saint1977

Plus even the loans were good - Antonio and Waigo. Connolly was an astute free transfer. 2014 obviously was stellar, 2015 with VVD not too bad. Agree with those saying 96-7 as well, that team underperformed for the personnel we had but Souness signed some excellent players and it was exciting to watch at times. 98-99 a mixed bag with Howells and Hughes, selling Davies for silly money but then getting Marian on deadline day. Worst are 2007 as Lighthouse mentions, Burley's CM obsession went way too far, 2016/18/18 until Les sacked, and 92-93 on par with Les given Shearer was replaced by Speedie and Dixon, plus signing the likes of Steve 'hoof' Wood. David Lee might have been that season, and Groves. The only saving grace that season was Super Ken. Dread to think how much paying a lot of those contracts off cost the club when Lawrie and Bally returned. Speedie/Dixon and Carrillo/Pellegrino are probably the joint transfer season nadirs.

Broadly agree - depends on whether the less Brexit-obsessed media can land any hits on Farage. His prior comments on the NHS are an accident waiting to happen if an outlet is persistent, link that back to the £350m lie and leaves Boris in big trouble as well. Cummings was allegedly closely involved in that line of messaging - a lot of people did fall for it including some NHS staff.

Broadly agree - depends on whether the less Brexit-obsessed media can land any hits on Farage. His prior comments on the NHS are an accident waiting to happen if an outlet is persistent, link that back to the £350m lie and leaves Boris in big trouble as well. Cummings was allegedly closely involved in that line of messaging - a lot of people did fall for it including some NHS staff.

For purposes of objectivity I agree on that clip - its heckling basically and is only one way. Would have been interesting to hear his response. He had a lot of stick out and about though, and seemingly not the organised Momentum/Socialist Worker variety either. A shock for him away from his lower profile as London Mayor and the sycophantic bubble of the DT minions, Spectator, Bridgen etc, this job is a million times harder than he thought. My sense is that he believed Cummings could plot his way through - but is proving an even bigger millstone than Coulson was for Cameron. His best chance is to get rid by the end of the weekend and at least go down fighting with his own ideas. Farage is full of hot air - don’t know why the Tory Party take him so seriously. In a prolonged GE campaign, where the issues will go beyond Brexit, Farage will be an absolute liability. Every time time the media get him a millimetre off Brexit - NHS, immigration, education - he has been appalling.

Used to be the norm that the City would issue these warnings about Labour victories in the 1980s and especially 1992, remember that well. Take it as feedback that a Tory or Labour victory is equally dangerous to the economy these days and that the Tories old record for economic competency is shot to pieces chasing the emotionality of Brexit. For most of my lifetime, the Tories have been better than Labour at resolving their differences and focusing on power but no more. Just remember, Boris has voted Vs Brexit more times than Clarke has voted for Brexit and undermined May chronically, backstabbing Cameron for years through his various North Korea-style media outlets which report his every fart. So your comptence is widely reckoned to be at the same level of Corbyn's. Wow. Imagine if that had been said in 1983 about the election then, and Foot had a better career than Corbyn. Take a moment and think about it. Is a No Deal Brexit worth destroying your party for? PS - Corbyn has even managed to move Boris into an appalling position now, all thanks to that pound shop Steve Bannon who hangs around him. Jeremy Corbyn who most of his own party cant stand. The press are crying but they and Boris caused this themselves by all of this 31 Oct do or die rubbish. The ditch it is then.

Whilst I have no time for Corbyn, he has taken Boris to the cleaners here. Boris hung himself with all of the 31 October do or die rubbish and will either have to crawl back to Brussels with either a viable plan and/or request an extension. No-one needed to be Einstein to spot this coming yet the giant buffoon didn’t. The right wing press can wail all they want today but Corbyn is running the show, which is petrifying but true. My advice to you is to sort out a Norway deal, sort out a GE and you will beat him easily although you might need cooperation from a resurgent LDs. Then have a Kinnock style purge on Baker and co, and the Tory will be OK again. Expelling Churchill’s grandson isn’t the way to go.

Only if Boris definitely rules out a deal Farage has repeatedly said. That will lose the Tories key seats plus Farage campaigning for them is likely to maximise the Remain turnouts. As we saw in Peterborough, Brexit is not always a strong enough motivation to move enough votes to win seats on its own. Likely to be another hung parliament. Both sides need to compromise after that - Norway respects the referendum and is the only option that has been anywhere near a majority in parliament. Then everyone can move on to health, social care, education, policing, environment and the economy - the stuff that actually matters.

I would have voted for him if he’d won the leadership, or Heseltine back in the day. Superb Chancellor in a chaotic government in the 90s as well. Of course, that party is now ravaged with extremists under a UKIP cloak. That headcase Steve Baker I see is suggesting a pact with Brexit Party. They will never regain their reputation - what is left of it - for being economically stronger and stable, of prioritising law and order and the union if they go that route. Baker is essentially saying sacrifice his own party for Brexit, that is serious extremism. I can’t stand Corbyn but if Momentum was a separate party and he said that he would be hammered for that. Hope Hammond crosses the floor as well - would wipe the floor with the Tories as a Lib Dem and would offer a major injection of competent cabinet experience. No one can say he wasn’t a decent Chancellor. Several Tory friends have left the party and joined the LDs. Going to be a steady flow now.

Absolutely, and of course the UK then becomes a less attractive proposition without the leverage a no deal crash out causes. The likes of Liam Fox, who used to be very strongly no-deal, have realised this during a second stint as a minister and you could see his position shifting - sensible as well. I never liked him overly but genuinely respect him as a politician and a human for that in an era where ideological dogma is everything, whether left or right. You've only got to see Corbyn's bonkers alleged plans in the FT today to see it isn't the just the far right with problems either. We are getting some fresh investment but that's because the £ is tanking and it won't be as stable as we've had from Nissan, Honda, HSBC etc. It doesn't cancel out the major media firms moving their HQs and regulatory arms to mainland Europe with the massive tax loss, not to mention the £900m (FT, Bloomberg) that has already shifted out of the UK from financial services which is likely to become a flow with the likes of Moneygram already moving to Brussels (and some of my friends in these sectors have recieved violent threats online from the most far right Brexiteers for pointing this out). In turn, that means that the UK will be less well placed to take advantage of low interest rates with reduced access to international credit lines and banks/insurance major players having to contend with much higher levels of paperwork and regulations caused by No Deal.

Let's become a vessel state of Donald Trump rather than the huge trading bloc on our doorstep we are in already in on beneficial terms. There's no GE yet so Boris is unelected bar a few UKIP entryists. If you think Trump can be trusted to keep his word, or that he is guaranteed to stay in power after 2020 your appetite for risk is clearly higher than most. I don't think Boris is guaranteed a majority either by a long chalk - can you honestly taking the ideological glasses off actually see Philip Hammond getting defeated say as an Independent candidate in a Remain voting seat? And the others as well? Germany and France will be damaged by a No Deal Brexit but so will we.

Appalling waste of money, should have gone on genuine PL quality at CB, CM and CF, would be a very different picture for Ralph. Why Gao and Kreuger allowed that mad fool to carry on beyond January 2018 and buy Carillo and desperately hang onto a clearly unwell Pellegrino is astonishing and they bear a big part of the responsibility for not sacking Les and allowing him to go on and squander more money in that summer. In fact, really Les needed to go after the January 2017 CB transfer window debacle which let Puel down (whatever his failings) and then the crazy Forster extension which should have been automatically vetoed by any board with an ounce of sporting acumen. Hoedt was a product of the summer 2017 window which brought him and Lemina, who is a further enormous waste of money going out later today as well. At least on that one Gala will probably past most of the wages. If Hoedt is on say £60k a week, we won't see much of that from Antwerp, even though they have a bit of backing these days. People from the club then have the nerve to say that it's not their fault that the best manager since Koeman has his hands tied - you kept Les employed. Your choice. Bring investors in, or sell up if you can't afford to repair the damage.

It’s what I would do if were Barnier. Call Boris’s bluff and show who the dogmatic extremists are. He will be stuffed because he had promised all of the UKIP infiltrators as well as the geriatrics in the shires that we leave on 31 Oct come what may. No Deal aftermath will be so messy he also knows yesterday was a mere foretaste of what is to come and he would literally be dragged out of the Downing Street by the public along with his poundshop Steve Bannon. Would mean no more Tory Governments for a generation but on the very downside it might let Corbyn and Sturgeon in. Aintforever, WG and Tim clearly know how the EU works and the Brexiteers don’t. Hey, not as if we have an unelected PM in this super democracy he have is it? Norway Saint - The Brexiteers have never had a counter plan. They were all working under May, Davis allegedly didn’t even bother to turn up to half of the meetings with the EU.

J Rod took ages to find his feet but you could see had some of the attributes to succeed, as this lad seems to have as well.

The worst signing in the club’s history authorised by the worst ever boardroom figure (Les) - apart from maybe Rupert/Askham, reunited with the worst ever manager. Perfect symmetry.

Quite. Do not want to see mentions of that him or any other vile extremist of any political persuasion on our football board. The Brexit thread is bad enough but at least it’s in the Lounge and we don’t have to look at it when posting about team line ups or results.

I wonder if Mr Nike tracksuit from Leigh Park who kicked the Sunderland full back and the poundshop Mick Hucknall made infamous at the play off game will be there in the crowd? Probably will be knowing the skates. Mind you, I don't think he'd be having a sandwich with a major filling from Tesco's as not many teeth to chew with.

Amazing, just amazing. Headingley 1981 and now 2019. That knock is up there with Botham’s in 81 and maybe even better. That, just weeks after winning the WC with another one in a lifetime knock. We know where BBC Sports Personality 2019 is going! Shout out to Taunton’s finest, becoming an England cult hero. Brilliant debut from Archer too. Jimmy might be fit. Top order needs a sort out, Sisley and Lawrence in now please to give Stokes, Burns and Root some support. Buttler is superb in ODI and T20 but but him, Bairstow and Stokes in one line up in Tests is too much.

Starts for Celtic v Hearts today, will be interesting to see how he gets on. Hopefully we’ll.

Can see this happening now Forster our and Moi/Carrillo about to be. Lemina can’t get a move he wants and we are light in CM. If he actually shows up and puts a few games together he would hotter property and nearer the top of January shortlists. Let’s face it, the CM area needs the mobility that the the rest of the squad has had added. JWP and PEH haven’t got going yet this year, Romeu does a decent job but is never going to be box to box.

Up and running! Not the greatest display ever but PL away wins feel good. Andone must have started making his challenge in July - glad Valery not maimed. Excellent first goal, midfield a worry though, very one paced and one dimensional. Redmond did well capped by the second made by Boufal, but not Adams best game so far. Some harsh comments about him on here tonight though. Looked decent last week. Decent debut by Danso out of position. The subs made a huge difference.

Shocking miss from Theo, on a par with Ings’s Tyro League miss late on last week. Potentially a bad result for Saints though

Where have I said people are going to live in the street? People who voted leave in significant parts of England and Wales are going to feel let down if the tax cuts go ahead and more of the post-Brexit wealth (although with tax revenues initially down) gets centralised in and around London and the few public services those areas have decline but tbh that's Boris's problem not mine. As for the references to 1980s and 1970s, it's probably because a) a lot of Leave-voting areas were hit hard by de-industrialisation and all the evidence suggests that they are looking for something very different to what the right wing of the party are salivating over economically and socially. Also, having lived through the 1980s, the UK in the last few years and especially since 2016 feels like it has regressed back there. The political discourse is appalling - UK (Brexit/Tory Party/Momentum), US, that lunatic in Brazil (even worse than Trump) and some of the stuff out of Brussels hasn't been very clever either. Certainly, knuckle draggers sending footballers racist abuse every week/match seems to have come back from the 1980s as well (but via Social Media rather than the Royal Mail). Brexit can't be directly blamed for that (I disagree politely with Jeff about this) but it adds to a sense of society out of control. I don't happen to like it one bit, but some will no doubt (not saying you).

Neither do you, but we can only go on what Boris's pledges were during the leadership election. One of them was to give people earning over £50k p.a. a tax cut, which the IFS estimated would cost over £10bn. Where do think the money is coming from? Nice as that would be for me, I'm pretty sure that the constituencies I cited wouldn't be voting for that were it on offer in 2016. Look at the research post-referendum from those areas, it's clear they felt disenfranchised by London, by the financial crises and austerity. There was also the aspect of feeling the EU were giving them charity - but that's because successive UK governments have not invested in the regions. Cornwall asked for continuation of ERDF-type grants the day after the result despite being over 60% leave. The Shared Prosperity Fund isn't going to anywhere near cut it. The NHS extra funding Hancock announced was exposed as anything but. This is the issue Boris has - you can make lots of promises and vague platitudes - but now he has to deliver on them with no majority to work with and a very dangerous Irish issue. He can go for a GE, but many of the leave-voting areas won't vote for a Brexit Party/Tory MP. They may feel strongly on national identity, but they still have to put bread on the table. My original response to Hypo was that class or income were not key determinents in 2016 and that's true, it was age, educational level and geography. The idea of the Dulwich College, elite banker (Farage) and the Bullingdon Club PM somehow breaking up a middle class clique is nonsense. They are the elite, not people living in a four bed detached, along with Murdoch, Barclay Brothers, and they are pulling a lot of people's strings. The 'Gammons' (the over 65 are by far the biggest leave-voting group) mentioned are people who secured their financial future a long time ago and have been pulling the drawbridge for many years. Not some oppressed majority invading the BBC.

That's the UKIP/Brexit Party/Post-May Tory view - the more sanguine perspective is that those 'elites' pay most of the tax that funds public services that Leave voting areas depend on, and in fact the 'Gammons' are largely over 65, have their pensions locked up and don't use so many public services. There was a clear split on education in the referendum, I'm not so sure of Labour's view of class as a factor and income is much less clear. It's far more the Baby Boomers pulling the drawbridge up again - as they did in the 70s as strikers, in the 80s as right to buy and made really good money under Blair. All of which is fine but now they are stopping their children and especially grandchildren from doing the same. The real anger is going to be in leave-voting areas when austerity extends even further, which after the banking crisis which is where the anger at percieved elites come from, and which Cameron used as excuse to slash public services to bail out the banks. It will be a lot less pleasant than Remain protestors on marches with placards in places like Barnsley and Sunderland, which suffered badly in the 1980s. Being hammered twice could make Orgreave look like a tea party.

Agree with that. Vestegaard would get skinned again and again as Liverpool are hardly going to be firing crosses in, and Vesty wasn't any good on those Saturday either. Yoshida is a must and I'm sure RH will have learned from Saturday's balls-up. Much as I don't rate Stephens, he is quicker than Vesty (along with 99% of the forum tbf) and it could shred Danso's confidence if we get a real chasing. Maybe Danso as a sub if Liverpool have eased off at say 0-3 to help settle him in? Ings has looked a shadow of the player that joined last summer and I'm not buying the 'he's lost his pace' etc etc, he had it when he joined. RH needs to find out what he was doing in Liverpool training that worked for him. Being left out might be motivation to get the standards back. I just hope it's going to be more like the battling display we saw in the spring with Long's early goal (would definately play him if fit) and not other recent games V them where Liverpool score early, revert to testimonial pace and the players await swapping shirts at the end.