shurlock

He must be about 55

Can we stop citing those wage bill and wages-to-turnover figures which include one-off exceptional costs (e.g. Osvaldo's cancelled contract). The reality is that they are much lower. If you must, please be honest and explicit about the assumptions you're making.

Afternoon Baldrick What does this characteristic piece of gobbledygook "the IMF stated in July, that despite the fall after the referendum, it's STILL overvalued" mean? How can something be STILL overvalued based on a statement that is 6 months old? Needless to say the consensus is that the £ is now significantly undervalued. By the way, I didn't hear back after your Monnet meltdown. I did some digging and found the paper your pal Ottaviano wrote as a fellow "Integration, Agglomeration and the Political Economics of Factor Mobility", avidly looking forward to some juicy propaganda. Alas I was disappointed. The paper analyses the geographical inequalities and disparities that have emerged with the creation of the Single Market. In particular, it explores the circumstances under which EU regional policy might have a role to play in addressing them. The answer: it depends. In some cases when transport costs are low or high, it should do nothing from an efficiency-perspective. For those cases where policy intervention is justified on both efficiency and equity grounds, it assesses whether the actual mechanics of EU policymaking are capable of delivering 'good' outcomes. Again, the answer is ambiguous: there have been some useful institutional innovations in this direction but the effectiveness of the Commission and other institutions also have structural weaknesses, due in part to the democratic deficit that prevents effective information-gathering and feedback. That's about it as one would expect from research. Not quite Eye of Providence stuff but maybe next time pal...

That makes me well up with pride, that does...

So May has announced that controlling immigration and ending jurisdiction of European Court of Justice are red lines for negotiations aka Take-Back-Control ®™. Les must be knocking one off to the dambusters theme tune. See the currency markets are also taking the news in their stride - as yet, the £ isn't down against the Turkish lira

Certainly getting the desired bites. Of course, we'll never quite know why Koeman left. It may comfort people to think that it was just about the paypacket but that seems far too simple an explanation, bordering on wishful thinking.

Shatlock Though I guess it's an improvement on the rather sinister Shylock.

Tough-looking female brummie skinheads?

I know there's drivel and then there's drivel.

Clarke was good value. The zealots just don't like hearing the cold, hard facts - that it's time to get their s**t together and start making policy in the real world. Granted, sloganeering in lalaland is much more comforting.

So did Les offer Fonte a pay rise and extension?

9.2/10. Written like a statesman.

While you are correct, the comparison is inevitable. On one level he is Mane's replacement as he has become our main source of pace.

10th but critically performances and scoring have to improve. For the first in my life, I might pay attention to our GD as a proxy for any progress. Likewise it would be nice to see us come from behind and win games, our midfielders chip in with more goals and the academy players make a greater impact (though the latter is a relative bright spot of Puel's record to date). Going far in the cup is a bonus but no more since luck plays such a large role.

Boufal wasn't a Puel signing.

Sounds about right. Not sure Clasie and Jrod have played themselves into contention; but we have little else.

Woe is me, pal, woe is me

I see Dave Watson has been working his magic on Lewis. Good reality check all round: at least Les won't claiming we could have three goalkeepers at the next WC anytime soon.

Top lad

Good

Ffs

What is your point of comparison? What you've written sounds nothing like this. http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/32510554 Nothing at all.

Old Les has a way with words. Gone are the days where we'd become an established top six side from which we'd challenge for the CL before 2020. Now we're hovering above mid table, the best of the rest hoping for minor miracles. Nothing wrong with that till Les 'revises' or 'clarifies' expectations...