sadoldgit

Given your love of Farage, small wonder to see you appear here. What is pony? The article or the fact that Batman has a thing about foreigners?

To save the trouble of Batman finding and posting this. https://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/news/amp/we-came-here-for-a-better-life-but-its-a-misery-273854/ We know what a champion he is of immigrants.

You have also backed the likes of Farage and Johnson so maybe not the best judge? Not sure how you can call him a fraud. He never called himself Klopp of the Alps did he? He calls himself a football manager, which is what he is. He hasn’t done a bad job with a very average squad overall. He has kept us up and given us some good cup runs, which most of us here are happy with given the clubs resources. I know you disagree but again most people I think see the new additions to the squad this summer as an upgrade. It has clearly been a blow to lose Lavia (not Ralph’s fault) and not to have signed a proven goalscorer (again, not Ralph’s fault). We have had two poor league games this season out of seven. Hardly the end of the world. We have two quality players to come back into the squad and the new kids look very promising. Fortunately the club seem to have faith in him and, for me anyway, it has been a pleasant change not to have a manager merry go round. Baring some catastrophe I can see him staying this season and possibly handing over to Selles or someone else from the coaching team a bit further down the line. Makes sense to me. If you and the Ralph out brigade get your way there is absolutely no guarantee that a new manager would do any better and if he does worse, which is possible, how long before you start slagging him off and calling for his head? Cheer up Duckie. No matter what happens with the club and the manager, at least you got your country back 😉 One last point. Ralph has taken a lot of criticism and has been accused as being stubborn for not changing the way he plays. He is now getting flak for being too defensive. 🤔

When you use the phrase “it seems” you give unsubstantiated rumours (of which 95% plus on social media are rubbish) credence. The way you have framed your comments you make it sound as though these rumours are facts. You state that AMN has been frozen out. That is not speculation. That is you stating it as a fact. As for having an anti manager agenda, when does it matter when it started? An agenda is an agenda. You are using rumours to support your agenda. I’m sure none of us are happy about the performance last Friday but, at the end of the day, we are an average EPL team sitting in mid table. I understand your need to find something or someone to blame for your frustration, but repeating unsubstantiated rumours as if they have some substance does nothing to help the situation. Other people read it and repeat it (as you are doing now) and before you know it, it becomes fact. Did we lose on Friday because Ralph has allegedly fallen out with Stuart Armstrong? No. We lost because the team as a whole seemed to forget how to play football. Apart from the Spurs game, we haven’t played badly this season until the Villa game. Losing Lavia has proved to be a massive lose to the way we play. That has nothing to do with Ralph falling out with the list of players you provided us with. You are perfectly entitled to speculate as we all are, but if he was the terrible man manager that you speculate that he is, how on earth did we manage to find ourselves at the top of the EPL and put together some great runs, playing some fantastic football and why is he still employed by the club? our problem is that we struggle with inconsistency. We can look like world beaters at times and dreadful at others, sometimes in the same games. Is that down to Ralph allegedly falling out with players or down to the calibre of player we have? For a couple of games Che looked great. Against Wolves he finished like a park player. Ralph’s fault? Ely was excellent against Chelsea but ineffective against Villa. Due to a falling out with Ralph? JWP has been one of our most constant performers over the last few years and has signed a new contract to stay here when he could have gone elsewhere (which would indicate that he is happy to play under the manager). He looked dreadful on Friday. Look on the bright side. We have both Lavia (who looks a real gem) and Tino to come back. We have a number of bright young players on the books (assuming Ralph doesn’t fall out with them and they all turn to crap 😉)and we are not Leicester. We have the majority of the season ahead of us and, I speculate, that we won’t play as badly again as we did against Villa.

I like him as a player too, but as someone else said, he hasn’t been the same since he had covid and he had gone from being one of the first names on the team sheet to not getting regular starts because he isn’t performing at the same level. All this nonsense about personality clashes is just that. If Stuey was putting in the performances he did 2 seasons ago he would start. The same happened with Romeu. Once his legs started to go he was no longer a guaranteed starter. Whatever we think of Ralph’s team selections he clearly wants to win football matches. The Villa game was strange in that pretty much the whole team seemed to have forgotten how to pass and tackle. You could tell by the expression on his face what he thought of it. As much as some people are desperate to pin every bit of blame on him, these are very highly paid professional footballers and need to take responsibility for their own performances. Very few of them performed on Friday night. It happens to the best. There are times when teams like City and Liverpool have looked rubbish too.

“Wilfully misconstrue?” With all due respect if you go back and read your own words it would appear that you are quite happy to accept unsubstantiated gossip as fact. You are now turning something else into a negative. The manager says that he and the coaching staff (I assume) don’t believe that AMN is ready to start in our system now yet according to you he has been frozen out and criticised? Hmmm. Who to believe? The manager or someone with an anti manager agenda I’m an Internet forum. Without any evidence to the contrary I am prepared to believe that he hasn’t been frozen out and will be brought back when ready. As for the 5 sub rule. Players used to be held back in case of injuries later in the game. With 5 subs you can now make tactical changes earlier while still having the resources to cover late injuries from the bench.

Still working on his knighthood?

You seem to take these rumours as fact. Have we actually had any evidence of these multiple alleged falling outs? It is now a squad game. If you wanted to go up a gear in the second half would you rather bring on Ely or Stuey? There are many tactical reasons for playing or not playing players from the start. For example, AMN was apparently left out of the squad yesterday because he is still learning the way we want him to play. I read on another forum that he had been left out because Ralph didn’t like his attitude and he needed to be taught a lesson. Which is the more likely do you think? You say that there have been rumours about Armstrong leaving but guess what, he is still here and still playing.

Our so called good transfer window was so called because it was good. We clearly didn’t ignore the need for a striker and tried from the start to get someone in but it didn’t work out. We have signed some quality players. We have cleared out a great deal of dead wood. Losing Lavia so soon had been a blow. We were very poor last night I agree, but that had nothing to do with the transfer window. Most of the team didn’t show up, for whatever reason. It didn’t helped that Villa kicked anything that moved from the start and got away with it. Villa are a poor side. We were poor last night but can and will play better.

I don’t think it is a question of not being allowed to have fun. Watching Saints isn’t always fun is it? I am sure many people found other “fun” things to do last Saturday. Anyway, you will all be glad to hear the Center Parcs have changed their mind.

Couldn’t swerve the Tescos run sadly but I did walk the dog which was pleasant and then we spent some time sitting in the neighbours garden drinking wine and talking about Elizabeth and Charles, which was actually very pleasant and it was good to share this experience with an older couple. I would have loved to have watched the game today but as there wasn’t one, I did actually end up spending some time talking and thinking about our past monarch and our new monarch so I guess, in this case, the postponement served its purpose.

Is anybody suggesting that you should flagellate yourself in public? It is very simple. The games have been cancelled as a mark of respect to HM Elizabeth II. You now have the afternoon to do something else of your choosing instead. If you feel the need to join with others to pay your respects, perhaps go to a rugby match or to church? You can still have an afternoon out with your grandson doing something else. Alternatively you can sit on a keyboard and moan about it all day.

There was a discussion about it on TalkSport yesterday afternoon and one of the points raised was that, agree or disagree with it, there is no right or wrong decision. If organisations want to show respect by shutting down, that is their call. I don’t usually agree with anything Adrian Durham says but he made the point yesterday that we are very used to the wearing of black arm bands and a minute’s silence or applause, but this particular occasion is far bigger than the passing of a club stalwart etc and needed to be treated as such. Respect can be shown in many ways, football has decided to show its respect by taking time out, other sports have taken different decisions. Durham’s point was that by doing something else other than watch or play a football match, you would give a bit of thought to why that was and perhaps reflect a bit on the reason. This has triggered a range of emotions in people all over the world. My wife was very teary on Thursday evening and for her it brought back memories of the passing of her grandmother. For many Elizabeth carried the burden of our national identity and the qualities that we aspire to that makes us British. Historically it is the end of an era. As has been said, this isn’t the passing of some sweet old granny, it is so much bigger than that. It isn’t about taking away our fun. I am sure plenty of people will find other ways to enjoy themselves. For me it will be a dog walk and a trip to Tescos. But as Durham says, at 3pm this afternoon I will be filling up a shopping trolley instead of trying to get a dodgy stream to watch the footie and will be aware of why that is. This is a massive event for this country and of great interest around the world. There are things bigger than sport or having fun for 90 minutes and if the lack of EPL football on screens around the world help people remember that then postponed matches is a small price to pay. As said, for those desperate for a fun diversion there are still plenty of other things you can do, but if you whinge and moan about the lack of football this afternoon instead of doing something else just as “fun” then that is your choice.

We don’t agree on much but I agree with the comments at the end of your post. This is a huge moment in history whether a monarchist or Republican and a football match pales into insignificance beside it. There is nothing stopping fans showing their appreciation of the Queen at the next match so how is it a missed opportunity? People are entitled to show their respect in whatever way they like. If the people running football want to show respect by postponing matches that is their right. If other sports wants to go ahead that is their right too. Time to put our big boy pants on and find something else to do on a Saturday afternoon rather than whinge about a major historical event getting in the way of a bunch of blokes kicking a bag of wind about.

I thought he and the BBC did their jobs well. The BBC have always handled these types of occasions with consummate professionalism and it can’t be easy, but they strike the right tone, especially the anchors. Huw Edwards looked on the verge of tears on occasion but held it together. News stories don’t come much bigger than the death of a reigning monarch in this country and I thought that Witchell chose his words well with the right level of reverence and respect. To sum up the life and achievements of someone who has been in the public eye worldwide for so long and who has affected so many also who don’t believe in the institution that she represented whist it is still in effect breaking news without sounding crass and sycophantic is no mean feat. Obviously all of the news channels had prepared for this eventuality, but you still have to deliver and the BBC did yesterday. The problem they face as happened with Phillip, the Queen Mother and Diana is how much is too much? Where do you draw the line? We have 10 days more of this and then the focus will switch to Charles, the coronation and the road ahead with a new monarch. A new King. A new PM. Potentially a winter of discontent like no other. We are heading towards some very choppy waters and if you thought the news channels have been hard going for a while probably best that you don’t cancel your Netflix sub just yet.

Taking some time to mourn someone who has given her life to serve others a problem for you? I’m sure you will find time to enjoy yourself doing other things whilst millions of others with do the respectful thing and give up a small part of their lives to honour someone so widely respected for the life she led and the example she set to others. It’s a shame it seems to have passed you by.

Not looking good if the family are being called together. For once I agree with Batman, it is sad news. Whilst not a Royalist she has done an amazing job despite the many problems she has had to deal with, not least within her own family. She has been a constant in a rapidly changing world. It won’t be the same without her.

I don’t blame him for speaking out and making a valid point. It must be hugely frustrating when you are trying to build something to see people jump ship like this. Look at senior players too. Ings might be earning a bit more money but he is only a bench warmer now at mid table club much the same as us. He had probably had a number of similar conversations with senior and junior players and maybe feels it is the perfect time to use this opportunity to underline the message.

So his brief reign ends as it started, full of waffle and bullshit. Good riddance. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/62806217.amp

It’s hard to imagine the Tories managing to find a worse candidate for PM after Johnson but it looks like they could have managed it. Starmer must be delighted as it has made his job easier but it is a huge concern just how much damage Truss can do to the country before the next election. Buckle up, we are in for more of the same and then some. All that remains to be seen is can she put together an even more inept cabinet than Johnson managed to do.

Call it what you like, I have watched every league game this season, which isn’t difficult with streaming. Strange that you are happy to vote for and support congenital liar but will call out a complete stranger on an Internet forum who has absolutely no reason to lie but still attracts your attention and suspicion for not being a right wing blowhard like yourself.

I have seen every league game we have played this season and it is clear that the new signings are quality. You may disagree but given your track record in supporting losers (Boris Johnson and Batman to name two) your judgement is as dodgy as your strange lack of mental development that has left you still rooted midway through the last century.

So Delldaysy/Batmansy. We brought in 4 new players two days ago and have revamped the squad with more quality but after just one game after the transfer window slammed shut you write the season and the business we have done off. Priceless.

Says the football expert who thought Pelle was crap. We have signed some excellent new players, many of whom who have only turned up this week. Still, you carry on with your doom and gloom, it’s what you have been doing for years Batman. The rest of us will look forward to the players bedding in snd better days to come.

Sounds as if we might have dodged a bullet with Gakpo. It seems he had his heart set in a move to United all summer and didn’t sound that interested in us or Leeds. He looks like a player but we need people here who are prepared to play for the shirt rather than feeling that they have ended up with the bridesmaid rather than the bride.