Gloucester Saint

Not even close Hypo - Truss’s was 80% https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-liz-truss-tories-least-popular-pm/ Sunak regularly 70%+. Badenoch in that range since becoming leader. Spend less time on X folks https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/12/05/fact-check-keir-starmers-approval-score-is-not-lowest-on-record-for-uk-prime-ministers Farage has the best leader rating at 20-30% negative, Davey after that. But neither likely to succeed under FPTP (I say that as a Lib Dem voter unfortunately). The two are about comparable on PM reckoning which is people saying who they’d actually consider voting for rather than sounding off after the fourth can of Special Brew. I don’t like Farage at all but no denying that he has significant popularity with more of a range of voters https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/51412-nigel-farage-and-keir-starmer-in-close-contest-for-best-prime-minister After their formation the SDP were killing Thatcher and Foot in the polls and by-election storming wins. But it didn’t last (pity, they’d have been interesting). So early days to assess Reform’s sustained growth, hence the Xmas row with Badenoch about membership numbers. Thatcher got a Falklands boom but still would have had high disapproval ratings and higher still post-Miner’s Strike. Blair on Iraq. Still caned it in general elections. Trump just won an election comfortably despite them and Farage will be enjoying a boost from the profile there plus the data shows the public enjoyed him telling Musk to do one about Robinson.

Draper was an excellent player but had a long-term knee issue, retired within 18 months IIRC. Did a decent job for a very modest fee in Hoddle’s side but not at his Villa pomp. Prutton I was excited about signing, WGS made a rare mistake trying to turn into a DMC when he was a clear box to box CM. Showed that by destroying Liverpool who won the ECL that year but the Arsenal incident ruined his career. Good lad, likes the club and always popular with our fans.

Good post this, and for clubs outside of the top six plus Saudi on Tyne, not every player can be £30m, and the Livramento and Lavia deals are still great as well. You can still shop for what will be steady mid-table PL players and maybe better if their contract is running down at the £12-18m range if you’re proactive, as well as the £18-27m and £28m-40m. It’s really about being efficient and being very nimble in all markets plus the best of your academy. It’s what we did 2012-16, what Brighton do so well at the moment and Bournemouth are replicating over the last two years. Get the core right with pace and strength and spend extra on the strikers, 10s and wide areas.

It is a faff from a payroll perspective, even with the 183 days pa or less rule on the double tax treaty (Germany and UK have a DTA) overseas nationals doing predominantly work for UK firms can still get stung for employee NI contributions https://germantaxes.de/tax-tips/double-tax-treaty/ Not impossible and gives the club leverage with the FA to lean on the Home Office for a fast-track appeal if the club pays for it.

Saint in Paradise - one of the most consistently right wing posters on SWF during its existence. Quelle surprise.

Out of those, only on Ramsdale has cost what I would call a market PL value for their position, and Bijlow who we were also interested in and proceeded quite a way on a transfer for, had a significant absence record for Feyenoord. The club got very athletic/technical and strength from Mane, Tadic and VVD because they were paying the rate that type of pre-ECL player was attracting £12-15m in 2014-15. It didn’t keep up with the times under Reed and Wilson so more injury suspect players with quality were signed as a gamble. One worked spectacularly - Danny Ings - and the others like Boufal didn’t (Mane would already have cost £20m from Austria at that stage). Now the market for those emerging future ECL are £25-40m and being paid in key positions by Bournemouth, Brighton, Palace etc. Saints have got stuck in a twilight of spending quite a bit by Champ standards but not adapting on going up and spending the same, and less, on quality. Plus what they spent bigger on last season - Charles - is loaned out - and Stewart is glue. If you’re going to break the Championship record or get close, that player should be a fulcrum when you go up. Paid £18m to make Downes to make him permanent for Russell Martin, I like Flynn but not sure that spend, Lallana wages and BBD shouldn’t have gone on a big Victor/Bouba Diop tower of power for £25-30m from Ligue 1 instead.

Yellows! Yellows!

It’ll need to increase on some of next season’s replacements in the Champ to get into the autos let alone the PL. Charles was £10-15m and Stewart £8-10m and no disrespect but we need to aiming a fuck sight higher than that.

Makes Ings look like JWP or Wayne Bridge fitness and reliability records by comparison. Oh, I mentioned the Ings word…apologies for anyone subsequently mentioning signing him (we shouldn’t, great he was first time around).

Ankerson is phoning Michail’s agent as we speak. Loves a severely injured player does Rasmus. TBF I think Hypo meant the type of player and stage of career.

When he does it in an important Championship game in men’s football on loan, even I might start changing my mind on him. Disappointed there’s been no takers so far, I hope the club aren’t asking for a loan fee or 100% of the wages, he needs to play at Champ or a good League 1 level to see if he’s developed at all, take a few whacks from centre forwards and get low firm shots fired at him. I’d take no wage contribution if it got him 4 months good exposure to demonstrate he’d improved significantly and got stronger or whether he’s as he was and needs to be written out of next season. Looking good in lads football plus some decent games for them is how the club got its pants pulled down embarrassingly in the first place. When he does it in the seniors somewhere in a relegation six pointer or a play offs game, then he’s getting back towards contention.

Yet Gao was allowed to buy the club despite failing FFP and the rules were then changed afterwards. Yes, I know that was the PL and the FA are official sponsors for football-management related visas but the inconsistency of applying rules when they want and ignoring them when they don’t by governing bodies does my head in. Home Office panel will have made the decision but if the FA is sponsor they have a key role.

Derby’s is the worst ever although from a 38 game season, Stoke must have been as bad with 17 points from 42 games - remember them being very poor - in 1984/5 - although they managed a 0-0 at the Dell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984–85_Stoke_City_F.C._season If it’s just the PL, Sunderland, Huddersfield and Villa were pretty horrific https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/what-is-the-lowest-points-total-in-premier-league-history#

There was more fighting still at the Doncaster game… I think with SR being more remote it’s harder for the fans to get as worked up, whereas Rupert Lowe was always a very marmite figure even in the WGS good times and by that stage was loathed widely but a hard core bought into the ‘youth’ fig leaf and taken for mugs. Those games were a culmination of the penny finally dropping, frustration from that group at the boycott (I was still a STH at that point but I could see why people were staying away) and realisation there might not be a club beyond that summer.

Here’s an MLG post I agree with. Solak has made some horrific mistakes including putting Ankerson and Kraft in roles for top leagues they have/had no right or place being in. Hopefully the Home Office sorts out Spors permit and the club gets a new scouting team because that’s been rotten since Les Reed and Ross Wilson. Da Grosa would have no better than Pinnacle - that was another sign MLT’s common sense radar had gone.

I’m glad my dinner is a while ago. Man Utd get everywhere don’t they?

I think she got confused between celebrity and notoriety https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg9qpp5zpro

As long as he gets on the protein shakes and adds some bulk, I agree. In a midfield three he was excellent last season but far too lightweight in a two.

Phew, thought it was two.

Here’s what - or who - Whelk is referring to https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2ld7enjj9eo Heroin junkies one and all, perverted ones which is even worse.

They’ve still got all of those amenities here bar the greengrocer (would love one of those but we go to one in Tewkesbury instead, Woody’s which has amazing local produce). The Co-op tbf to them does stock a lot of local produce (the Mid Counties ones are quite good), the Nisa has become a Morrisons which is stacked with snacks mainly although useful for the odd thing that the other places don’t have in stock eg ground almonds for my Pasanda the other day). The estates built since the 1990s have increasingly crammed in the housing and ignored amenities. Very isolating for the residents and often not on bus routes, with nearby main roads to cross to reach amenities which are dangerous to cross on foot.

Very sorry to hear about your Granddaughter WG, although good that it sounds like she’s getting more specialist support. Having just looked at the shops in Chandlers Ford it seems to revolve around takeaways, Costa etc. Given it’s always been a fairly affluent area and the large supermarket has been going 50 years with the novelty worn off you’d think more independent shops would have popped up.

He seems to have a link to Jim White. Manji was reporting that he was kicking chairs around in hospitality on Saturday in frustration (Solak, not White). Be interesting to see to what extent frustration comes across or whether he’ll put a face on it. I hope they ask about the WP progress for Spores.

Yes, about five streets from our house. The town, population around 6k, also has a butcher, deli, craft/gift shops, small supermarkets, cafe, boutique, and four pubs. No candlestick makers though.

In more severe ADHD cases, Ritalin can be prescribed but very sparingly as it comes with a number of side effects, albeit many of these are temporary https://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/ritalin-effects-on-body