benjii

Michael Owen.

I wouldn't try to quantify it but I think university should be for academic pursuits or vocational training that goes significantly beyond what the average person is capable of. It should be difficult to get a degree. It should be an indication that the holder of the degree is unusually bright. Currently, if you take a broad view, it is not (you can probably still rest assured that a red-brick graduate has a good level of intelligence or aptitude). And, as the process comes with potentially significant financial consequences, the commoditisation of it makes no sense. It has value over and above itself; it should be about quality, not quantity. That's not to say that those who aren't academically elite should not have access to education or training after school/college but there has been a completely misguided attempt to homogenise education. It's considered a success if as many people as possible achieve A grades. That's not a success, it's a completely pyrrhic victory. It's a category error of end and means: it's classification for classification's sake. It signals the failure and the collapse of the system. It has no informative value. The point of exams, the point of assessment is to produce a result that is informative and discriminatory; one that helps people make the right choices, not one that cajoles them into a false future.

Don't even get me started on Dickshunary Studies. Only one rung up from Meeja.

Agreed. Football coverage, by and large, is uninformative and turgid. I actually think it's something of a scandal that the likes of Shearer, Keown, Dixon, Bright draw licence fee payer's money when by any sensible assessment criteria they are utterly ****e at their jobs.

TV warrior, hiding behind the safety of the TV cameras. What a mug. Bet he wouldn't say that to his face. (Isn't that how the routine goes, more or less?)

Some people just do make stupid decisions. For example, the number of people with average A-Levels, an "ok" degree and completely unremarkable CVs willing to commit to paying circa £10k to complete the Legal Practice Course in search of a training contract for a job which has always historically been oversubscribed, and in a contracting economy which has been squeezed even further, is bizarre. A mixture of poor and ill-informed decisions made by students exacerbated by an institutional unwillingness to recognise failure and the commoditisation of something that ought to be meritoriously elite is bound to lead to disappointment. As others have said, this ought to be something that is tackled at a younger age. So long as hordes of people continue to leave school and college labouring under the weight of misinformation peddled by soft-centred imbeciles and political self-servants that a "C" or "B" grade is some sort of success, nothing will change except by Procrustean means.

Ahh, there we go, that's where I may have heard it then. Also, Cortese has repeatedly said "no debt". Now, director's loans may not be on market-standard commercial terms but they most certainly are "debt". Therefore, unless that was an untruth or a halftruth, equity injections look the most likely answer. As someone else said, the accounts will be available from Companies House for anyone who is that interested.

I'm pretty sure that Cortese said at some point it was just direct equity investment. Don't ask me for a link or proof though because I can't remember for sure!

You're a funny one.

Obviously he gets on ok with Dodd who, in my eyes, is more of a legend than Benali. Benali is a cult figure, for various reasons, most of which are associated with him being rubbish yet long serving and hard working. Dodd was a genuinely good player who was also a long-term servant. Cortese seems to have, at least arguably, valid reasons not to get on with MLT and Benali.

Can you think of any examples of when, in your opinion, a football club has made a bad decision that illustrates this viewpoint?

Indeed. It sounds like a commercial dispute. I think Franny seems like a really decent bloke and maybe he's very angry (perhaps justifiably - I don't know) but this is pretty unprofesional and unnecessary.

If the likes of Evans and Smalling are playing we can definitely score a goal or two. I am just a bit concerned that we will get mullered in midfield and Owen/Hernandes/whoever will get plenty of chances...

I heard that Milwall, Cardiff, Rangers, Boca Juniors and Red Star Belgrade firms had teamed up with the Skates finest and the A-Team.

I don't know, I can't think about it, I'm too worried about what our league position may be after today.

Badwillie.

What's that then?

Personally, I would like to move away from the situation where Chambo starts every week. If a good winger is available then we should be interested IMO. Lallana can play right if it's a leftie. Mind you, now we have N'Guessan we effectively have two right wing options and three left wing options (if you include Dicko) so if he turns out good we should be ok. Would ideally like some serious competition for Lambert.

Lol at the overnight queuers.

Yes, that makes sense.

He may have beaten some 100m record set at some point but there's no doubt in my mind that Theo was much quicker when it mattered on the pitch. That said, AOC has better technique.

Said the man in the orthopedic shoes.

If you get an electric one beware that the battery will be highly sought after should Robot Wars ever, god forbid, be recommissioned.

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