rocket_scientist

I wasn't intending a Leighton v. Goram debate. The 1-1 draw at Pittodrie (when Gatuso came on for the 2nd half) was all the proof we needed that both were huge talents. Snelders was never in the same league however. A great keeper for sure. Just never in the same ballpark.

Laudrup, Larsson & Gascoigne are the first three names in the team. I think that's an awesome 10*. It's fantasy stuff obviously because when we cross decades and eras, the game changed. Today at the elite level - the SPFL is not "elite" level football despite it being the best we have in this country - footballers are faster and fitter so the likes of JJ and DMcG might not have been as effective but given their stand-out careers, probably have been the most dominantly-superior in those positions. Very clever inclusion of L, M & McL. They were one unit and connected almost telepathically. Goram - who spellchecker insists on calling Gotham, presumably the joker because of his personality - might feel hard done by but Leighton deserves his place because of the brilliant effectiveness of the unit. * McCoist in there is unfathomable. It's too silly to waste words on.

The reason I said "particularly in England" was that if the ST demographic has changed then the less affluent will be lesser represented. Historically, footballers were generally from the lower half of the socio-economic scale. Exactly 50% of the population is in the "lower half" of course but an examination of the "classes" (when there were such things) from where footballers came from was vast majority "working", some "middle" and very few if any "upper". Let's not get into pedantic counters about the working class being more than 50% of the population at one time, before gradual, and then dramatic increases in the middle class aspiring wannabe proportion. Let's stick to the line of argument and see the picture without having to spell it all out. On an aside, interesting that Jock Stein hated the dentist Lisbon Lion, the only one who wasn't "real working class", the only one who he couldn't bully, the only one who wasn't intimidated by him, the one who was more intelligent than him. It was said that Stein "never trusted him" but the truth was that Stein knew his own limitations and didn't want to get found out. Parallels in certain respects can be drawn from his protege and mentee, Sir Alex Ferguson. There are many other contributory reasons why football is suffering, all of which should have been tracked, monitored and known about over the decades by the administrators but in Ernie Walker, Jim Farrell etc. and the current balloons, you're never going to get anything but self-interest and gravy-training. Innovative thinking and even seeing what's going on are functions well beyond them. I don't think that Scottish Football price admissions are generally prohibitive. I do think that they are in England. There will be a bigger socio-economic divide in the EPL stadia tan in this country at the expense of the less affluent. We're facing difficult times simply because the grass roots has been neglected. That programme I saw the other day about the football club that opened 30 years ago and has bred Woodgate, Downing and many other inc. current Middlesboro players was heart-warming. That was a private initiative, fuck all to do with the FA or owt. The biggest problem is that the clubs, indeed the whole game isn't thinking long term and part of that will undoubtedly be related to what it costs to be a fan.

For me it's all about the critical mass. Football used to be accessible by everyone. Now, particularly in Engerlund, you need to be earning good dough to be able to afford a season ticket. If we make it so that the game is only accessed by a certain demographic, we cut deeply and adversely into the grass roots potential. Sure the fat thick cunt could save money by quitting fags and stop buying tabloids and go easy on the takeaway junk food and cutting back on his horrendous alcohol intake to be able to afford to get him and his sons a ST, but that's just who he is. Agree that their target market is money. My point is that in doing so - and particularly when the football administrators are absolutely inept quango types* - they alienate the total potential market and total potential players to come through. * A boss of mine once gave me a directive before advertising for a management position. "If he's ever worked in the public sector, or has a wife or parents that works in the public sector, or even if he's just walked past a public sector building, don't interview the cunt".

Rather than get into social anthropology, surely you get his point? It's become elitist where you need dough to be a every-game fan. Not everybody can afford this. This is bad for the game.

Agree. I went to the Emirates once - we got tickets 5 minutes before kick off from a couple of guys outside the ground - and in the "Platinum Club", there were all these guys in ties and pink shirts etc. Having been to the old Highbury, it had a great feel about it, pints could be bought at the back of the North Stand, proper football men but these Emirates cunts paying £6.5k for their season tickets (free booze at HT - I managed 3 pints for the record) knew FUCK ALL about the game.

Competition for places? Injury cover? We have none of this.

McInnes obviously thinks this squad is good enough to meet the club's ambitions and targets. Well I've no fucking idea what the club's goals are but this squad isn't nearly good enough to meet mine. Pathetic transfer window. Incompetent management by the club.

Christ, pedantry. You knew what I meant. Everybody knows he came back after that.

Brilliant again, telling you and I what we already knew. It's amazing to me that the thick sheeple can't see through the media lies. The demonisation of Corbyn is precisely because he is not corrupt and doesn't want the world war that the USA needs and Hitlery Clinton will pursue, if elected. And yet the vast majority can't see it? Do they want us - NATO - to pursue the US world hegemony project? Don't they watch the Putin interviews? Why do they swallow what Sky and BBC tell them? I watch Sky and BBC only to see what they're feeding the fucking idiots I share the pub with, the streets with and who drive on the same roads as me. I'm amazed Rupert allows us access to RT - Russia Today - and Al Jazeera but I bet the red top readers never tune in.

But as those of us who were watching saw, he was never the same player again after that. Only people who were watching and understand fitba would know this.

"That's a Bingo", he says, with a little startled sudden jerk of enthusiasm in his chair. It's pathetic reporting by the BBC, suggesting footballers have got it worse.

I don't see anything in that article to criticise Durrant. He was one of Scotland's great talents coming in to his prime until Simmie ended his career with that horrific challenge. It was a loss for Scotland, not just the huns. People fail to discuss the role of Neale Cooper in the premature termination of Durrant.

Given the probable ineffectiveness of the system, I'm not sure they would be able to offer a diagnosis in 10 minutes. But thanks for the counselling since you're unable or unwilling to make a contribution. Provocation is a good strategy for cutting to the chase. I was hoping to get past the politically-correct classes.

The news tonight - Reporting Scotland - says 64% of pro footballers have suffered or know of suffering. Dean Windass and Neil Lennon were provided as high-profile case examples. Well boo fucking hoo. Play fitba for a living, get paid a lot and can't handle life? Fuck off you absolute cretins. Who gives a fuck that Deano tried to kill himself? He was so shite at that, he failed, twice. Like nae other cunt has tried to top themselves? You think you got problems, footballers? Fucking pathetic reporting angle.

In a game where the team spirit to win the game didn't turn up, it's harsh to single out him. He at least created the opportunity which led to our goal. Even if his slow turn embarrassed the defence. That's just it. Celtic are shit. We are shitter.

Like I said, we will need to disagree. His record isn't good enough to attract interest from clubs with bigger budgets. As others have said, there's clearly something very wrong at AFC. The apologist or the fool might expect it to turn round by itself whilst ignoring the root causes. An ambitious man, one who burns to win - desire being what separates the best from the rest - wouldn't be happy with his own team's performances and would strive to win more. A competent manager would not have glaring imbalances in his squad. I fear he's like every other manager recruited by the chairman. Just not very good at his job. But in a background where Allardyce is considered international class and Wenger still hasn't been dispensed with, it's not a given that even the employers have any idea what it takes to win although in Sam's case, I have an awful feeling that he might do well enough to win something. There are too many excellent talents in England right now.

We will agree to disagree. He's done an ok job and I'm not a fan because... I totally agree. I think he's run out of the early promise that we thought which is why I disagree that HE will move on... because I don't see anyone bigger coming in for him when he's clearly making big mistakes at us.

Orange is very near the Saatchi Gallery so we will definitely go there. Thanks for the rec. Looks very good.

Thanks for recs. Will check them out online. London's so easy to get around it doesn't really matter where they are. We're going to the Brixton Academy for the Caravan Palace gig, will no doubt see what's on at the Tate Modern and RA so will be Oyster carding all over the shop. Will probably dine at the hotel a few times, given the great varied choices. There for 4 days and 3 nights so that gives us plenty opportunities to explore gastronomic excellence. Did you ever get to La Famiglia which I recommended last year? It was tremendous and half the price of Bob Bob Ricard, which was very disappointing. And do you know the Punchbowl in Mayfair?

Sigmar Gabriel has announced that TTIP has failed. A rare piece of great news and sanity in a mad world getting madder. Conspicuously absent from BBC's "news"! And unsurprisingly ignored by Rupert's Sky.

Well that's an argument of sorts I suppose. Maybe it would be nice if you could give your opinion some justification? When you're so quick to attack another view, it implies that you have a view of your own? What did I say that was so wrong? I pray to God/Buddha/Allah - whoever the fuck - I'm wrong. What are you seeing that convinces you I'm wrong?

Relax dude. It's a fitba forum. Who gives a fuck about "you" or "me", virtual or otherwise. Would like to hear where your optimism stems from however. What have you been seeing in our first 8 or 9 games this season that means it's NOT going to be a long hard slog of a miserable year? On or off the pitch?

The squad imbalance is one thing, a pretty huge flaw of itself. It's the abject performances this season, the total opposite of our start last year that is the bigger concern. And tactically, that was utterly incompetent yesterday and he did nothing to fix it as it unfolded.

Like the fact it's independent. Like the fact it's fairly new. But I wonder if they're trying too hard with their menus? I'm always suspicious of innovation just for the sake of it. Not saying they are but too often chefs will try too hard to stand out from the crowd by their ingredients-deployment rather than preparation-quality. I thought it might have been pronounced "true scot" at first glance but I reckon it's "truss".