Dark Munster

How about for a poor player? That would be an upgrade.

Not straight after the home Cardiff defeat! After the window closed we had a dodgy spell, and Ralph was wondering if they'd done the right thing. Fortunately Valery only missed one match, and Ralph produced miracles from a squad with glaring holes. Anyway, my point was very simple. You're confusing posters not wanting Cedric and Gabby shipped out (without replacements) with posters wanting to bring in new players for the sake of it ("panic buys"). There were a bunch of us in the former camp, but I don't remember any from the latter.

Nothing wrong with VAR, just with some of the morons who currently use it. It's like blaming the Porsche manufacturers for a drunken teenager who crashes one at 180 mph.

"They" being the people in the club making these decisions, and Ralph wants a smaller squad in the long term. We were not dealing with a VVD situation with players downing tools. Having Cedric and Gabby as backups wasn't going to weaken the squad over 3 months.

That's not the point, the club gambled by shipping those players out without replacements. And Ralph later admitted that he was worried when the already sparse attack got lighter when Obafemi got injured. The criticism remains valid even if they got away with it.

A lot of straw men there that you've given a jolly good rogering to. Regarding selling/loaning Gabbi and Cedric, bringing in replacements would not have been "panic buys". They didn't have to go in the middle of the season. Ralph admitted getting worried after Obafemi got injured almost immediately after getting rid of Gabby, and the club was lucky Valery only missed one match after Cedric was loaned out. They gambled and got away with it.

http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1970S/1974/ENG_LOCAL/CC/ESSEX_WORCS_CC_31AUG-03SEP1974.html 4 points for bowling Essex out for 84 in a one-dayer. They finished 2 points ahead

This. RB is perfect for a club our size, a quality player but who isn't quite so brilliant that the big boys have taken him off us. Even if he goes for a free in 2 years he's been a great professional, a good buy and served us well. Hopefully he can be convinced to sign an extension.

At least it's better than the bad old days, when a rained out match gave 0 points to both teams (madness!) That gave Worcs the championship at Hants' expense. http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1970S/1974/ENG_LOCAL/CC/HANTS_YORKS_CC_31AUG-03SEP1974.html

Absolutely! We have to demand them. What was the question again?

We obviously need a new centre forward who can score. Fail here and we're in trouble again.

That's the big If. If we go down the club (and Gao) are ****ed. Fortunately he and the board now seem to realise a good manager is worth his weight in gold, and (according to Adam Leitch) appear to be doing everything they can to keep Ralph happy. Despite that, Ralph won't be with us forever, and when he does leave we can really get worried. Unless someone less dodgy has taken Saints over before then.

The Macau XI. With one way tickets.

No mention here about the elephant in the room: over £100 million per year in player wages.

I think so. He's hoping the pig will fatten itself without being fed.

So we learnt Mr. Gao is "flamboyant". Being a private person he must be annoyed that came out.

Which one? There've been half a dozen!

Maguire and Stones? Agreed.

I don't think he did. In fact the opposite, it seemed he was ready to run down his contract, rejected an extension (which of course was his right) and it was Saints who wanted to sell him because of that.

Indeed. Apart from the Clown and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew.

Read it again, that was not about their club. That was referring to their manager who will be on his way to Real Madrid soon, according to some.

She was the only good part about the match. Anyway, congratulations to Poch on cementing his place as the greatest manager in the world who's won **** all.

AR 15 Sorry, I live in the USA.

39-3, needing another 240 to win. Rahane and Northeast out already (plus Soames of course). Any chance of rain?