Fowllyd

Great pic, great film - and top reference!

Beyond the amusing misspellings, there's a far more serious point here: The big lesson of the first three months?!?!?! Three f*cking months!!! Well done to Mark and Jan for spotting that in the end though...

I liked these bits: and Looks like somebody's been paying too much attention to their spell checker...

But didn't we hear the same, or similar, sounds last season when Dodd and Gorman were first in charge? Back then articles on the OS (and posters on TSF to some extent) were proclaiming better performances, the team playing more expansively and positively - but we still had naff all to show for it. Seems an awful lot like the same song now. Time will tell, of course, but right now I'm far from hopeful (and given that I am by nature an optimist then I'm not surprised that others take a considerably dimmer view). Going back to the original post, I'd agree with those who say that Lowe's biggest mistake is his failure to learn from his past errors. Except that I'd say the word 'refusal' is more appropriate than 'failure' here.

I think you'll find that those particular bits happened in 1974 under the previous Tory government, not in 1978/9.

No, it's OK - you've got 750 now.

Nice analogy.

Here's an amusing piece on Adams from yesterday's Grauniad - written before he bit the Skate dust. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/feb/09/martin-kelner-tony-adams-blog-portsmouth I think the comments about Adams' persona are spot on; while I'm not of the opinion that managing footballers is all about scaring them, you do need to be able to inspire and motivate. A brief view of Tony Adams being interviewed, or acting as a pundit, was all it took to convince me that motivating and inspiration are never gong to be his strong points. Maybe it's a result of all the recovery and therapy, but the way he comes across seems a million miles removed from the way he was as a player.

And it looks like he's been allowed three votes, too. Now that's grossly unfair!

Can I be the first to say neither of the above? I don't want Lowe here, I wouldn't want Mandaric here. That's it really.

BWP on for Gillett.

Henderson off - straight red.

Given that you've just dug up this thread, I think it's fair to say your school's closed today! Reckon you've all but won your bet though...

Yes indeedy - wave your hands in the air like you don't care! Hmm, must dig out the LP...

OK, so if administration doesn't happen, and we're still not packing off loads of players to Ujpest by the start of next season. What price your theory then?

It may have escaped your notice, but Hungary was never part of the Soviet Union.

It seems I'm another of the lucky few who've actually seen him play. Just once, in a reserve match against Swansea. I'd echo the comments made by Give it to Ron above; he certainly didn't stand out in that match, Wotton alongside him looking a far better player. He was taken off midway through the second half; Lloyd James moved into central midfield and looked way superior there. On the subject of people at the club having watched him, if the only time that happened was in the pre-season friendly (and Poortvliet's comments at the time suggested just that) then I'd have to say it's precious little on which to base the awarding of a two-year (or was it three?) contract.

Yes, let's do that. How many weeks do you think? Till the end of the loan window? The end of the season? How many will be heading for Hungary, given our newly achieved status of feeder club? Any thoughts? And, if nobody's shipped off to Ujpest before the end of the season, how long will it take you to acknowledge that your theory was wrong? Oh, hang on, I'm being daft there, aren't I? Your theory won't be wrong; it'll be delayed for political reasons, or the whole evil scheme will be happening at a slower pace than you at first thought it would.

Personally, I reckon that anybody who seriously thinks that Flashdance Canteen Bear is Lord Marland is barking up the wrong tree; or maybe just plain barking. If a 52-year-old product of a very expensive public school really can't express himself better than FDCB does (and in better English, come to that) then his mummy and daddy wasted an awful lot of money on sending him there.

Indeed. When confronted with a good old conspiracy theory, it's always worth remembering the words of David Hume, the great 18th-century Scots thinker and empiricist. Considering people's belief in miracles and such events, he wrote: "When anyone tells me, that he saw a dead man restored to life, I immediately consider with myself, whether it be more probable, that this person should either deceive or be deceived, or that the fact, which he relates, should really have happened. I weigh the one miracle against the other; and according to the superiority, which I discover, I pronounce my decision, and always reject the greater miracle. If the falsehood of his testimony would be more miraculous, than the event which he relates; then, and not till then, can he pretend to command my belief or opinion." So what's the "greater miracle" here? That we've signed a Hungarian central defender (who is available and cheap) on loan, in the hope that he turns out to be a decent player? Or that we've entered into a clandestine arrangement with a Hungarian club to become their feeder club?

I think this shows beyond any reasonable doubt that we've now become a feeder club for Ujpest. It's a sad day and no mistake.

So do we have any players who'd be wanted by other teams, or are all our players sh1t? I'm confused now.

Happily, there's no transfer window for chairmen, so he can go any time. Sadly, he won't...

For those with longer memories, a couple of seafaring types: Captain Queeg in 'The Caine Mutiny' (originally played by Humphrey Bogart) or Captain Ahab in 'Moby ****' (I think there's a film in which Gregory Peck plays Ahab, but I could be mistaken). Or maybe Don Quixote, with Wilde (or perhaps Cowen) playing Sancho Panza? Liked the Kurtz and Mainwaring ideas!

"We hates duckses! And nasty fanses! Pass us the 12-bore!"