Polaroid Saint

Bit concerned about the age of this technology. Uninspired by this signing I guess. Sure, Garmin are proven in the navigation field, with several years experience of navigating at the top level, but it's not that exciting is it? I am sure Garmin will get us where we need to be going, but I would preferred the club to show ambition and either go for an even bigger name (would TomTom come here?), or preferably invest in new emerging talent; Google Maps is worth a punt IMO.

Big Spurs fan. 'Ironically'.

Hope Shlong* becomes a Saints legend. Welcome to St.Mary's. *we are doing this, right?

Hello Florin. Welcome to the Saints. You will like it here. Hope you have the season of your life. Err, something about a fence.

Hypo, you are a donkey sometimes! You claimed there was no historical conflict between Sunni and Shi'a until western intervention in Syria. I called you out on tha, sorry for that, but dude let it go and admit you we're wrong! Don't grab hold of me qualifying what my resources were for this historical truth (books, lecturers etc) and try to crowbar in the suggestion I am dismissing the thoughts and feelings of your friends in the Middle East! I have no idea what their situations are (I used to have an Iraqi friend who was a fully paid up ba'ath party member, not sure I would take his view as objective!) My fault here is I am TRYING to look at the situation theoretically and in context in the long term. Not saying I am right, but attempting to look at a much much bigger picture. I am ignoring my instincts to crave peace and look to history for pointers. I agree with Pap that 'democracy' is something of a busted flush and trying to force and enforce it is an idiocy and most often a lie. Problem is I am so far left I meet the right on the way round the back sometimes; not good! But I do believe firmly in the three basic freedoms (Expression, Ownership and Movement) but also understand the world doesn't work like that. Yet.

Yes, my information comes from text books (and university lecturers, and religious works, and news stories, and documentaries and popular culture). Which obviously makes it wrong. I will forget EVERYTHING from history and base my entire working knowledge on the opinions, thoughts and feelings of others. I will also make sure I chose the opinions of people who may be so closely involved they are unable to be subjective! Seriously though, perhaps if you read up on the subject you would be able to get more fully formed opinions from your friends in Iraq? Might be nice for them if you took the time out to find out about their cultural history before speaking to them next? However, I take your counter that my suggestion that will allow ISIS to take hold in Iraq is nonsense. Yes. It is nonsense. It is a horrible and stupid idea in the short term. But long term, forgetting those human beings and people we may know and love are in danger, I can see it is a possible opening for the international community to start rebuilding the middle east around more democratic structures. As you say, we should have left it alone in the first place, and at some point we will have to leave it alone. Perhaps the Iraqis and their neighbours can be less bloody than the Europeans, but somehow I doubt it.

I quite agree that ISIS are a bunch of reactionary religious fanatics that should not have control over others lives and freedoms and rights. It is my postulation that an Islamic State would need to be countered by alternative states, eg a Christian enclave in the Levant, a Sunni state in Iraq, Kurdistan at the very least. These would be - in reaction to the IS - freer and more democratic. I am not suggesting it is the prefered way to bring individual rights and freedoms to the world but it is a (long and bloody) possibility. I am looking at European history really to see how quickly waring factions of thousands of years very quickly coalesced in the 18th and 19th centuries, almost to the point of a European super state just 100 years later (or 400 years after the great protestant/catholic conflicts). My point (although it is much a question to be discussed as any deep held opinion) is this could happen in the middle east and the aggressive construction of an Islamic State is the first step (my opinion is it should have been done years ago, non aggressively). I am not talking about 'by next week' but generations of effort.

I love that you call my entire post nonsense, with its various different points and questions about what 'we' should be thinking, feeling, what 'in theory' would be a solution. Alas you have already proven you know incredibly little about it yourself with your earlier comment about Sunni/Shi'a conflict. What experience of Iraq do I need? I did not live through the English Civil war but I know what effect it had on the people and the politics of the nation and those nations around it. I am talking theory man, theory!

????!!!!! Sunni and Shi'a factions have been a loggerheads for centuries, sir! The Persian and Mongol Empires treatment of non believers. The Iraq/Iran war. The entire basis of Saddam's program of terror. The split between 'free Iraq' since the war. Syria's decades long internal conflict. All of these have their 'roots' (and certainly their rhetoric) in Sunni/Shi'a split going back centuries.

Yes, 'we' - by which I mean the governments or vested interests of the West, support and promote and prop up and create dictators everywhere it suits us. As you say, it is a lot easier to deal with one tyrant than it is an elected leadership of a genuine democracy (see US and South American relations of the last 15years!). Its old school imperialism by a different name. You are absolutely right that our media is very selective too; but there are certain cultural bogey men that do not tend to change that often (Eg the Russians) whereas others are fine for some reason (Shakey Sheiks). BUT, 'we' - by which I mean you and I and others (leftish? Independent? Alternative? Dunno how you want to describe yourself?) who do NOT support the traditional puppet/tyrant model need to find an alternative - even in theory (forget practicalities for now) - for allowing other currently 'non democratic' countries to find their path to allowing individual freedoms to their citizens. We (the leftists) often talk about Peoples and Countries being allowed to work it out for themselves (as foreign intervention normally has strings attached). Kinda a global version of the Prime Directive. This never used to happen in 'important' places (is where there are resources), but it now, mostly as the west is skint and Oil is not AS important anymore. Problem with this is, just as many people tend to die as when the US starts bombing, so its lose lose in the short term, but in the long term, countries must be self determined. What is happening with the ISIS now is bloody, zealous and uncoordinated violence in many places (one key ISIS leader is a 23 year kid who has known nothing but an insurgent lifestyle, FFS). HOWEVER (and from a purely theoretical standpoint) it is exactly the sort of internal conflict that results in the formation of countries and the (temporary, always temporary) establishing of peace. Should we allow an Islamic State in central Iraq? Yes, as I believe it will led to a fairer, freer middle east in the long long term, including more democratic ruling systems across the Arab states.

I know you don't want this either though Pap; 'our' governments supporting dictators! THAT is not the model we wish to protect or promote surely? Weirdly, ISIS have, by bloodily creating their Islamic State, set in motion a potentially beneficial redrawing of the map in Middle East. Give it a "few years", and an independent Islamic state will be recognised internationally, as will a Sunni state (probably southern Iraq), Kurdistan, a more 'democratic' coalition of Saudi states, a free Palestine and a separate Christian enclave in the Levant... ...a 'few years' might be 10 or 100 but this will happen, it must, it needs to. Only the gods know how much blood will be shed to get there or how 'free' the states will be after, but these rebels are actually doing something the west should have thought about (more seriously) decades ago.

Yes he is. In the same way you are entitled to your opinion and to express your view, so he is allowed his opinion of your opinion and to express that too! He IS judging you, we all are, (we can't help it as it's what humans do). But we can stop hiding behind 'but it's my opinion, so there' or 'well it is what I think, whatever' etc. It is childish. If someone determines that you should not view Jack Corks potential departure as a tragedy then you don't have to listen, but they ARE allowed to determine that (they CAN make that arbitration). Personally I agree that it would be a tragedy, but can everyone please stop getting so stroppy about protecting 'their own opinion' is if it is somehow sacred!? Cheers.

Never mind signing, has he had a medical yet?

I played against Shane Long once. He, to put it politely, tore me a new one.

Quality player too. I was surprised to see Burnley had offered 3m for Dawson. If we double that he would still represent good value. Dembele would be a partial sweetener, I think, if any deal saw Morgan head the other way. (Not looking forward to that Bitter Pill at all).

There's this guy that works down my local chip shop who swears he IS Gardos.

I am shocked to read that about Christy Mack too.

Aha! Do this! ^ This is why I like using the Tapatalk app as photos go directly to the TSW servers and not 'owned' elsewhere. Mind you, now I realise it is forty photos of the Dell, I am not AS keen as when I thought it might be more totty...

Ah okay, 40 pics. Might be a bit laborious to upload them one by one on a phone using the TSW app (Tapatalk) so you are best to get an account with any of the good sites (eg tinypic or picassa or flickr etc) and upload the entire album. Depending on which service you use you will have to mark the album as shared or public (terminology will vary) and then you can post links or embed on these forums.

On a phone? Use the forum App - Tapatalk. It is then easy to post photos, one at a time, directly to the site servers. Or even to link to a photo album online. What device do you have and do you use Tapatalk ?

The first 25 seconds of this gives a clear guideline on what should be expected of a well paid player...

Yes!

Didn't think I was defending Fonte overtly; merely disagreeing that Saints will miss 'Lovern's leadership skills' this season. We WILL miss his natural ability as a footballer and cracking skills as a centreback, but I stand by my opinion that Lovern was NOT the key 'lead' centre back in Saints team last season. And for now, perhaps unwisely, I am going to trust my own judgement over the PR puffery and media nosebagging you have kindly linked to, sorry!

Lovren is a quality defender, but I also disagree with this opinion about his leadership skills. Lovren is unarguably a superb footballer and a beast of a defender, he is however, IMO, still lacking in the leadership area. From watching the two main CBs play together I got the distinct impression Fonte was the lead, and I felt we lacked composure without him. Dare I say it, Jos and Maya actually worked more effectively together than either paired with Lovren! Last season at least, Lovren needed a steady CB partner in order to play at his best and when he didn't get that (without Fonte) we lacked a solid shape at the back.

Or, as I like to put it; "Quot homines tot sententiae; suo’ quoique mos!"