alpine_saint

Wow, its a 2-for-1 Classic Cliche sale round here today..

Erm, no thanks. Cut out the childish mobbing.

Lack of a manager to change and drive things that deviate from his game plan, e.g. the other team fights back.

Yep, the defensive f**k ups are a symptom, not the cause.

I love these little playground temper-tantrum comments. Bless.

Yes, it is. But that wont stop the stream of abuse at those who dare to point out how absolutely f**king gutless and clueless we are if a team actually dares to get back in a game.

We have a management that simply failed to anticipate that Spurs wouldnt just roll over and give up.

Been coming for ages. We are so predictable. As well as being a complete joke. No balls in the team, no clue on the touchline.

One of the classic limp-wristed responses. The same group of players who played well in the first half suddenly play cr*p. Here's a thought. Sherwood gave Spurs a rocket at half time, and changed the tactics. Our management cannot suss that the opposing losing team might change things about, and plods on regardless, and has not a clue how to change things when it goes tits-up.

Whatever. Discrediting me still doesnt hide the fact we are to the PL what Tim Henman was to British tennis

For all our pretty play, we're still as gutless and chinless as ever. We will lose this now

Nope, lets not compare invasions. Different nations, different histories, different situations. You carry on with your lazy cliches. BTW, its Seumas Milne that finds a way to blame the west for everything, and in so doing damages his credibility himself.

Just about to try the missus's Galaxy Ace 2. Seems straightforward enough from YouTube films.

What is the connection between Iraq and Ukraine, except "Evil West" in your bizarre chop-logic ? Really funny how you lot go all mouse-like when Kosovo or Bosnia is mentioned. Why dont you drop the slogans and cliches ?

FIFA are facing an utter PR disaster; this is the only way they will regain face. The whole award to Russian and Qatar was bent, and fixing the 2014 finals pales in comparison.

So f**king what ? What does that prove except to demonstrate that the west tries to support the injured party in these issues. (As it did in Bosnia and Kosovo when it sided with the Muslims) And I am glad you've invoked that offensive slogan "not in my name". If any phrase sums up better the smug, self-contented, self-centred, arrogant, patronising "we know better / have higher morality / are more intelligent" mentality of the left, I dont know what it is. The only way forward now imo is to draw a line under Crimea, accept that it has returned to its historical homeland with massive popular support, push the rump Ukraine into holding democratic elections, and get the new Government to run referenda on EU and NATO membership, and those two institutions should fast-track membership if the results are "yes". Probably makes sense for Europe to come up with a new energy strategy too.

Expect the most stitched up fixed WC finals in the history of the regulated game........... I will say here, and now: Brazil will win the final against Argentina.

How remiss of me. I forgot the basis of international law is "two wrongs make a right" whilst ignoring the way both the UK and US turned back from armed intervention in Syria recently.... Shoot, did I miss something ?

Take a look at a map of the USSR. Forget Armenia, Azerbajan and Georgia. They are surrounded by sea. Belarus to the West and Kazakhstan to the South are in alliance to Russia, China is currently on good terms. The Baltic states and Ukraine are whopping great marching routes for NATO, in the institutionally-paranoid Russian eyes. But Ukraine is much bigger. I expect Putin to spend a significant amount of his time intimidating these states.

Woo. Where's Sonny and Ricardo in their cigarette boat ?

I hope you are right. I really hope that Putin is satisfied with Crimea and the grip he has over Lukashenko and Nazarbayev. Looking at a map at the ex-USSR, Ukraine is one hell of a hole in their Western flank.

Its hard to argue with much of that..

Yes, this is right too. The Ukraine should be fast-tracked for the EU. The vast majority in the Crimea are ethinic Russians; realpolitik says Ukraine need to let it go.

Absolutely correct. However, the worrying precedent is the Nazis in Sudetenland. If the West really cannot offer a robust coherent response, the message to Putin and his hawks is that they can think about recovering the likes of Poland or the Baltic states.

Christ, you Seumas Milne-wannabees crack me up. You seek to justfiy anything to spite the West. "The EU has been on a slow crawl across Easten Europe " - WTF ? Those countries begged to join the EU (and in some cases NATO) to try to make sure they never again lived in the shadow of that nation that you claim is so law-abiding and justifiably paranoid....