shurlock

Either you're 1) plain thick or 2) just disingenuous - I'm not sure. I know what Cortese, Poch and indeed Boruc said, that's neither here nor there. We're talking about the mood on here, the CL mania that's supposedly gripped the place. Strawlock? Enlighten me what that means? I guess it's some pony-fiddlers argot you use in deepest Hampshire. Reminds me I go with 1).

This pervasive CL or nothing talk really is a figment of your puny imagination - even at the height of this season, outside a few desultory and ritualistic clichés about daring to dream, even the most bullish on here claimed they would snap peoples hand off for a top 6-7 finish. Ridiculous abuse? A lone remark about salad dodging, a p i$$ poor attempt at wit, perhaps in your honour, that's it. What about destiny? Perhaps I'm missing something when it has been recognised that the ambitions you claim are possible but unlikely. "Possible but unlikely" -rousing stuff- no doubt a line that peppers the Communist Manifesto and the Declaration of Independence. So keep looking but dont exert yourself for your own sake, pal. One swivel-eyed man and his rabid dog doesn't count.

As long as he knows the difference between net and gross, he should be good till the summer.

It was Big Adam whose utter dullness and banality as a source of news is more than redeemed by his impeccable reliability and accuracy. It's only divs on here who misattribute things to him.

Reckon John Williams is out of the running - the way it was being reported over the weekend suggests that the notice period wasn't a bar to his appointment. Pretty sure they intended to hire somebody but couldnt settle on the right candidate. It's also not uncommon for orgabisations to announce a successor even when theyre out serving out their notice.

To be fair Shah Khan inherited two basket cases - Jacksonville have been whipping boys for years (only the Browns have been possibly worse) while Fulham have been rudderless since Hodgson left.

No no- the acid test is whether Big Adam has Kat's number and can call her up on a Sunday morning.

Edit

The classic MLG mug off

These continental types aren't averse to detailed, long-term planning and indeed see it as central to running a business. Hopefully as part of her commitment to open communication, she shares those ambitions with us. If she doesn't, it won't be because they haven't been attended to or thought about.

Fair play to Griffo - he called it.

Explain why Chinese newspapers and discussion boards are not only discussing this specific rumour (by the way, they continue to do so, notwithstanding the official denial) but also the benefits of investing in overseas football in general. To claim that because the Chinese haven't invested to date, they are unlikely to do so in the future when things are in flux strikes me as remarkably naive. Pointing to efforts by English clubs to crack the Chinese market is neither here or there. We're talking about the hard ownership of assets by the Chinese, though not necessarily for the benefit of ordinary Chinese. When it comes to China, I suggest you stick to what you know (or what you don't know) and don't stray too far from home.

109 posts in and we haven't had 'the photo'.

Is your sister similar to you?

As yet, they haven't but that's not because China's somehow different. Go global strategies in China are relatively new compared with the other countries/regions you mention. On the soft power of football, Simon Kuper has spoken extensively and elegantly about it. Will provide a link if I can find an article.

Utter tosh - if anything, buying a football club and other brands is part of the country's soft power offensive as well as a way of accessing the kind of intangibles that are necessary for a country desperate to shake off the image as a cheap, low cost producer, the runt of the value chain. Don't forget that Wanda Dalian bought AMC Entertainmet which is the second largest operator of cinemas in North America. Without needing to state the obvious, that's Hollywood, another cesspit of plutocratic and capitalist decadence (on your terms). A corruption drive is just part and parcel of the political cycle in China whenever a new leadership assumes power. Wouldn't read anything ideological into it whatsover. The new leadership is certainly more pro-market and liberal than the commie equivalent of the two ronnies- Hu Jintao and Wen Jiaobao.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/blackburn-rovers/9816747/Former-Blackburn-Rovers-chairman-John-Williams-to-be-appointed-the-new-head-of-professional-referees-body.html

Didn't city appoint a new chief executive, Ferran Soriano and there was a reshuffle?

I thought he picked the team, regularly took training and sat in on HT talks. Let me suggest that there's a slight difference between being physically around the players (and being missed) and laying down the structures and vision for our success (and being missed). Not even the most pro-cortese sycophant has suggested that he would be missed due to the former (the emphasis of the article). Time will tell if he's missed because of the latter. Hopefully the structures he's helped lay down are strong enough that he won't be missed.

Unless, of course, they are attracted by Williams experience in dealing with big player contacts at City

If you were at the game, you would have seen the players reacting and surrounding the ref -not just after the incident and during the stoppage but after the final whistle.

And they couldn't capitalise.

Back to the future?

From the horses mouth, its b*****s. http://news.sohu.com/20140120/n393774409.shtml 对此，新京报记者向万达集团求证，万达集团董事长王健林表示，目前万达集团没有任何人与南安普敦俱乐部接触过，也未委托任何人或第三方机构与之进行任何有关球队收购的事宜，这种说法纯属子虚乌有，与事实不符 "Consequently, a XinJing reporter sought confirmation from Wangda Dalian. Wangda Dalian CEO Wang Jianian replied that to date nobody from the company had ever been in contact with Southampton, nor had any agent or third party discussed the issue of a sale. Such a suggestion was purely fictitious and did not tally with the facts". Case closed it would appear.