Minsk

This is the main gist, that I am sure got RB's goat. I honestly doubt when they are rattling their tins enroute they will point out to any potential 'donators' that half of the funds will be going directly into the club's coffers. Anyone happy with that principle is welcome to call me any names they want. I doubt it will be anything I haven't been called before! However, my personal view is once a person has put their hand in the till before (stolen from charities) and got away with it, they will be inclined to try again in the future!!

Serious question: did you watch the match? I am also an ex-pat and I watched the entire 90+ minutes. We played well, imo - I am pleased to say.

We played some good stuff, without really threatening; yet never looked threatened either. A quite predictable draw from a match that was never going to give many goals. Jose, Steve Davis and Big Vic all had decent games. We really missed JRod. Just goes to show we should have brought in another striker when Osvaldo was shipped out. Having said that, it should have been a 1-0 win. How the penalty wasn't given is a complete mystery to me. Plus, I assume Bertrand is a good basketball player; he handled the ball at least 3 times by my reckoning. Ideally, I would like to see us sign two new strikers in the summer (assuming only Osvaldo - and the dead-wood - leaves).

Sad news, but not really surprised. Good luck for a full and speedy recovery Jay.

Hmmm, I don't recall the Skates ever having a points deduction for financial misconduct (as opposed to entering Admin) ala Luton. I guess it is too much to hope they could have a points deduction before season end........

If all those aforementioned stay, and we only sell Osvaldo, Mayuka and those never likely to get a look in - whilst signing, say, 6-8m on a new CB and striker - do you think we will be in as good a position going into next season as we are now? Personally, I would be very happy with that outcome.

As SM said above, so that we don't expect 30m to be spent this summer. Or, so that selling teams don't try to hike their prices up - which they would if he had said, 'Yep, we're waded. No money worries here!' But, if it makes you feel happy, go on being a mini-Alpine/Glasgow/BS and that glass half-empty.

This This This And this.

They could have but, instead, they said, "We are in a position where we do not have to sell any players Mauricio wants to keep”

Agree with this. I really don't see anything bad here. In fact, quite the opposite. I honestly do feel (and really, really, hope) that we will hold on to all the players that we want to hod on to for next season (i.e. Shaw, Lallana, JRod, Lovren, etc.) All our younger players will be a year older and, more importantly, with a year's more experience in the prem behind them. Thus, they will be better next season. We will almost certainly shift Osvaldo and Mayuka, and possibly Jos, as well as shipping out a load of dead wood (those who have not played a part this season whose contacts expire in the summer). Gallagher should be ready to step up and get more game time next season, possibly Stephens, Reed and McQueen too. To be honest, if we only lose those mentioned above and bring in decent (but not exceptional or expensive) options at CB and another Striker (and possibly another 'keeper) I would be very happy and optimistic about next season.

This

I am also getting pop-ups on my notebook. I use chrome. Pop-ups only when I am using saintsweb. Maybe I got adware from elsewhere, but strange it has occurred now - same time as others. (No idea how to put up screenshots).

This gets my vote.

Hadn't heard that one, but it wouldn't surprise me.

And the majority of Crimean people want to be Russian.

It didn't come from media sources. It came from friends/relatives of friends who live in Ukraine. Other than that, I agree that all media is biased and somewhat unreliable.

The rest of the EU don't seem to be as upset over this as the UK. Germany certainly isn't too bothered. Mrs Minsk has told me many stories of right-wing Ukranians in Kiev, and elsewhere in Ukraine, attacking and beating people who they stop at random and who can't, or won't, sing the national anthem in Ukranian (i.e. those whose primary language is Russian). This has been ongoing for the past few weeks. Kind of gives some credence to Putin's actions re Crimea.

Good post. (Below is not aimed at you.) There should absolutely not be any military intervention from us or NATO over the Crimea. If there were it would effectively be military action to force a region to go back to a country the majority of voted not be a part of any longer. Yes, the vote was rushed. I also wouldn't be surprised if it was partially rigged. But make no mistake, if this current vote was made null and void and another held in six months the outcome (if not the exact result) would be the same. Also, for those saying Russia invaded Crimea - they did not. They had troops already legitimately and legally based there. Yes, they reinforced those troops - and I am certain that many of them operated outside of their agreed area of responsibility - but they did not invade per se. I also hope Putin was truthful with his words that Russia does not want any more territory from Ukraine. However, I do know for a fact that much of eastern Ukraine would happily see a shift of the border to move them into Russia - as would other southern parts of Ukraine, such as Odessa.

b o l l o c k s Poland is a completely different entity to Crimea. There may be some comparison with Baltic states, but they again are still far different to Crimea - as their incorporation into the EU and NATO proves.

He had one great big swipe at the US saying that he is happy they have finally remembered about international law. That the referendum in Crimea is no different to that heralded by the west for an independent Kosovo - except that with Kosovo there was a great loss of life and, thankfully, that was not the case with Crimea. That the US like to go to the UN but when they don't get what they want just ignore them and do their own thing anyway. That he is happy for NATO sailors to visit a Russian held Sevastopol, but would have considered himself a traitor to the history of Russia if he allowed Sevastopol to become a NATO base. That Khrushchev will have to answer to his God as to why he gave away Russian territory to another country on a whim and without consultation to those who lived there first. That he understands the Ukranian people's frustration with the heads of state they have had as, one after another, they promised to stop corruption but each simply continued to be as corrupt as their predessors. Amongst other things.......

As I posted in the other thread...... I have spent at least 3 weeks in the Crimea every summer for the past 6 years. It really is one of my favourite places to visit. From first hand experience I can say absolutely that the majority of the locals there consider themselves to be more Russian than Ukranian or, at least, as much Russian as Ukranian. Up until only 60 years ago Crimea was part of Russia. It was given to Ukraine 'as a gift' in 1954. There was no referendum then to ask those living there what they wanted. Yes, I do have misgivings about how Sunday's referendum occurred and the official results of it. For me, it was all pushed through too fast and has a seemingly too big of a majority win. However, I do also feel that even if the referendum has waited until the original date in May the outcome would have been the same. Do I agree with how Russia have gone about things? NO. Do I think we (Britain) should get involved in the situation, especially militarily? NO As others have said above, at present there is no legal government in Ukraine. Russia used the situation to their advantage. Crimea is a strategic base. It is also one inhabited by a large Russian population. The majority of them do want to be part of Russia. Their primary source of income is tourism from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Maybe that is why I like going there, no ****ed up Brits or sun-bed hogging Germans. The whole thing has upset greatly, as I have now had to change my holiday plans for this year. But hope everything will be more settled by next summer - even if I will then need a visa to go there (I need one for Russia but not for Ukraine). To all those beating the 'let's get in there and sort out the Russians' drum: what experience do you have of life in Crimea? have you ever served in the military? Would YOU be prepared to put your own life on the line for a piece of land in the Black Sea? P.S. For those who haven't seen it yet, there is very little that can really be argued with from Putin's speech on the Crimea this afternoon.

Indeed, Rickie has scored more goals this season than Carroll has in the past two together. Oh, and this season, Carroll has scored against....... Stoke (Full Stop). Shall we compare assists next? It's difficult to compare all-round play with stats; but, just for a giggle, please tell us how Carroll's all-round team play is better than Rickie's.

Corpy, I'm sure you still look in here quite often, so, can you please give us one of your (in)famous 'Skate transfer rumour' posts please? Come on, spill the beans, who is going to be shipped out and who are you going to bring in at season end?

I fully agree with lower league teams being able to loan players from higher divisions. 27 is completely insane! Yes, there should be a limit on the number of players a club can loan out.

I would be happy if even that was stopped. But still don't see why any prem club needs to loan players in, given the money they have at their disposal.