circumstances it seems.

No he's not, but how strongly he denies this or lets it flow depends on the target audience. Given how instrumental Afghanistan was in the US plan to bankrupt the Soviet Union, I'd have tried the best I could to steer well clear. So you'd have just left the Taliban in charge and allowed them to continue training ad infinitum then? Or would you have just nuked Afghanistan to a glass wasteland? (this is exactly what I mean by Obama probably not being able to sort things out tbh) Amongst other things it's the nuking that motivates evermore suicide bombers to give their lives. The notion that wiping out afghanistan would bring an end to islamic extremism I find hard to go along with. That's complete ASS though. The issues with Afghanistan built up in the Clinton era, if anything it was a lack of interference that allowed them to build up and set the foundation for the 9/11 attacks, so in an indirect way those attacks are laid directly at Clinton's door (and without Afghanistan being what it was in the late 90's there'd not only likely not have been any 9/11 attack, but probably no Madrid attack, Bali attacks, London attack, nor many of the attacks in Iraq). No President could have just left Afghanistan as it was post-9/11, and if they did they would have simply encouraged more and more extreme attacks coming from there. There was no diplomatic solution (the complete disregard for diplomatic issues there was largely what lead to the Taliban being able to take over in the first place). So again what would have been the solution? Leave Afghanistan as it was, ignore the 3000 dead, and turn the other cheek, and allow them to continue to train people and spread hate across the world? (that worked SO will in the 1990's didn't it ) Or nuke Afghanistan into a glass wasteland, killing millions, just to remove a threat that should never have been allowed to develop in the first place? Or something in between? Which is what is happening now, which is not, and could never be anything but a very long term problem that would cost a lot of lives. So what was, or is, the "magic" solution? Or will you just continue to whinge without accepting there is none? What exactly was complete Ass? If you're going back to the root of the problem, there were 6 years between Russia initiating a withdrawl from Afghanistan and Clinton getting into office. Reagan and Bush had already spent a lot of time doing sweet fuck all to help the country that helped them kick captain communisms arse. It was that complete abandonment that allowed the Taliban to get a foothold. It's that kind of failure that makes it such an almighty fuck up with no easy solutions now. Doing the wrong thing at a pivotal moment. I never mentioned Afghanistan though why's it up to me to come up with a magic solution? I've only claimed that the Bush response to 9/11 has been excessive (Iraq, civil liberty erosion, homeland security spending etc). Are you saying it was proportionate? The CIA and Pakistani secret services funded and trained the Taliban Nicos. In Steven Bauers book he observes that at one point there were so many stinger and anti-tank weapons in Afghanistan, the CIA was offering $1,000 a piece to buy them back.

Is the plan to get past the next transfer window?

"I don't think it'll come down to as little as sticking fridge magnets on the outside of the spacecraft."

As soon as they start to falter he starts whinning...As regular as clockwork. Apparently two players contracts (and his) are far from settled. Benny turns this into a mini-crisis... "Rafael Benítez has called on the Liverpool owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, to resolve contractual issues that threaten to destabilise his title-chasing squad when the transfer window reopens in January. Dirk Kuyt, Daniel Agger and the Liverpool manager himself have only 18 months remaining on their current contracts and while Agger has opened talks on an extension, the Spaniard is increasingly concerned at the lack of progress. Though Benítez would not dwell on the potential ramifications ahead of tonight's Champions League group tie with Atlético Madrid, the delays provide a further indication of the uncertainty that surrounds the club's future under its American co-owners. Hicks and Gillett, who have delayed work on a proposed new stadium indefinitely, have not approached Benítez with a new contract offer 10 months after Hicks first revealed his intention to extend the Spaniard's reign. Likewise Kuyt, Liverpool's leading goalscorer this season, is also in the dark over the club's long-term intentions." Rafa you lost to Spurs even with your customary 12 people behind the ball (I always count the ref when the play). It's nothing to do with contracts.... http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/no...l-premierleague

They are quite limited if plan A doesn't work.

First they came for the comics and we said nothing......etc....

Or just petrol bombed them, either way works. Are my posts that sexy that you can't keep your grubby little hands off them? Can I expect you to stalk me as long as I post here and try to make a terrorist reference, usually with at least one smiley included, about everything I say? and all that shit. Zealots are fun. You just think it's a perfectly acceptable method of showing your "disapproval" is all, as you have clearly said yourself. Feel free to firebomb this post. That's funny, I thought I showed my disapproval of Ross and Brand without petrol bombing anyone. The bolded bit is an outright lie - I expect better from you. Usually you just try to hint at these things instead of making declarative statements so you never have to present any evidence. So what you're saying is yes, you do plan to stalk me and make a terrorist reference about everything I say, with at least one smiley included. Carry on then. I know, I feel you showed unusual restraint. Although if there weren't an ocean and if they'd pretended to ring up Muhammed I'm sure you'd have been right there (claiming it was ok to bomb London to teach them a lesson).

Basically his nuisance value up front has increased. I will say this though I shut my eyes a couple of times when he did his 'new' lunge for the ball. Well done Shola!

I reckon she would shit it.

Looks like the Japs are in on it.

No he's not, but how strongly he denies this or lets it flow depends on the target audience. Given how instrumental Afghanistan was in the US plan to bankrupt the Soviet Union, I'd have tried the best I could to steer well clear. So you'd have just left the Taliban in charge and allowed them to continue training ad infinitum then? Or would you have just nuked Afghanistan to a glass wasteland? (this is exactly what I mean by Obama probably not being able to sort things out tbh) Amongst other things it's the nuking that motivates evermore suicide bombers to give their lives. The notion that wiping out afghanistan would bring an end to islamic extremism I find hard to go along with. That's complete ASS though. The issues with Afghanistan built up in the Clinton era, if anything it was a lack of interference that allowed them to build up and set the foundation for the 9/11 attacks, so in an indirect way those attacks are laid directly at Clinton's door (and without Afghanistan being what it was in the late 90's there'd not only likely not have been any 9/11 attack, but probably no Madrid attack, Bali attacks, London attack, nor many of the attacks in Iraq). No President could have just left Afghanistan as it was post-9/11, and if they did they would have simply encouraged more and more extreme attacks coming from there. There was no diplomatic solution (the complete disregard for diplomatic issues there was largely what lead to the Taliban being able to take over in the first place). So again what would have been the solution? Leave Afghanistan as it was, ignore the 3000 dead, and turn the other cheek, and allow them to continue to train people and spread hate across the world? (that worked SO will in the 1990's didn't it ) Or nuke Afghanistan into a glass wasteland, killing millions, just to remove a threat that should never have been allowed to develop in the first place? Or something in between? Which is what is happening now, which is not, and could never be anything but a very long term problem that would cost a lot of lives. So what was, or is, the "magic" solution? Or will you just continue to whinge without accepting there is none? There is only one solution. Bring down the House of Saud for that is where the cash is coming from. Oh wait.....

Well mainly Shola, but I get what you mean. Duff seems to be running around a lot as well. If only we had someone in the middle with some semblence of creativity.

We just need one more Argie in the middle of the park.

Welcome to the board.

Very good win and Guti not quite fully fit yet, I reckon he has another gear and we saw a flash of it tonight with the assist. Hats off to Shola, stuck at it and quite gutsy which is probably a new experience for him and us. I had a feeling we'd win tonight with Beye coming upto full fitness and Barton also getting stronger with every game - Villa on the other hand have played a lot of games lately and needed to get something early, whereas the longer it went the better we became. Still sorely missing someone in the middle who can thread a pass now and again.