pap

What an imaginative fellow you are. No, I'm not suggesting the McCanns control the press. I would suggest that they have managed to silence them through the four defamation suits that they've successfully prosecuted. A new piece of evidence, or perhaps a change in government/investigation direction, would act as a green light.

I'd say less than yours. "pap" is a shorter word than "KelvinsRightGlove". Much harder to press by mistake

Andy_Porter, Colinjb, Danny R, Gemmel, hutch, JoD_Celt, Mystic Force, saint boggy, saintfully, Ulrich van Gobbel Are my latest stalkers. Fk me, my number of visitors has shot up by around 1500. I'm going to assume something is wrong with the site, rather than popularity/infamy.

Nah, not really. Continuing your metaphor, I'd see it more as a wrestler/manager combination. Verbal would be the guy in the ring, attempting to pummel the opposition with his offensive moves. hypo is the noodle-armed loud mouth in the corner. Not actually doing anything himself, but if circumstances permit, running into the ring from time to time to hit Verbal's assailant with a metal chair. Alternatively, think of Catwoman from the 1960s Batman. The real men are having a proper go at Batman and Robin, but Catwoman is in the corner hissing and extending her fingernails a lot. I would be too, and is why I was very careful to talk about Zionists as opposed to Jews. Some Jews utterly reject Zionism. The difference between Israel and almost every other country is the level of criticism. A big part of the reason Israel doesn't get criticised as much as it should is because every time someone makes an interesting observation, they're accused of being in Club Hitler, indirectly at least. The newspapers are going to come down on them like a ton of bricks if the green-light is ever given. No one likes being sued. That goes double if the complaint is baseless. As I said before, the only thing that all of these reports have in common is that the McCanns didn't do it. That's the underlying message.

...and have been for centuries.

Indeed they are. Wouldn't pay them too much mind. While I can't speak to the veracity of your numbers percentage wise, it is fair to say that Zionism (and by implication, the state of Israel) has a disproportionate amount of influence in certain sectors - namely banking, media and politics.

I think it's best to be in several gangs. If I ever move to L.A., I think I'll join both the Bloods and the Crips. Some kind of red and blue checkerboard bandana would do the trick. I see no problems with this plan.

Just sorted accommodation for this. Feck living in mud for five days. Glamping it.

They don't pay enough.

Get a dictionary.

Hats off to the Bear here.

MLG - maybe I'm being a little thick. What part of this am I not understanding? Cortese is Italian. Players must match Chairman nationality. Therefore players must be Italian? Whose stupid idea was this flag anyway, and which racist chairman did they base it on?

It's not the Italian leagues at all. It's just Italians. Southampton will be overrun with all the Italians it is our club policy to sign. I've got nothing against Italians per se, but you hear stories, Bear. The Sicilian lot are not to be trifled with. Naples is apparently quite nawty too. Frankly, I'm not sure the simple denizens of our provincial city can cope with the demands that MLG's new club policy would put upon it. Ultras. Berlusconi. Mussolini's granddaughter. etc. If what you say is true, it's a powder keg, Mr Earsy. I think a prison shanking on remand is probably the best solution for all.

Indeed. The Chinese tried the one child per family on a grand scale. It's really biting them now, especially as culturally, the young have looked after the old. They simply don't have the familial numbers to support their elderly.

A lot of those people are still around, Bear. Some are dead though.

I think you fail to appreciate just how far this case has gone. The matter of guilt is not up for question. We heard the defendant's many pleas and witnessed the backtracking. MLG has not only been found guilty of making ill-judged alterations to the virtual Southampton FC team philosophies. He has barely admitted his culpability, attempting to fox the SaintsWeb jury with such nonsense as "well if that's the worst thing in the data". I put it to you, Mr Earsy, that this is no different from a convicted murderer saying "well yeah, I done that murder, but the week before I was only shopliftin'". MLG is guilty as hell. Not just of arrogance, but almost a level of scandalous indifference to the plight of Southampton FC supporting Football Manager players. Even now, he shows little to no remorse. I hope you've got death row appeal experience, my learned friend. The black cap is coming out for MLG.

Sorry Bear - I just can't. I'm looking for MLG to show the humility you're after, even if it's as simple as "Boys. On the night I decided our club philosophy was buying Italian players, I was on some pretty b!tching shrooms. I spent half an hour licking an artex wall because I thought it was a wall full of Mr Whippy. I was wrong on both counts. It'll be fixed in the next patch". That sort of thing.

Stop playing the slippery eel, MLG. SaintsWeb will want to hear proper answers on your insane assertion that a club philosophy is signing Italian players. You can flirt with the Bear as much as you like. Doesn't change the fact you're ducking your decision.

We haven't signed anyone born there. Ok, Osvaldo is playing for the national side, but he was born Argentinian. In no way is this club policy, or even a demonstrable quality of Cortese.

So here are Cortese's tendencies. MLG - I thought you said that we just have to sign people from the Italian Leagues. The Tendencies tab in the data editor seems quite explicit - "Expects signings to match Chairman nationality". Interestingly, this is much more important than Signing Young Players for the first team

Not a fan of Robert Webb. My objections are in the Ramirez Off Topic Thread. Broadly though, it's a bit of a laugh that he suggests that Brand reads some "f**king Orwell". Webb has just re-joined the Labour Party, who presided over some of the most Orwellian legislation going, not to mention helping to establish our surveillance state.

That's fine, bletch. It's better to know these things, I find

I'd have to ban myself, bletch. While there are others that are perhaps more deserving, I do have a spare fiver tucked away for this very purpose. I believe the nickname "Son of Pap" is still available.

Out today.

Why? Because it's something I'm being assessed on. I appreciate your insights into how to circumvent the wrath of Cortese. The whole point is that it's unnecessary. Fortunately, with the official release of the game, the Data Editor is now there. I'm going to look at Fulham's set-up and see if their club researcher has said "the club philosophy is to buy a load of old duffers".