rocket_scientist

Nobody's disputing he was a class tennis player. He got to the fourth best in the world amongst his peers. It's the hysteria and hype surrounding him that's hugely interesting and why he's the recipient of a disproportionate amount of adulation where some learning can be found. Alan Brazil is just a fat fud of a drunk but like Chewin the Fat, there will always be a backlash and a counter view. The man should count his blessings and look forward, not back. I'll always admire his ABE and standing up for Indyref but there is much about him that grates, even though his idolators can't see it.

Tennis is irrelevant. Nae cunt plays it. How many courts are there in Scottish cities? What percentage of us played it to any competitive level? It's also become boring due to equipment advancements. With cat gut and wood, there was more artistry. Serve and volley was an available strategy option before the rackets hit it too hard making the ball go so fast. Nowadays it's just a slog, an endurance examination. To a lesser extent, golf has suffered from modern equipment making the length of some old courses obsolete. At least we have the artistry of Short Game and Putting to counter the slogger driving. Not as minority a sport as tennis of course but becoming less popular because of the lazy sedentariness of current generations, who do way less sport these days. Even Murray had to give up a normal life aged 11 to go abroad to satiate the ambitions that his mummy had for him.

On Friday, this psychologist likened Murray's situation to a bereavement, facing up to the reality that he's lost something that has gone forever. It was an intelligent observation and he spoke about the "intrinsic value" of tennis to his life and how people get defined by their jobs and often consumed by them, failing to appreciate the most important things in life. Bob Mills, the fat fuck of retarded intellect and only on radio cos White tongues his hoop (comedian my arse) couldn't see his points and went on about how he lost one of his parents last year and that he would be prepared to die just for one more day with his dad!

Last week after Murray's press conference, Alan Brazil on talksport was scathing. He said "he's a grown man" in relation to him greeting and "I was getting kicked throughout my career, not facing Slazenger tennis balls". Jim White was apoplectic, thereby revealing himself to be another in the Murray is God line. What is about you Brits? Henman Hill and all that shite and then Murray Mount? You're so desperate for tennis success that you fail to see reality. Does it remind you of the days of the British Empire? Does the success of another give you vicarious cheap thrills? Only the Scots said it like it was. The dog died.

Ah ok. They tell me that Abu Dhabi is much better than Dubai. More laid back I heard.

Exactly my thoughts. I was wondering why anyone chooses to vacation in Dubai? Unless you work there Sim? I've never been to the middle east and can't see me ever going. I know a lot of people do visit there but I can't understand the attraction personally. Sunshine? Check. Nice hotels? Probably. Beaches? Surely poor quality if not manufactured? Human rights abuses? Check. Sample local culture and get to know the natives? No fucking chance.

Agree that Greg Stewart may not want to come back here. 8 goals in 16 appearances at Killie. 22 goals in 71 appearances for Dundee. He did better at these clubs than with us.

Collars on football shirts. Just why? It's not like ties are getting worn. Even worse, top button done up on said collared football shirt. In fact, top buttons done up at any time. On polo shirts, it looks ridiculous. Henleys, stand collars and band collars will be the next Men fashion growth area. You heard it here first.

Selling to Sellic should only be considered for stupid money otherwise as TC says, we be their bitches. Fuck Hendry and Hayes. Not good enough for them and not good enough for us. So what is stupid money? Like McInnes - the great judge of talent (thus Milne giving him an exorbitant income) - I don't think McKenna is worth millions of zillions. McInnes can't rate him very highly as he never played him for years despite seeing him in training every day, presumably, unless he's one of these prima donna coaches who leaves the work to others. It was only in a crisis 15/16 months ago that he was he forced to play him at Fir Park and as the boy done well, continued to play and developed into our biggest financial asset, based purely on potential of course. Specifically, he has too many mistakes in him and he has no silk. He's just a big unit of average technical skill. He will never be good enough to compete with EPL quality so if stupid money is offered, get rid. Then we have even less chance of winning the league unless the chairman allows the manager to reinvest it all in "the football side of the business", which he won't and assuming the manager is good enough to spend it wisely, which he isn't.

He never got past Lowe once in the first half. Max's only mistakes (in the first 45) were misplaced passes, in common with the whole of the Derby team. He singlehandedly created the best chance of the first half for Derby but the striker miscontrolled it. Leeds were so superior overall.

Indeed I did. Am I thinking right that McInnes played Anderson in midfield v. Livi? Or was it Dean Campbell he played there?

Since when have you all decided Bruce Anderson is a midfielder? He started one game v. Livi and you forget he came on as a sub and scored crucial goals displaying a rare hunger and instinct for the goal and you've decided where his future should be? Insane.

Many thanks Jute. Yes I've been to events in the US but wouldn't go back. Once was enough. Not been to soccer though and as they're not at home when I'm over, won't be breaking my duck this year. I will be at Bethpage for the US PGA golf - moved to May from August where it had been for every year of my lifetime - but that's not the same stadia experience that we are talking about.

I hope GMS goes to NYC and I hope they have a home game in the middle of May when I'm there. Never considered bothering with a sporting event when I'm over this time. Fuck baseball and basketball and NFL, shit sports the lot of them but I would definitely pay to see GMS in action, even though I don't rate him very highly (powderpuff) despite, sadly, he being undoubtedly one of AFC's best footballers. Never watched "soccer" in the states. I bet the crowd are interesting for their extreme obesity and their ignorance of the game.

This simply doesn't happen. There had been a couple of (very weak) rumours before that Milne was supposedly funding a transfer personally or paying the wages of a new player etc. but it's total bullshit. For a start, you don't get rich by pissing money away. Nobody gives nothing for nothing and trust me, there is nothing philanthropic about Messrs Cormack and Milne. Even philanthropy gets done in a tax-efficient manner but this idea that a director is personally funding this or that is total shite. The club has enough working capital to fund a new footballer. It's had it's debt cleared by Wm Donald (for what in return, we have yet to learn) and is running in profit. The more interesting angle is the source of these supposed weak rumours? My guess is that some arselicking cunt like Duncan Fraser or one of them who have vested interests in tonguing the hoop of the established order have been encouraged to "say something in passing" when in conversation with one that they know will repeat it, but deliberately NOT to a journalist. There is NEVER any proof or facts behind this sort of shit rumours... but certainly an agenda in place to convince i.e hoodwink the fans into thinking that the board want what we want and that the club is being run in the best interests of AFC plc, which it isn't and hasn't been since Stewrat usurped the hapless baby Donald (Ian),

It's the way you tell em

I recall some of you discussing Callum Hudson-Odoi but can't find on which thread. Is this the guy Bayern have bought and loaned back? Whatever his transfer status, this kid is special. Never seen him before tonight. I see Kane just created his own penalty. Cheating cunt. Sneakily clever but still cheating.

Listening to 6 music. As usual. Lauren has an interesting guest on just now, Dr Hannah Fry, the girl with the unfeasibly coloured hair. She's talking about shrinkflation and how Creme Eggs and Kit Kats etc. have factually been reduced in size as the establishment seeks to make even more money out of us. She's on about fruit flies and spontaneous generation now, a tandem coming out of their discussion about Tate & Lyle's Golden Syrup but the rubric of all this talk is how numbers and mathematics are all around us, in everything. This reminds me of a conversation with my youngest a few days ago. Disregarding modernly-advised parental convention about the need to always encourage and never criticise, she's what I call a numbers nugget. In response to one of my frequent (and often cruelly-framed) attacks, she said "maths is just a concept" and I retorted with "maths is just a construct... of man". Fortunately with her intellect and debating skills being so base and underdeveloped, she was unable to even see the error of my ways, far less express it to humiliate me greater than I humiliate her.

Fixed it for ye

Loving the love for ginger lads Fresh raw ginger a highlight for me in Japanese cuisine.

Different Strokes, different folks. Yatai - totally average Moonfish - never fancied the menu Food Story - Don't know it, thanks for the rec. Yorokobi - outstanding for starters but disappointing mains. We only get takeaway sashimi and roils now Light of Bengal - superb Shri Bheema - that reminds me, it's been highly recommended by others, must try Goulash - never been, dinna fancy it... unless donsdaft says its great Chester - been twice, it's ok at best Musa - never fancied the menu Bistro Verde - had both good and bad in there, won't go back, stuffy service Atlantis - wife been with her mates a few times and rates it, I've not been Da Vinci - Don't know it, thanks for the rec. Cafe 52 - never fancied it and nobody's been shouting to me about it before so never been The Italian on Huntly Street has great chefs but the limited menu and the meh ambience doesn't attract. What we don't have is magic, somewhere consistently really superb where you can go for a special occasion, unlike bigger cities. The Silver Darling was outstanding once upon a time, Carmines is superb but serves a different purpose and the chains are mostly acceptable without being anything other than what they are. For me, some of the best food in the city are all in the New Market, the two Thais and the revamped Hong Kong cafe but again, they're not for special occasions.

Name three? I can't even think of two!

Some posters reckon Liverpool will win the EPL this season. Understandable given their 4 point lead at the top but what about the Klopp factor? Has he really got what it takes to cross the line? Is his core made of steel? Is he made of the right stuff? Or was he a tall specky kid who got lucky? I really like the man. His enthusiasm is infectious. He knows how to smile and have a laugh and there's no doubt that he's assembled a superb unit at Anfield. He's got a great eye for a player and there's no doubt that they are properly motivated under him. But his personal record in the biggest of matches, including the Champions League finals that he's lost is either bad luck on the day or a symptom of his true nature. Even last week, their first defeat of the EPL season was a defining game. Had he won that, 10 points would've been a massive advantage but they would still have had to grind it out with 51 points still up for grabs. Winners are tough. They don't care about being popular and friends with everyone. They're driven to succeed and have desire and determination levels that are almost scary when you're in their presence, so utterly focused as they are. Most of all, they believe that they're the best. I don't know if Klopp believes it. Maybe he's still this gangly awkward kid who's blustered his way into the upper echelons of the game, albeit on the back of some excellent management and some solid results. But like the excellent technical golfer who's often in contention but yet to win a major, there must be a question mark about his ability to cross the bridge and actually deliver on the biggest of stages. Winning the EPL would be a testament to his stamina and mental fortitude, just as winning the biggest trophies requires total belief. It is these specific issues that he's yet to prove. Will be a very interesting next four months.

Agree that keeper was at fault. Don't agree that Liverpool will win the league. I think it's possible that City could win every one of their last 17 and post 101 points.

To give a perspective, Bolton's home gates have averaged between 13 and 15k this season, their biggest being 17k v. Leeds who presumably took a big travelling support. They're in freefall and need to get their act together if they're to escape the drop to the third tier of English football. Josh Maggenis is down there. I know there's TV money and income from the league etc. but they must be loss-making at those sort of crowds v. wages needed to fork out. Is this really a bigger and better prospective employer than AFC for a hungry ambitious footballer? Pity we don't have hunger and ambition ourselves. Note: I recently discovered how to see crowd figures. BBC > Scores and Results > select a match > click on Line Ups.