Park Life

Know what you mean. Gemma Arterton revived it for me like. Never saw that although I've seen 'Tess' (the Polanski fillum with Natasha Kinsky), which is canny. Watched The Tennant last night.

ooooh, didn't know he had a new one out. Cheers Parks! I was an avid reader of all his stuff back in the day but once they started making movies out of them the interest waned. Is it merely a middle aged Less Than Zero? Now Donna Tartt It is. But there is more erasure of persona, it is also cynical, but not obvious cynicism - cynicism that comes as a surprise. It is the novel Baudrillard would have written if he was a novelist. It is the cool LA surfaces and ice cold mineral waters, it is Xanax driven into the darkest canyons of the mind. It is relentlessly stylish and observational in a way that the workds judder up against you and you have to double check your own thougts. I like reading it in the bookshop. The first Donna Tart was excellent (A secrety history) the rest is rubbish.

I've read the third one in the series. Ripley's Game. Someone loaned me it and I wasn't expecting much but was pleasantly surprised, as Freddie Shepherd might say. The film by Wim Wenders is canny good too actually. Called 'The American Friend' with Dennis Hopper and Bruno Ganz (Hitler in 'Downfall'). The Talented Mr Ripley and Ripeys Game ( the one with Malkovich and Winstone) are both crackers. Me and Mrs P must have watched the former about 10 times.

Deal done. On Bafra, maybes we need to go back with just a bit more money and it should be alright.

I quoted Stevie.

The first year always feels like that. The mojo will return.

It's just a leaning toward X files type subject matter.

FYP

3/4 through Imperial Bedrooms by Brett Easton-Ellis. Utter class. Cold, observational, funny in a dark way and distant. But enough about me.

Hughton isn't quoted in that "story". He is a bit later. "The fact that we now know which division we're going to be in does give us a headstart and any headstart is always welcome," said Hughton, who will discuss his transfer plans with the managing director, Derek Llambias, at the earliest opportunity. "It gives us more time to plan for next season. The agents have started already. The first possible chance they will see to push players on you and make you aware their players are available is when you get promotion." Looks to me CH was expecting a fairly busy transfer window. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/ap...-premier-league

8th of April and CH was singing a very different tune... "Chris Hughton is confident that Newcastle United will reap the rewards of an early promotion back to the Premier League in the transfer market, with the manager believing he has gained a crucial advantage in planning for next season. Newcastle have been promoted with five games to spare in the Championship and, despite Hughton's attempts to keep the focus on securing the Championship title, he has already begun to look at what needs to be done to ensure the club have the best chance of surviving in the top flight. Hughton expects to receive a transfer budget somewhere in the region of £25m and feels he only needs four or five new signings to strengthen a squad which already has plenty of top-flight experience. A new striker will be the main priority as he does not have a proven goalscorer at that level, but two full-backs, a central midfielder and a centre-back will also be high on his wish list."

Any idea when Smith and Nolans contracts are up/enter last year?

Arsenal need another midfielder like they need a hole in the head.

Is the other 2 Les Ferdinand and possibly Carbone?.. LOL....hope your source is right about HBA mate. one is a dutch lad, 20 year old, apparently enquired about him last thurs and negotiating, weve offer 3.5 and they want closer to 4.5 also some lad from uraguay who played in world cup not sure of name, just hes 27 The Dutch lad is Fer. Didn't someone mention we had a bid for Cheick Tioté turned down? He plays in Holland at the moment - admittedly he's not Dutch like... Yeah that was me. My divining rod says we have five bids out there. Arfa Mo. Check Tits All Fer nowt. Any Chebs Arvellio

Yes. And it looks like we're serious about both, but who really knows. I'd like to think the Fer thing looks like it might come off as the valuations are close.

Is the other 2 Les Ferdinand and possibly Carbone?.. LOL....hope your source is right about HBA mate. one is a dutch lad, 20 year old, apparently enquired about him last thurs and negotiating, weve offer 3.5 and they want closer to 4.5 also some lad from uraguay who played in world cup not sure of name, just hes 27 The Dutch lad is Fer.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xeha5g_hi..._fun#from=embed

They were just holding out for a bigger offer Shirley? Let's face it we've been dreaming a bit on here reg Bafra and Bremen getting involved (not confirmed) is the rude awakening in this case. If MA was half the businessman he makes out to be he should have wrapped this up a couple of weeks ago with a sweeter offer and probably without having to go the full 8 mill. The street value of the lad after one good PL season would be about 12m anyway and he's far more gifted than Meewner.

At least 6. The cup semi-final in 2005 was no better than yesterday's performance. Last time we were competing with them was under Robson (probably the game where Keane was sent off having tried to lamp Shearer) and even then they always just had the edge. We have had a few beatings by them, but the difference was that we had a quality enough to have a go and think we had a chance to give as good as we got. The worst thing of all is just to sit back and accept inferiority and be happy to keep the score down. That 2-6 game was a freak, we always had a chance against them, and if we'd not missed a sitter at 1-0 after 30 mins we'd have been 2-0 up instead of 1-4 down at half time. The difference is SBR was an intelligent man, but it doesn't take a genius to build a good team. Your teams need five things which largely only a manager can provide: Character: It seemed every week we'd go behind in the good days under Robson, we did against Leeds four times in that era to my mind, we even did it at Highbury we fought for 90 minutes Ability/spotting ability: Classic case with Bellers, absolutely ridiculed at Coventry, FFS questioned SBR's desire to bring him in, but he knew he wasn't a winger which is where he was employed there, brung him in the middle and he was sensational for us at times, a real success. You need a team of talented players. Pace: I'm a firm believer that at least 6 of your players have to be exceptionally quick, we had Dyer, Bellamy, Robert was quick, Jenas, Bernard had pace, and that pace made the difference we were as quick as Arsenal were then for a while. Team Spirit: You can have all of the above but if you don't have this you underperform massively Respect for the club: There wasn't too many of them who were wanting to be away we were viewed with respect we had players who we couldn't even dream of now who were linked with us, and we could attract them To be honest, I don't care how many times I hear what a great bunch of lads there are at the toon, and how good the team spirit is, I was in the motor earlier listening to Super Alc, and he was spot on. Barton last night played like he genuinely didn't care, and there were one or two others, but particularly Barton. I don't think the team spirit is as good as it's made out, and that is the only one of those five facets you could even put an argument up for saying we have across the side, the squad and the club. SBR got the lot, KK got the lot, and until we have a manager who can get these five assets back in the team then I'm afraid the best we can hope to be is a massively supported Bolton. I can't understand managers who sign slow players. Look at Vieira, a magnificent player for Arsenal for years, but everyone knows he's finished because he can't run, Mancini isn't a brilliant manager and he'll be gone. If I was a chairman of a football club I'd judge my managers performance over three years with those criteria I've listed above, and if we're all honest we have none of them. One of your best posts Stevie.

All for giving Krul a dozen starts this season.

I am undeathable.

I'm confident 2/3 will come in. Stay....

...and when you have your break make your own burgers ie 4 burgers in a big double decker like concuction.

We've checked Tiote apparently. 2.5m turned down. SKY.