aintforever

This. We are toast this season but Cooper is decent manager at Championship level.

That’s hardly the norm, he got the job because he is a name and Burnley walked the league the season before. Martin is just dogmatic, that doesn’t mean he is not trying his best to get results, he just has a fucked up idea of how to achieve it.

You are deluded if you think losing helps any manager’s job prospects. No Premier League side will go anywhere near Martin after this season’s shit show.

The ISW seem to think there is signs Putin is worried about the state of the economy: https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-november-14-2024 “The Russian DIB is unlikely to match the production rate necessary to replace Russian weapons losses under these monetary policies. Foreign Policy (FP), citing OSINT analysts, reported that Russia has been losing around 320 tank and artillery cannon barrels per month but can only produce 20 per month.[10] FP reported that Russia will likely run out of cannon barrels in 2025 due to battlefield losses, dwindling Soviet stocks, and sanctions impacts. FP also cited OSINT estimates that Russian forces have lost at least 4,955 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) since February 2022 — about 155 IFVs per month. FP reported that Russia can only produce about 17 IFVs monthly or 200 annually. FP assessed that the Central Bank's policy of raising interest rates has made it difficult for nondefense companies to raise capital through loans, which is shrinking the civilian economy and may lead to significant post-war recession as returning Russian veterans will have a harder time finding employment.” They obviously won’t run out of weapons or manpower but for a county with a GDP less than Italy there has got to be a point where what they are doing becomes unsustainable, or at least unpalatable to enough people willing to throw Putin out of a window. The big question I guess is how long Ukraine can keep up what they are doing (think manpower is their biggest issue at the moment) and how willing the West is to keep funding it.

It would probably be a sign on how their economy is doing tho. This is what some guy (who appears to know a bit about Russia’s economy(I know)) posted on Reddit a while ago when asked about the economy, and it ties in with other things I have read. “No one knows because Russia hasn't been reporting real numbers for a while now. What's clear is that some segments are ruined (like the Gazprom which is near bankrupcy - China f-ed them over with not willing to invest into trans-siberian pipeline and they don't have LPG infrastructure so gas trade is mostly gone) and government is wasting gold and foreign currency reserves and most income from oil into war effort. We'll see how much longer can it last - they're still pumping oil and that's a lifeline. They're also exporting grain, coal, etc. Sanctions on enriched Uranium are still few years away but things like that are being tightened. Air transport & travel is slowly going to shit and indirect effects of lack of infrastructure investment are starting to show. Their weapons exports are gone and customers are turning to the west - France pushed them off the 2nd spot year ago and by now they might not be in top 5 or even 10 anymore. Long term I think situation is even more dire - the opportunity loss will be huge as, unlike China, they don't really have any high tech industry and aren't investing into it. They'll increasingly depend on oil and resource exports and that can easily slip into not being profitable for various reasons (i.e. see Venezuela, but also hopefully oil becomes less costly as world slowly switches to EVs). I think nuclear deterrent will be a weight around their necks as it requires maintenance and upgrades to subs and ICBMs and airforce, and that ain't getting any cheaper. And then there's demographics - fertility rate is 1.5 which is worse than most of the west, but unlike the west, Russia won't be able to make it up with immigration as it's becoming a bigger shithole than it's poorer neighbours. So... Short term - who knows, watch the ruble. Long term - they're pretty much f-ed if they swiftly don't get out of Ukraine.”

Yeah he would go, forgot about him. Hilarious.

I disagree, I think we may be better placed this time. We have a large squad and probably only Ramsdale, Dibly, THB and Fernandes would be wanted by a Prem club. The club have shown they have the resources to invest, there is no reason why, with the right manager, we can’t bounce straight back up.

How can you possibly say that when you don’t have a clue who will be managing us or what the squad will look like. We have a squad packed with decent championship players, we will be well placed to bounce straight back.

Think we are already in ‘planning for next season’s promotion’ stage now, don’t have a hope in hell of staying up regardless of manager.

Of course it’s relevant. Wars need to be paid for and surely there is a limit to the price Russia is willing to pay for some land in Ukraine. From what I’ve read many in the West think what Russia is doing is not sustainable in the medium-long term, that’s probably why weapons have been drip fed through.

…except promotion at the first attempt.

Yes, but not getting involved in an ongoing war is one thing, NATO is a defensive organisation so that makes sense. Not letting a country, which is not at war, join NATO because they are scared it might upset Russia is a different thing altogether.

Not sure how that would work. If NATO caves in to Putin's demands now they are basically saying they are scared of getting involved - which other countries would help defend Ukraine? The only way any agreement could work is if Ukraine get NATO membership or if NATO troops are based in the country. Anything else just means a year or so down the line Russia will just invade again.

Which can only really mean membership of NATO or NATO forces based in Ukraine.

Think cheese is one of the industries that are right to be pissed off. https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/brexit-forced-fall-love-british-cheese-again-2580043?srsltid=AfmBOorWgh9Y-gAHEx3MqlifxCoNp61F7HeIWVGTppIwagx_iIfBC9lt “The Cheshire Cheese Company, which produces Cheshire and Cheddar, has long had a significant European market. Prior to Brexit, its average e-commerce order from Europe was around £35 for 1.5kg of cheese, including delivery. Founder and managing director Simon Spurrell says Brexit added an extra £180 in export costs for each order, no matter the size. During the summer of 2021, an average wholesale shipment of 2.5 tonnes rose from £400 to £1,200. “Our existing trade customers over there said ‘you’re too expensive’,” says Spurrell. They forecast a loss of £250,000.”

Which lawyers have stopped taking on cases then? Genuine question.

The worst thing about the way we play is that it doesn’t even change when we are 1 or 2 up. A style that is risky at 0-0 is just suicidal when the opponent is chasing the game. I said to a mate before the Everton game, the only way we will win is if we go ahead really late on and that proved to be the case, even then we needed a huge slice of luck to see the game out. I get the passing out the back to suck the opposition in thing but without mixing it up a bit it loses all effect. When we are leading the opposition commit more and more forward and our players naturally get more and more defensive so it just leads to passes to nowhere and invites pressure and mistakes. The frustrating thing is we do play some good football in patches but are undone by our own dogmatic approach.

This from Reddit gives a pretty grim outlook of the current situation (who knows how accurate it is): Our esteemed friend Michael Koffman recently returned from Ukraine and was invited in another War on the Rocks podcast. A lot of what he discussed actually really surprised me, but I warn you from now, his analysis is almost always on the negative side. The main points were: Neither Russia nor Ukraine are able to sustain the war in the long term. It's a matter of when, and not if, negotiations begins. Trumps precidency only shortens the time-frame. The battlefield situation has significantly deteriorated for Ukraine. Back in the summer, it seemed that the worst was over, Ukraine could hold back the Russian offensive, exhaust the Russian army and begin reconsituting by the winter. Instead, the Ukrainians are pretty much in the same situation as in the summer; outstretched and exhausted. There is a non-insignificant chance of a genuine local collapse of Ukrainian defensive lines. Ukraine's situation has largely to do with political decisions in Kyiv. The mobilization wasn't as successful as predicted, most recruits went into support roles instead of infantry, and the rest went into new brigades instead of reinforcing existing ones. The Kursk salient is doomed to fail. The logistics situation for Ukraine is already tense, and the arrival of new Russian reinforcements and NK troops means that inevitably, it will be reclaimed by Russia. North Korean troops showcase Russias strength in mobilizing its allies for help; the inaction of the west showcases the opposite for Ukraine. Trumps precidency isn't seen as catastrophic in Ukraine. In their view, Trump is a gamble where there is a chance the situation improves, while if the Democrats had won, Ukraine would just slowly bleed to death due to restrictions and spoon-fed aid. Ukraine has managed to significantly outscale Russia in both quality and quantity of drones. Ukraine has also bridged the gap in artillery usage, reaching parity in sections such as Pokrovsk and Toretsk. Their territorial loses there are attributed to a clear lack of manpower. There is no world in which bombing Russia with drones will bring Putin to the table. For as long as Ukraine loses ground, Russia has no reason to stop its war. The Russian economy may be heaving, but Russia can sustain the pain for now.

Agree that membership soon is unlikely but without any sort of guarantee from NATO all stopping the war now would do is give Russia time to prepare for their next invasion. Putin will know that NATO are scared to fight so will basically be given a green light to carry on as he wants.

From what I’ve been reading there is plenty of support in Ukraine for just ending the war even if it means conceding territory to Russia. There is a feeling that the west is just drip feeding enough arms through to keep Russia at bay without giving them what’s needed to win it (if that’s possible?). Just hope Ukraine end up with, if not full membership, some sort of security guarantee from NATO going forward. If Trump just caves in to Putin and basically hands him a victory it’s not going to be great for Europe.

Maybe, but that doesn’t mean that’s why Levine was given the job.

Is it? She seems qualified enough to me. Admiral Rachel L. Levine serves as the 17th Assistant Secretary for Health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), after being nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2021. As Assistant Secretary for Health, ADM Rachel Levine fights every day to improve the health and well-being of all Americans. She's working to help our nation overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and build a stronger foundation for a healthier future - one in which every American can attain their full health potential. ADM Levine also is the head of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, one of the eight uniformed services. After graduating from Harvard College and Tulane University School of Medicine, ADM Levine completed her training in Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City. As a physician, she focused on the intersection between mental and physical health, treating children, adolescents, and young adults. ADM Levine was a Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at the Penn State College of Medicine. Her previous posts included: Vice-Chair for Clinical Affairs for the Department of Pediatrics, and Chief of the Division of Adolescent Medicine and Eating Disorders at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. In 2015, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf nominated ADM Levine to be Pennsylvania's Physician General and she was subsequently unanimously confirmed by Pennsylvania's state Senate. In March of 2018, ADM Levine was named Pennsylvania's Secretary of Health. During her time in state government, ADM Levine worked to address Pennsylvania's opioid crisis, focus attention on maternal health and improve immunization rates among children. Her decision to issue a standing order for the anti-overdose drug, Naloxone, saved thousands of lives by allowing law enforcement to carry the drug and Pennsylvanians to purchase it without a prescription from their doctor. ADM Levine is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, and the Academy for Eating Disorders. She was also the President of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. In addition to her recent posts in medicine and government, ADM Levine is an accomplished speaker and author of numerous publications on the opioid crisis, adolescent medicine, eating disorders, and LGBT medicine.

What is her history that makes her so unsuitable then?

How is Rachel Levine not qualified to be Assistant Secretary for Health? From Wiki: Levine is a professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at the Penn State College of Medicine, and previously served as the Pennsylvania physician general from 2015 to 2017 and as secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health from 2017 to 2021. Seems quite appropriate to me.

Looks like plenty of safeguards there, I would vote for it. There’s obviously risks involved but think the amount of suffering it would stop makes it worthwhile.