Special K

Why do you think that it is your place to judge anyone's expectations in life? I won't be very popular for suggesting this, but I don't think we need to educate everyone to a level where their expectations exceed their abilities. It is so typically middle class to suggest that minimum wage work, low skill work and hard labour work are below what every child should expect of themselves, without appreciating how vital these jobs are; refuse collectors, care assistants, nursery assistants, orderlies, etc are vital to the running of country and should be valued more than they are. Now, the cry will be "of course we appreciate these jobs and the people that do them", well yeah, maybe from the warmth of an air conditioned office when it's pointed out, but ultimately this wouldn't be what we want for our kids, would it. By so doing this I think it is reinforcing the notion that these jobs are beneath "us". The problem lies with the lack of value placed on these (and so many more) vital jobs.

If your Dad gets a letter in the post over the next few days, confirming the refund, saying sorry for the ill health and thanks for the support over the years, you will feel like a right plum. IMHO, should have waited a bit longer before spouting off.

What is weird is the picture in that article. How old is the kid that noshing on the mush's nerp? Seems a bit odd to me.

Look out for Winchester City, but that is about it.

Thank God Mick Jagger doesn't support Saints, although what he does with Mars Bars would make an interesting youtube alright.

We've had this discussion before, Tim! I like triple glazed windows. And I would definitely put them in a house designed to passivhaus standards, or even up to an over the old Code 4 of the CSH, no question. But I fail to see why they should be installed in, say, a 1930's house that hasn't had any thermal upgrade or a 1980's Barratt special which leaks heat like a sieve. The true benefits of the triple glazed window won't be realised and, on that basis, I think it seems pointless to pay more for them. I also question the need for them, unless you live in exposed areas such as Cumbria or the Peak District. A rated double glazed units are perfectly adequate for the handful of days a year in Southampton when it gets cold enough to tell a difference. In any case, time is better served getting a Low E glass, a bigger cavity and thicker glass for the double glazed units. They originated in Scandinavia, where it is a lot colder and more exposed than here. Glad you like your windows and I'm sure they will give you many years of sterling service. But I remain to be convinced that the benefits will be fully realised in existing housing stock, unless the whole house has it's thermal efficiency upgraded.

What type of windows and doors do you have? If they are uPvc, then consider Clearview Window Systems, Pro Glaze or Windows by Wise - southampton based. Clearview do Rehau windows which are a good product. They have replaced all the windows in my house, so I can recommend them If they are timber you may want to consider a local joinery company over any commercially produced products. If they are Aluminium, then i've found Smart Aluminium systems good and value for money. They can put you in touch with a recommended fabricator and installer. Personally I wouldn't bother with the Anglian type companies who give you a massive price, followed by a huge discount, followed by a "how much have you got to spend" line. Painful to deal with and always about 50% more expensive than independent installers. And triple glazed windows are not worth it if the rest of the fabric of the house is thermally inefficient. Good rated double glazing is all that is needed in this climate.

Silent during the anthem? I'm starting to like the fella.

Van Gaal has dropped him to get him fired up for next Sunday.

Away point always a good point. Can't quite believe how some are so critical, when we are still integrating new or recently returned players after injuries, into the team. This squad is still evolving and i think it is being done right, even if that means being overly defensive away from home - so we don't fall behind in the league and get put under some early pressure. I'll take 3 clean sheets in a row and a point away to a Pulis team anyday.

I remember reading a column by Vickery on the BBC website saying Delgado was a marvellously astute signing, back in the day. I know it means little, but can be used as an example of how columnists can be said to not know arse from elbow.

I'm not sure if the reverse move to Lancaster Gate is in line with the Nash Convention of '53. Benefit of the doubt though, so I'll risk Holborn.

Do you actually have a point to make, instead of typing the first bit of rambling old nonsense that comes into your head?

No, your point was that The Sun has influenced UK Muslims to go abroad to train as extremists to either fight for ISIL or to return home to commit acts of terrorism. This is plainly ********, unless you can provide any evidence to back it up. What has been proved though is that some of those choosing to go abroad to fight for ISIL have done so after being "radicalised" over here. Which is the point I was making, just to clear that up.

Nothing to do with years of indoctrination from extremist Imams and fellow Muslims then? Oh, OK, that's good to know.

You got "Pap'd" on twitter! You lucky fella! I can see why some would not want to look at the image, it brings into sharp focus the very real consequences of the problem. But that is the beauty of the use of image. It can shake people up, especially when it is so immediate and is presented to us in our personal space, on our screens - pictures of dead children shown on the same screen we view pictures of our own kids is something that hits home hard. But i don't agree with not showing the images for the sake of taste or decency or whatever reason is given. Just my opinion of course. The saddest picture i have seen over the last few years was on the front of the Guardian after Typhoon Haiyan a couple of years ago. A father was wandering aimlessly among the chaos of the aftermath, holding his dead child, a girl of about 7 or 8, in his arms. The look on his face was a mix of devastation, confusion and utter helplessness and the accompanying text referred to him looking for a place to bury his daughter. I found this utterly heartbreaking and bought the paper, donated a sum i could ill afford at the time to the disaster relief fund and couldn't stop thinking about this image. It shook me up (i have a young daughter too) and i still have that newspaper and don't mind admitting i well up every time i look at it. Did it change me? Yes, in a very small way it did, more than words could have done, i think. For the better? Who knows, i'm still a cynical, miserable ****! But the power of the image can be huge and should not be excluded because it may upset us.

The OP's question was whether it was right for the media to use upsetting images of refugee suffering to accompany a story. For me the answer is always "yes", it is right. The use of an image is sometimes more hard hitting than a thousand words can be, sometimes it is not, but the image can often reinforce the story, nonetheless. As to whether its use should be considered in light of the everyday sensitivities of Europeans who are removed from the event, then again, i say "yes".

We've ben on an upward curve for a consistent 5 years, so to discover we have plateaued, or even regressed a little is a bitter disappointment. This cam in the form of last nights result. The next challenge is to garner some momentum again and get a plan for the season ahead. It may not be so bad considering where we are, but it still grates considering what could have been.

Simmer down Wes, you've thrown a lot of conclusions into that based upon what you think I said. FYI, I think we need to strengthen our attacking midfield options and find competition for Pelle. 2 players at most with JWP out on loan. And when did I project the number of goals for players? Get a grip. It will be a difficult season if we continue in this form with our current options

Not so much a march as a limp at the moment. We were ok against Vitesse, but since then things have gone sadly wrong. Our league form is poor and our confidence shot. No goals in open play in four games tells a story of where we need to strengthen. This transfer window has been poor so far and contemporaries have bought rather better than us. Still hopeful that once we have a fully fit squad we can compete for a mid table finish, but the current XI are a fair bit below that standard at present. Reed has some signings to make in the coming days, but this is difficult to attract with the below par we've bought so far. Difficult season ahead.

Crunchie Which book have you returned to read again the most?

OK. 1. What is your opinion on your manager Ronald Koeman? What are his good points and what are his bad points? - Good - Excellent tactician and motivator. Bad - hardly anything to grumble about. 2. You have made 8 signings so far this summer, who are the ones to look out for? - Good keeper. Cedric will get forward lots, but too early to tell about the rest really. 3. Who will be the key threats to Everton at the weekend? - Mane. Quick and tricky, especially against inexperienced or older defenders. If he's on his game, most PL defenders have a real job on their hands. Pelle is strong and Tadic is good when on form. Big Vic will nail Barkley. 4. Where will be your weak points? - Defenders - missing Bertrand and it's a new-ish line up. 5. What are your season ambitions? - Realistic - Top 10, good cup run and good Europa League run past the group stage. Ambitious - Top 6, Cup win and SF of Europa. On to Everton 6. After a great first season under Martinez and disappointing second, how do you think Everton will do this season? - Upper mid table. Fair to say you suffered with the EL last year and a few injuries. Kone and Lukaku should be a better strike force than they are. Mirallas is a good player but needs to stay fit. Small squad could hamper progress - a few injuries will be quite telling. 7. What do you make of our manager Roberto Martinez? - Comes across as a really good bloke. Formations seem a bit confusing. Everton seem a bit "stuck" at the moment. A few years ago you were nailed on 5th / 6th place, giving the big boys a real test, but now a few other teams are progressing at a pace Everton don't seem to want to keep up with. Good owner, but probably a bit too safe with the money. 8. Who do you see as the biggest threat to the Saints in the Everton side? - Always like watching Naismith. I think he's a really good player. Kone and Lukaku will be a handful, if they play together. 9. Where do you see our weaknesses? - Defensive injuries. Left back will be tested by Mane / Tadic and Soares. Finally – Score predictions? - 3 - 2 Saints. As a side note but i really like beating Everton. It all stems back from 1984 and Adrian f*****g Heath! Bastard!

For us, Lambert had grown with the team, knew his team mates inside out after years of playing alongside them and had that wonderful thing called confidence. He is a player that needs a constant run in a team in order to get the best out of him. He probably wouldn't have got that with Saints last season and I doubt he will ever recapture what he did for us elsewhere, as he is older, slower and obviously lacks the all important confidence. Comparison with Pelle are pointless. Pelle replaced Lambert when Lambert had served his time and was on a decline. Pelle is every bit as good as Lambert was in his prime for us and, for my money, proves his worth with every game. Needs to tidy up on the fancy layoffs that go wrong, but is a real handful and will only get better with Tadic, Mane and JRod around him this year. Exciting times.

Agree with that. Once you discount the rabid left and the reactionary right, the vast majority of what's left are mainly decent people who value fairness and justice and will naturally gravitate to a more left-leaning, politically centre Party as long as they don't get lectured or have their aspirations trampled over.