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Everything posted by dubai_phil
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When all hope is gone (sounds like a song) It isn't negativity, it isn't the fiver, it is simply that reality has bitten and that for us right now mere survival is all there is. There was some hope (of a takeover) before the whole banking crisis nightmare and the realisation of what it will mean for many people not just potential buyers of the club. Results help (how many posts last weekend?) because that stirs some hope that "we may have turned a corner on the playing side" but deep down everyone is pretty convinced what the weekend will bring. So, we have to see a glimmer of hope - two in a row or at least NOT another televised capitualtion is a start or possibly SOME, just SOME hope that there can be a change at the top so we can start on a longer planned journey back to the promised land..... Otherwise winters coming, the economy is bad, it's cold wet and dark, can't afford the credit card bills, am worried about work, the car's gotta go into the garage, there's only cooking and selling programmes on the telly, my mates take the p8ss out of my football team every week....... Amazed still so many on here TBH
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Guess what the best kept sales secret in the world is? One simple question...... What do you want? It astonishes me how many sales people are so keen to show they know everything that they forget to start from that point
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In reality it is simply the flip side of human nature. Be it child labour in Pakistan, Construction here or even ****le-pickers in the UK. The exploitation of the labourers is not simply a Gulf issue, the whole chain starts with the poor sods being conned in their own countries by these labour suppliers. As much as asking why their rights here are not better cared for, more important is to ask why the Indian "mafia" are not cracked down on by their government. The lesson is very simple. It is impossible to judge or understand what you see or hear. Scpetical analysis is always the best Meanwhile this is about Cheap BEER. back on subject peeps
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OK some general homework for those interested. (Sort of a lol at Abu Dhabi guys as well) http://www.arabianbusiness.com/536583-they-think-its-all-over and this one http://www.arabianbusiness.com/537074-zabeel-charlton-deal-opened-pandoras-box Now as I posted at the time - I still think this can be read as Charlton screw up their big opportunity by opening their big mouths and announcing the deal. The guys down here would not have liked that and Hashimi says as much. So when dealing with this part of the world, you STFU about it Charlton
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No you should not influence how the team plays per se. You have a set standard established within the club and so at the interview process you look for somebody who is aware of the inbuilt "system" and offers ideas to improve on it. One of the things that has helped to kill us and many clubs over the years is always chopping and changing styles, personnel and players. So would for example Arsenal even interview a hoofball manager? Now, taking my "the boss hat" off for a moment, we like the basics of what we see, but would like plan b somewhere and tactical shifts during a game. So I would look for a coach (not a "Gaffer") who has ideas in that area. But to say even at an interview that you would "lay out the expectations of the way the team would play" gets really close to our oft heard cry "Rupert's managing the team" so which way do we want it?
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Agree with the first two, but not the last line. HP has proved pretty reliable in the past, I think this time around it could be a Chilli & Garlic Tomato Ketchup
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Depends if it was the Dubai Sports Channel then they have very few rights to anything resembling "western" sport and probably just got a copy of his greatest goals DVD. But there have been some shows about "EPL" leading scorers. His name hasn't been mentioned down here in regards to Sports City/Investment/Property and (sadly) much of his career was before the global explosion in Satellite coverage so he isn't really that well known. (By that i mean we have Becker, Lauda and others building property, Els, Woods et al building golf courses) and one of the Milan teams coming for a tournament If you want the official Saints in ME link - they DID have a mid season friendly in Bahrain about 10 years ago while MLT was playing. I couldn't go, but I heard that one person went to the game wearing a Saints shirt. Maybe Rupert found the phone number of the team that invited them down?
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If an investor came in (hypothetically if it was me (lol)) then I'd need to have a team of Directors around me, unlike Rupe's, normal chairmen don't actually do everything, so you have to have a team - Andrew Cowen for example is good at the Operational side, but not necessarily the football - so either a him + one or an Andrew upgrade with ENGLISH Football experience. Don't need to have a Spud (failed) type of DoF but somebody that has football experience and Jan respects and can work with would be my first appointment. Then I'd keep the 'develop our players from the bottom up in the same way" approach, and as an INVESTOR I would make sure even MORE resources went into the Academy and Scouting (after all it would be my money and I want a return on it, it won't be a charitable donation) so building new Walcott's would be critical to pay me my interest AND improve the team each season. As a PLAN, being a CAREFUL selling club with better youngsters coming in each season and funds being used to improve the whole team is actually sound. But it MUST be an integrated plan to know HOW you use the money to strengthen the ENTIRE team. PROVIDING you keep improving the quality of the youngsters and retain a core of experience, it works. The problem we've always had is that we expect to replace "Star Quality" with one player rather than have a player who is better than our previous overall level ready to come in. On the playing side, if we had the money in January #1 priority would be to try and keep Cork and would try and keep then use one of our Rasiak/SJ/Saga's as a swap to get in an experienced forward that FITS into our style of play as even WITH money they would be expensive. Oh and I would NEVER EVER EVER make even the slightest suggestion to the manager as to what he should be doing with the team, tactics and formation. We already know where that leads. We would simply have an overall strategy that he is paid to achieve.
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Ha - just seen that one. Even funnier, but at least we know the second quote is a wind up.... it's tommac with a small t Nice try LLS - got ya oh btw Only thing I've been inside this month was the pub (and not last night!) Oh and just to keep Roman happy - this now smells like a deliberate cover up....
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been here 15 years if I knew how it all worked I could have retired to a nice beach in Thailand:-) 90% of the population are "guest workers" so we have no rights and little legislation, however remember History at School? No taxation without representation? Well we have no representation (Dubbya thinks that's bad) but we have no taxation (we think that's good) But we have "fees" and insane rents. But in summary no, it is not like the Poles. the construction and low paid workers would probably have had a better life and rights as Slaves in the old pre-civil war US. This says it better than I ever could http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/08/middleeast.construction
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Curiouser and curiouser http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/liverpool/3384747/Tom-Hicks-and-George-Gillett-fail-to-land-Middle-East-consortium-in-Liverpool-bid-Football.html Gillett and Hicks, Liverpool's American owners, are understood to have been locked in talks with a Middle East consortium last month before the deal was dramatically scuppered. Well that's been an entertaining hour of co-incidences
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Not in mid summer it won't..... (oh and not if the exchange rate stays where it is!) 48C Mind you the hotels & flights are cheap then....:smt048
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Yep Friday Bruch started at The Lodge which was the one and only nightclub for ex pats when I came here in '93 It was a family affair and for about 7 quid you could eat from 11 until 4. (Booze extra in those days) they had Full English, a choice of Roasts, Pasta & Thai food. A magician and cartoons for the kids. About 96 they switched at around 5pm to have Karaoke with Big Pete Martin (a Dubai DJ legend) which ended around 8pm and then played THE most outrageous being ****ed party music (including Benny Hill & Ernie and loads of Abba) Over the years it all "morphed" and the pubs did the brunches (like the one I enjoy at Dubliners irish Pub - 2 Guinness & Full Irish for 6 quid. Then about 6 years ago a small irish bar called Waxy O'Connors started the all day buffet - breakfast untill 3pm then a Roast. It used to be 50 Dirhams for all you could eat and 5 drinks - that was 1.70 a pint and 2 full meals The spiral grew, now you have every 3, 4 or 5 star hotel doing Brunch. ranging from family does upwards. I'm doing one Friday Aed 249 in one of the best Thai restaurants in twon from noon to 4pm. That's 40 quid but for top level cuisine and decent wine etc The infamous Champagne brunches are at le Meridien Airport Hotel Yalumba - Aussie cuisine and Alpha - more known as a nightclub. About 80 quid and as much champagne as you can pour down your neck. It is NOT a pretty site.... Afterwards the masses move to a Brit pub called Double Decker or Waxy's. Around 7pm some sturdy souls get taxis about 20 miles out of town to Plastic at Al Jazeerah Hotel for a beach party - wall to wall blink and silicone in small bikinis (hate the place) or Rock Bottoms for karaoke. That has "probably the best Karaoke night in the world" in that 1) everyone in the place is monged 2) 80% of the singers are actually astonishingly GOOD 3) watching ****ed fat chicks on stage making up the other 20% or just waiting to be taken to the nearest beach. Old timers don't like it - it is very much Gordon Gecko/Soddom & Gomwhatsit, but we also like the fact that the town is awash with ****ed chicks and a lot of them are really cute airhostesses..... So yes, a trip to Dubai without a tour guide on a Friday is like sex in a room with no one else about.... Timeout Dubai lists them all
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hahahahahahahahahahahaha It took me 18 months to find out how to do smileys FFS I only got on here after my mate showed me how to type. It was Eric
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OK enough with the jokes. How did you find out about your first paragraph? Only 4 people know that I did post something at the time Charlton announced that....... And are those two comments linked? The mysterious removal is one thing, the mouse with ears and you finding that out and becoming ITK. This story has wings.....
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You just need a good consultant....... It's actually REALLY easy
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OK I still have the old page open pm me your email & I'll send the print screen & saved html file as I have NO idea how to post that (only just found all the extra smileys!):smt043 See I TOLD you it was a take-over thread why else would they suddenly remove it!
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Now that could be really funny. Club leaks Arab takeover rumour to make Fulthorpe put up or shut up... hmmmmmmm You know with local currency linked to the dollar, the price has dropped 25% since last year even before we haggle... Damn where did I put those coins from the back of the sofa?
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The revolving door is probably what we all expect anyway - hope for money for those on loan to reduce the overdraft, if we have to sell "up and coming stars" have a list of those who could be bought as future investments as well as bring balance to the team. But enough of football back to the takeover! :badgrin: FYI The comment is tucked away down at the bottom below the can we keep Cork question and above the marketing for their own "forum" It isn't editorial hence why I copied only the comment to avoid getting my wrist slapped by the Mods!
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Are we better off than when Crouch was here?
dubai_phil replied to Channon's Sideburns's topic in The Saints
Now there's an interesting question..... But you should have asked were they told or did they already know? Allegedly -
yep I did that but what if this is THE ONE (no don't start that is NOT to be taken as a rumour that Jet Li is buying us) :-&
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We have an Irish Pub here (Fibber McGees) which on Sat & Sunday has beer at around 2.10 a pint (was 1.80 a couple of weeks back with the exchange rate) while the live footie is on (which here is from about 5pm - 10pm) On Fridays we can get 2 pints and a full Irish breakfast (excellent scoff BTW) for 5 quid in a couple of places. Considering that an average bar is around 5/6 quid a pint then we love them From the booze shops (and Duty Free) we get Tsing Tao at 12 quid a case (24 cans) which is the cheapest around (and also damned good beer) Most our lagers are all export strength and in MOST places we can still have a smoke and a pint- none of that nasty stuff from UK (Except one place does Carling - yuk) but no real ale. Much rather be scoffing Draft Real Ale (Wadworth's 6X) back home though One of my best mates out here won Best Beer at the Riyadh International Beer Festival about 12 years back. May seem unimportant to you guys until you understand the irony of a Beer Festival in Riydah, Saudi Arabia.....
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yep, I reckon half the posters on here have set up some sort of special screening software - TSW + Takeover - this place will be busier than a repo mans office within hours, you watch. (I found new toys btw I like this one) :smt037
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Been rummaging around the Newsnow site and read the article below http://www.fansonline.net/southampton/article.php?id=412 (nothing that hasn't been discussed on here) Only to see that John has insider information at the bottom that we're about to be bought by a bunch of Arabs..... John 05 November 2008 I heard a little rumour that we have agreed to be brought 'in principle' by a group of arabs... How true this is I can't say, but comes from the inside Good on ya John boy, was getting boring talking about football, the old days and best wins. Oh and if anyone would like an essay on why this is as unlikely as Trousers discovering an ear lobe cloning factory, am happy to oblige. (A hint - Google Kuwait stock exchange losses, Saudi Banks injecting 2.1bn to cover losses by Nationals in banks/stocks and Dubai having almost more debt as a percentage of GDP than Iceland) But hey it's fun time again. Who is John and who is the source?
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Yep, the recession bites deeper and deeper, and no matter how much you try and make your sales pitch and pricing meet the market needs, Rupe's ain't the only one having trouble finding a buyer http://uk.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUKTRE4A34RL20081104 Given the current economic climate, clients are not falling over themselves (to make the purchase)," said one executive, noting a deafening silence from potential buyers. Couldn't be a8sed to post it on the main forum thought it more suited to a What else would be impossible to sell right now? thread Starting with "The Gary Glitter back catalogue"