saint1977

It’s embarrassing way to run any organisation let alone a globally known football club. After a shitshow of a summer and our own fans unsafe in SMS - what other PL club would allow let alone encourage and enable that to happen - selling up might be best as I think SFC is too big a club for them. If they want to stay and meet our expectations, try making SMS into a better and safer environment again with a team worth cheering and away fans where they should be in the away end. They also need to think about how start rebuilding trust and connections with the supporters - they are on a par with Rupert Lowe circa 2008/9 at present. Anything less than Ralph, Semmens, Steele and the Head of Security sacked/gardening leave tomorrow as a minimum is unacceptable to the supporters. We have to be a lot more demanding from now on to set the standards expected of anyone employed by our club. The club has gone into one of its insular phases and needs pulling out. Dragan and Rasmus flying over to meet with the fans and the new first team management and board in January would help as well so we can finally get some sense of the longer-term direction and assess if it’s for us or not. Do the due diligence Semmens didn’t do. Radio 5Live had a segment on it at HT in Spurs v Liverpool and Savage was calling the club out basically saying the rumours about whether to sack him or not before the WC were ‘nonsensical’ - do it or not but show some respect. Not often I agree with Robbie Savage.

You’re right and that action is Toby Steele, the new head of security from Millwall, Martin Semmens along with the first team manager all being dismissed and the announcement at 12pm tomorrow. Trouble has been brewing all season with the ease of buying tickets for visiting supporters and the hostile environment from those running SFC towards its own supporters. This is every bit as bad as the worst of the Lowe era for me today. Club has no leadership, drive or direction top to bottom, no relationship with its own fanbase. SR - pull your fingers out, you’ve bought SFC so sort it out, cut the rubbish out of the boardroom, Senior Ops posts and first team environment. This is supposed to be head of your club group so give SFC supporters something to cheer and at the very least safe in their own stadium. Or you can look forward to a 7000 gate for the Rotherham home game next season which is what you are heading for. Stop pissinh about with Turkish second clubs and get the EPL one you have, the one in the English top flight for all bar 7 years since 1978, back into that division with a Liebherr style budget next season and win the Championship title.

This aged well after todays article. My suggestion to some of our fanbase is to deploy greater critical thinking when Martin Semmens, Ralph or one of the other slackers running the club have a pop at the fans or says we are Cheltenham/Exeter/Burton sized and so lucky to have ever been in the PL. Demand better, our background warrants it. Don’t be puppets to people with no drive or standards in senior positions being paid a fortune. Good article from Nathan, confirms what many of us thought for a while and you can see it in the rot in JWP’s game and others. There a few Lighthouses on here who are sticking to their guns and denying the light but this article makes it undeniable. Only way forward for the club is a new first team manager, CEO, Head of Ops and others by the end of the WC. Regime and board rotten, wholesale rip out and freshen up required.

What Badger said and yes, please do go back to the USA, preferably a rabidly Republican state like Florida where your extremist views will fit in well. I’ll even drive you to the airport if you don’t have a licence any longer. I can only assume that you don’t watch mainstream news and only watch misinformation on You Tube/Fox as the Truss budget debacle and the 6 January hearings with an array of Neo Nazis going to jail for their part in the coup attempt. I also doubt if Trump allowing his boss Vladimir to invade the former Iron Curtain countries again, further hobbling the world economy and creating the worst risk of nuclear war for 40 years is ‘saving the West’. The people of Ukraine will be under a vile despot (two effectively with Trump). You’d have supported Hitler in the 1930s wouldn’t you? I’ll leave it there as the nurse needs to change your bedpan.

Great times. Didn’t it kick off after we beat Spurs 3-1 at WHL with the skates in Covent Garden who also had a game in the smoke? As for Oldham, Joe Royle built a good side but Roger Milford helped them that night. No chance in the replay as we weren’t good on the away games on plastic pitches in those days. Only seemed to be QPR that we could get a result, took 7-0 and 6-1 beatings on Luton’s.

There was a middle aged bloke on the Milton chucking pound coins at Steve Foster every time Luton defended a corner at that end. Not sure he hit him, quite a few did hit the bar and fell in the six yard area. Seemed to be throwing a fortune as a kid!

Was probably those Pompey lads sitting on the pallets of that flatbed truck in the car park at Oxford in the play off semi.

Temporary traffic lights left up for weeks on end with no hint of a utility worker onsite, causing long tailbacks for no apparent benefit.

Wasn’t necessarily blaming him per se, as we know transfers are a complex transaction these days. What I do know is that I would not have let myself be put under scrutiny on Sky, MOTD by being left with Che Adams as my main and only source of goals, decent second striker though he is. If that meant pushing Semmens or Rasmus under the bus so be it for the wider good of the squad I managed and the club. Striker was the top department to get right, if they were only going for 3 or 4 targets it wasn’t enough. Needed to be a list of 15-20 of varying levels of ambition. We know from Gapko the budget was there too. To not secure any - Mara was at best an impact option this term and even Forest or Bournemouth would loan him straight out - was criminal.

I wouldn’t sack her but if I was Starmer I’d remind her if the key areas of focus an attack which the majority of voters (of all faiths, creeds, and none) care about such as the cost of mortgages caused by Truss, run down services and transport (look at the state of the trains) and GP access. They’ve just reappointed Leaky Sue as well. Going down the culture war hole rabbit role, unless that’s your front bench brief, won’t contribute significantly to winning power.

Which is why RH should have kicked up in the summer and said ‘if we don’t sign a frontline striker before the end the win down there is a significant risk of being relegated’. That would turned the screw on SR and in turn on Semmens. Astonishing at the end of the window that the club didn’t seem bothered about leaving AA (2 goals last season), Che (decent super striker) and Mara (very few senior games) as the forward options. How on earth can you forget to buy a first choice striker? If your first choices don’t come off, beat Everton to Maupay or get a couple of loans in as we did with Broja. Too passive by far and I was a non-football member of SFC staff I’d be looking for another job pronto before May. What was the level of cuts in 2005 - 50%? The club did not need an academy LB and RW from City, and it didn’t need to sell the only other DMC. Added to the striker debacle it’s staggering ineptitude. Apparently it’s the fans fault for being arrogant, not singing enough happy corporate songs and responding to away fans in home areas against the clubs own ground regulations. The board will have lots of time to reflect on their actions next season when the Rotherham home game only gets 14000 and the break even is 23k per match, because they and Blackmore have alienated the core fanbase so much that we don’t want anything to do with them. SR need to get a grip, stop playing with second division clubs in Turkey and take an interest in the supposed club at the head of their network which will be also a second tier club with COVID loans around its neck. Find themselves a Kompany figure, acknowledge the summer was a disaster and build some momentum with the fans. I think Semmens and Blackmore lose 500 fans each time they start the small club, lucky to to be in the PL rubbish. Lads, if you want to club together after you’ve been sacked, you can buy Sholing. They ARE a small club.

Didn’t know the Wymans were from Portsmouth

Can’t see us joining the full EU again politically and the deal would be a lot less favourable than we had. Rejoining the Single Market however is an obvious economic boost, helps reduce carbon emissions and most of the leave campaign were even saying we didn’t need to leave the SM, even Banks and Farage. We can’t run the NHS, our hospitality industry, build the houses needed without flows of migrant workers, most of which we know don’t stay but some will eg nurses and have strong public support to do so. The stupid net migration target crap needs forever binning, we have an ageing population FFS.

With Tella, it’s a good problem to have either way. He’s dropped a level, applied himself under a good manager and increased both his prospects at SFC and his value. Look at Stephens and Bednarek by contrast who have hardly played. Jack is PL back up so might get games if AFCB get CB injuries but Jan looks like he is well out of favour already at Villa. Must have a good WC for Poland to get a move to an overseas league as finished as a starter at PL level.

Rishi has put one in his own net already with the re-appointment of Braverman as Home Sec. Jake Berry revealed to a clearly stunned Piers Morgan that she made multiple major security breaches and that Simon Case took them to her to challenge her on them (and they must have been serious if he had to take them to Truss/or Suella tried to bluster her way out of them). That means she’s clearly lied about owning up to them in her resignation statement and Berry was clear that Simon Case was of the view that she was too risky to reappoint at this stage. So if he’s correct then Rishi ignored the advice and also potentially misled the House. Wow. All the major media outlets have the story plus the opposition. Hopefully that’s the probably most toxic UK government minister in history (long term allegations about her CV and the truth as well) gone for good and any grubby little deals to stop Boris running with the ERG exposed. Edit - Times and Mail now leading with it and she basically is being performance managed by MI5 on basic information security that we all do in our daily work with GDPR, and she is handling issues of national security and OBR data which puts us all at risk. Which have been going all over the show leading to the commonly known Whitehall nickname of Leaky Sue (trending as a hashtag). Didn’t appear at the HoC yesterday and we know what that means (hopefully).

As you live in Singapore, you aren’t affected by NHS clinical and allied vacancies of over 100k, don’t have to heat your house, buy a new build house in the UK (12 months wait after exchange and deposit) or even use a private dentist (not just NHS dentists - the few that exist effected by immigration limits). The hardest possible Brexit has fucked our economy, exports to the EU 19% down, UK economic forecast poor and arbitrary net migration targets by racist, obsessive politicians and tabloid editors makes it all the worse for the economy and public services. As for the speech, when she comes out with something educated, sensible, informed and suitable for an adult I’ll listen, otherwise I’ll assume she’s talking out of her arse to appeal to the Tory far right who despite what the tabloids say will never be their darling. If you are going to comment on the matters of another country other than yours, please do so with a bit of common sense and empathy for the citizens living there because this isn’t fun at the moment. If Hands is right we could end up bailed out by the IMF. I don’t think the Tories can swallow their pride to rejoin the SM and Starmer has ruled it out as well.

They are nearly all wankers but Suella is at the pinnacle of their shittiness. Repeated a load of unsubstantiated crap she’d clearly heard from a drunk Tory MP on the UKIP wing in a lobby about illegal family members joining people coming here to study at top universities at the conference, nearly crashing the FTA with Modi who found it very offensive apparently. That tofu speech as well - I used to hear more coherent and sensible rants in the London Arms in Woolston when it still traded from the skinheads in there. Well, ‘Rishi will be different’ lasted a day then - Dowden, Donelan (same loony culture war stable as Braverman and Badenoch), Raab C Nesbitt. Same old Brexit views which is the only reason 99% of them are there because they are morons one and all.

Charlotte Edwardes (Times) highlighting the rise of openly racist comments attached to Spectator articles since the first leadership contest in the summer. Mail and DT already notorious for it apparently. Seems of the entryists can’t help themselves as UKIP absorbed. Yet another reason why party members voting for leaders and PMs is a bad idea because this is what you attract in - new blood and funding but infected with ugly nationalism. Of course for balance, under Corbyn and Momentum (lack of) Labour had equally terrible problems with anti-semitism which was revolting and a direct result of Ed Miliband’s rule changes, in turn with the unions having shafted his more capable brother in 2010 to get him in post. Expecting more of the same sadly when economic realities kick in later this autumn.

Vieira and Petit weren’t shrinking violets, neither a later stage Adams, Keown etc. Wenger’s title winning teams had that core which could play but equally bite, after the stadium move the spending seemed to focus more on smaller more lightweight players and even the big lumps eg Mertesacker were a bit meh. Lyanco needs to be careful with playing leaning heads away from home - although the Douglas Luiz sending off at Fulham was a joke, correctly rescinded - but otherwise loved the controlled aggression which we’ve not seen at home for years. DCC has added solidity and more aggression too and Perraud was already a little battler. Just need to get Lavia fit so there’s some physical presence screening the back four now. Can’t have a whole team of Papa Bouba Diops but in recent years it’s either been bringing slow, technical players in or big height but lightweight eg Vestergaard or Bednarek.

Doing the cursory Wiki check, I do remember him as a player, genuine ‘10’ and boy could we have done with one of those now! Good record in South America and River Plate legend but no European experience and don’t know if he’s multi-lingual. Didn’t stop Poch having said that. Perhaps he’ll pick it up by the time he replaces Conte at Spurs 😉 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcelo_Gallardo

Using actual politicians cross-party: PM - Ken Clarke CoE - Gordon Brown Foreign Sec - Paddy Ashdown (reincarnated - well, MLG’s games can do it with computer footballers..) Defence - Johnny Mercer DCLG, and Levelling Up (the original) - Michael Heseltine Education - Vince Cable with David Willetts for Universities & Science Home Secretary - Alan Johnson Northern Ireland - Mo Mowlam (reincarnated) Health - Yvette Cooper Environment - Caroline Lucas DWP - Barbara Castle

That’s the template for performances at SMS to get the fans back inside! First 30 minutes Pellegrino bad but improvement slowly and then 60 minutes onwards the dominant side and capped by an excellent goal by Stu made by Ely. Could have been more but draw fair result. Lyanco the catalyst and a must select in the first XI as lifted everyone today. I selected DCC as MOTM becuase he’s settled so quickly since coming in and like Lyanco, adds some bite amongst the sons in law. Ely excellent second half, Diallo better. Salisu having a good few games, very solid. JWP off colour and needs to be careful when Lavia fit again as even his set pieces are off the mark at present. Diallo carrying the ball with Lavia behind could see him on the bench. Perraud - another fighter, we need more of DCC, Lyanco and Perraud. We missed Che’s hold up in the first half. AA waste of a shirt, that 1v1 was dreadful, didn’t have a clue what he needed or wanted to do. Edozie and even a past it Theo contributed more in a few minutes. Aribo a few moments of quality but Stu much more like his old self and engine today, not sure Joe quite fits with the current set-up without finding an extra half yard of acceleration to maximise his technical impact behind the striker/s. Bazanu improving. Marsch must be gone after Leeds lost to Fulham, terrible result for Wolves, Leicester were not going down despite their poor start.

He’s the Sean Dyche option. Not exciting but what’s needed for 2 years before the Tories exit office. Nor is Starmer exciting but we’ve had enough drama over the last few years, I’d happily have a few years where businesses and households can plan for the future without ideological experiments that cost us as the electorate tens of thousands and create dubious influence for think tanks funded by funny money. Tories will still getting a thumping at the next GE but Rishi will mean they have a road back at least, even if it’s a long and winding one. Hague was right that Boris will kill them stone dead and Mordaunt is Truss just better presented and a bit more of a human being there. Whilst I can’t stand Frost, his description of Penny’s performance and lack of attention to detail during the Brexit negotiations added to what Platell and KCC have said is worrying. Already been there with Boris with his lack of focus and failed. On the Kuennsberg show this morning you had IDS talking the usual nonsense about deregulation and productivity (Iain - try actually understanding books and theories, especially about how they work/don’t work in the real world, before spouting them parrot fashion like a sixth former of average intelligence before exams) and Mordaunt talking drivel about Truss’s ideas. IDS also irritatingly kept on about what was best for the party - um, you are in power you stupid prick..it’s about governing for all of the national interest!

There isn’t a ‘surprise face’ emoji but if there was that’s what I would added. How did MS mess up the striker signings? Gapko I think was holding out for MU/Chelsea and Delap hasn’t pulled up trees at Stoke. Definitely needed a couple of strikers though, one of them a main striker to work with Che.

Decent article this https://www.standard.co.uk/business/liz-truss-prime-minister-downing-street-jeremy-hunt-economic-growth-b1034145.html Focus does need to be on boosting productivity to boost growth (long term UK issue) and you don’t do that by salami slicing on infrastructure, energy budget/renewables R&D and the science budget as Hunt may be tempted to do. Tax reform has been needed for a while and cracking down on non Dom status which would bring in £3bn pa. With a 19% trade deficit with the EU, obvious that the single market needs to be rejoined for a further boost to businesses, especially those with export experience or aspirations. That’s why Boris can’t be allowed to return as the one positive of Truss is that she was more sensible about the NI protocol and immigration, which means Braverman also has to be kept out of the cabinet as well as her and Truss apparently fell out massively on this issue. Immigration limits failed under May as well - I don’t care if the Tory right and the bloke down the JDW drinking Ruddles County at 11am who reads the Express every day are angry about it. Economic growth and repairing global reputation are the priority. Socially, migration will also help build new houses quicker - if you’ve tried recently you’ll know it can take up to 12 months in some areas from deposit and exchange to build finish partly because of Ukraine and materials but largely labour shortages because of village idiot ideologies. NHS waiting lists would also come down if we fill some of the 100k plus clinical staffing gaps with winter pressures coming up.