Gloucester Saint

So he claims. On defence spending amongst some NATO members, he’s always had a point. On tariffs, there will be claims and counter-claims. He wants countries to buy more US LPG but it’s a stupid way to do it, because when he’s out of his honeymoon lap he’s pissed off key allies like Canada for a long time. And it’s far from certain that all of the GOP Senators will back him either - see budget amendment saga over Christmas. Only takes 3 or more GOP to rebel - and the remaining non-cult GOP Senators do not like any trade restrictions bar China, Iran and Russia (just about on the latter).

I think it’s unlikely with the UK, as we trade either at a small deficit or surplus depending on the cycle so what he’s saying ‘Hey Keir, why don’t you buy a bit more of our LPG?’. US is the biggest producer of it. Whereas he wants the Germans to buy a lot more of it with the Russian pipeline switched off. Musk mouthing off with the AFD looks rather stupid in that context.

And Ely, Vestergaard and Hoedt. All of who, plus Carrillo and Stewart cost far more than Jan and probably less games than him combined.

Good to see that. The GOP and their voters started this so should pay the extra.

Yep, and this from the Heritage Foundation, of all places as well https://www.heritage.org/trade/commentary/we-shouldnt-rinse-and-repeat-when-it-comes-costly-washing-machine-tariffs

Classy - soundtrack of loud jeering and laughing from Tory and Labour councillors as he unfurled a Union Jack. A distraction from being sacked by the Tories for sending picture of his bollocks unsolicited https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/24853860.reform-councillor-accused-criminal-behaviour-meeting/ Farage involved in a very dubious side hustle he’s putting his name to https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-nine-jobs-farage-scored-34553834

We haven’t had a January 2023 style splurge this time which helps a lot plus Dibling sale will really boost PSR

Not in the way you imagined though…

They are….but that’s exactly why this January should be quiet. As much headroom as possible for Spores in the summer and clear the deadwood in the scouting and recruitment let alone the playing side.

Undercooked meat

Circa 40000 of those on the Pompey Takeover Saga Thread probably

Saints’s league performance was interesting in the late 1960s and very early 1970s - either staying up one season with lots of heavy defeats and top seven and Europe the next. 1972/23 was an outlier with bang average 13th and then relegation 1973/74 with Lawrie taking over from Ted mid-season https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fc-southampton/platzierungen/verein/180 Do fans who watched us then remember broadly why? Was it literally Ron Davies having a couple of stunning seasons and losing form? Goalkeepers coming and going?

1974 The 8-0 at Everton was May 1971, last act of their midfield ‘Holy Trinity’ https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/day-everton-fc-thrashed-southampton-3360659

The UK needs to be lowering trade barriers for our SMEs with the EU. America is simply not a reliable substitute trading partner https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg0m79gm10o As prices increase for US consumers rather than reduce as he promised them, it’ll be interesting to see if the wavering voters who said they didn’t like him or his views but thought that the economy would do better under Trump and they’d have a few extra dollars a week, stick with the GOP at the mid-terms.

But that’s how some SA players saw it from that era, a certain SA born player for England moaning about quotas. KP was a great player for England but his domestic record over there wasn’t great. He argues he was being asked to be batting too low and having to rely on his so-so bowling. It’s choosing good players from any background but when they’re similar at a certain point the diversity aspect can be a tie-breaker. Now their set-up is more balanced the quality is coming through from all backgrounds.

Not all but may have needed a bit more time in the team environment to bring their very best. In SA cricket, the pipeline took some time before greats like Ntini and Hashim Amla emerged from non-white backgrounds.

99.9% of jobs aren’t sport or measured like that though. Carrying on the sports analogy, South African cricket had a difficult spell but they are in the World Test Championship Final. If they could get more people through the turnstiles to their Tests and ODIs they’d be in fine shape. And the rugby side, who also diversified, are definitely not doing shabbily.

There’s no online evidence whatsoever showing a reduction in standards or competence let alone any major accidents or incidents. There’s some conjecture in the US about workplace dynamics on the specifics of how DEI programmes have been implemented in a small number of cases nationally bur subtle adjustments were the answer. There is evidence that all employees regardless of characteristics have had better work environments with them, although this varies by age (oldest by age tend to be less enthusiastic). But employee performance and productivity seem to be healthy. There can be DEI fatigue if clumsily implemented but overall most employees are positive about them https://www.aihr.com/blog/diversity-equity-inclusion-belonging-deib/ White very conservative leaning billionaires have pushed for this and got it.

I can only comment on UK ED&I policies and programmes, as I don’t have experience of US ones (didn’t stop Trump obviously even in the wake of a disaster). They have never been about hiring less able or qualified people to positions firstly. Secondly, it’s giving people from a different backgrounds an opportunity to interview and assess and mitigating access where that access has been less. Be that through less social networks, the assessment process being made more transparent (eg clear on salaries and questions). We’re talking small reasonable adjustments. For example, there are some very bright neurodiverse people out there but only 3 in 10 are in stable employment. Talk about putting a spike in economic productivity. Also means the goods and service sold or provided to diverse customers are not reflected in the workforce and social mix. That’s trouble, we know that from history.

And it was an error v Liverpool kicking across the line that did for him at Saints. Served us well though and a top bloke, kept us in the PL under Dave Merrington in many games that season. Also saved a penalty in Wimbledon’s 1988 FA Cup Final win.

Well, quite. It’s insane that basically something like the above has to be potentially put on screen as a fact/reality check when the so-called leader of the free world opens his mouth at a press conference about a disaster where 70-odd people have lost their lives.

https://www.tottenhamhotspurnews.com/youth/tyrese-hall-to-demand-tottenham-transfer-exit-after-what-happened-on-sunday/ https://tothelaneandback.com/2025/01/27/im-still-desperate-for-club-insider-backs-tottenham-youngster-to-make-winter-exit/ Not sounding like a Livramento or Lavia at face value but Spurs have him on a long contract so must think he has something. An attacking midfielder by the looks https://www.football.london/tottenham-hotspur-fc/players/who-tyrese-hall-tottenham-wonderkid-29170903

Yes. Stu only started 14 games IIRC last season and Sheff Weds a better move for him, so that may be marginal but certainly Che was not replaced at all.

Today’s outburst wasn’t spur of the moment either https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2025/01/faa-employees-disabilities-targeted-trumps-anti-dei-push/402444/ it was very much planned as a strategy of division and hate. It’s what Conservatives of the 2020s are all about in the Trump era. Badenoch had a totally unfounded and out of order pop at neurodiversities during the autumn. Forget the genuine merit of the 1980s under Reagan and Thatcher, where there was a belief you could make it whoever you were, hatred now rules and shits on aspiration, which used to be a Conservative cornerstone. The assessment centres for those role are extremely demanding and few pass with the necessary high marks, but why let the facts get in the way of hating people with disabilities?

I wasn’t sure to put a like or laugh, because it was also funny, but put a like in the end. Jack needs a West Country homecoming to chill him out.