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Reply | Patriotism
at 13:49 11 Mar 2025
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Reply | Inside SOUTHAMPTON'S Most DYSTOPIAN, DISGUSTING Estates!
at 09:37 11 Mar 2025
I grew up on a council estate. Not central Sampton but not far away.
The mums and dads on that estate (100 houses all built around the same time and therefore mostly filled by young families) took a fierce pride in keeping the place clean and tidy. It was not unusual for us kids to pick up a telling off for being noisy or cheeky.
Around 15/20 years ago things started to change. The council started moving in "problem" families and they brought with them trouble in the form of abandoned cars, noise late at night, kids who were frankly feral and for all I know problems with drugs (not that I saw or investigated that).
My parents at the time has bought the council house they had been living in for 40+ years but their life was made a misery by neighbours. In the end, much though it broke my Mum's heart, we moved them out.
My view, based on the experience of my family, is that personal standards have fallen and many just don't care about where they live or how they live or whether their lives make others worse. If you do care about all of this, a council estate is no longer where you need to be. |
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Reply | Patriotism
at 09:30 11 Mar 2025
History shows us that many politicians of many hues have used "patriotism" as a rallying cry to support (usually) their own vision of the UK and version of the truth.
The saying that patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel is absolutely true.
Farage plays on that xenophobic trait that most of us have. He builds up the possible dangers of allowing our society to become "overwhelmed" with whatever group it is this week and says that only his ideas can save us. Sadly, because many people chose not to think for themselves but prefer others to do that and then tell them what to think, much of his nonsense is swallowed and repeated.
The "mainstream" parties are not much better. Labour's message is hopelessly mangled by their poor communication. The Tories under KB are desperately searching for an identity that is not Reform. The Lib Dems? Enough said.
Into that vacuum, any party with a string message which can be couched as "vote for us and defend your country" will pick up support.
It is also the case that the younger generations feel disconnected with all this. They seem to care little about our history and more about either having a good time or being "kind" to everybody. The "patriot" message is largely lost on them and so we will eventually see those wishing to be elected adopt a different message which will not be patriotic.
In the meantime, I think for Trump the "make America great again" slogan suits him because it's short, he can remember it and it gives him an excuse to do anything so long as dollars roll into the USA (and his account). From what some of my redneck friends tell me, his personal popularity and the Republican party's poll numbers are close to their lowest ever and if the economy tips over into recession they will only get worse. What value is a "patriot" call to arms when nobody can afford to buy any? |
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Reply | Rupert Lowe Facing Police Action !
at 10:28 10 Mar 2025
Lowe and Farage were always oil and water.
Lowe is correct in that Reform is a protest party led by a Messiah.
Farage is correct that Lowe is a xenophobic little Englander with a huge sense of entitlement.
Both have at best a passing association with the truth and seem to be playing the game of the earliest public statement wins the debate even if it's Lowe putting words into the mouth of a barrister and Farage making accusations of behaviours and then pressuring his party to come up with the details.
It's a bit of entertaining Punch and Judy and perhaps a foretaste of what will happen in the US when President Felon and President Musk fall out but thankfully I think most of the UK electorate see Reform/Farage as fringe/protest at best and Lowe is now unelectable. |
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Reply | Southampton V Liverpool The Verdict
at 10:22 10 Mar 2025
The defeat had very little to do with a couple of soft VAR decisions.
Ultimately we are not good enough to compete with Liverpool even when they were guilty of being complacent. When they came out to play, the difference was obvious.
We've known all season that our striking options are - being kind - limited. Now that appears to be the case for the midfield who failed to protect the defence in any meaningful way.
It's also spreading to the couple of players who should be looking at a career beyond Saints such as Dibling, KWP and perhaps Harwood. All looked lacklustre and demoralised.
Let's hope we get three more points this season in the next match or two, then we can ask the PL if we can concede the remaining games without playing and focus on a plan - from the top down - for staying in the Championship next season. |
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Reply | Top 3 Danny's
at 17:02 5 Mar 2025
My much missed Spaniel - Matilda's Dream Boy, Dandy Dan.
Daniel Craig as Bond, James Bond
Dangerous Dan in the Beano |
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Reply | Lech Walesa
at 17:14 4 Mar 2025
It is doable so long as we recognise that each nations' armies, air force and navy are better at some things than other nations.
Take Finland. They've given Russia a few beatings in the past because they know how to fight in winter in their forests.
Sweden has excellent armour and vehicles.
The French air force is well equipped. The Brits are perhaps special operations. (I recall a comment from a senior special ops team commenting about the drone attack on the Kremlin which was briefly thought to be an attempt to assassinate Putin. Asked if the British were behind it, he said "no". How do you know? "Because he's still alive".)
Part of the problem is however that Russia has already undermined some Eastern countries and they cannot be relied upon - Hungary, Romania, perhaps the Czech Republic. |
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Reply | Lech Walesa
at 14:25 4 Mar 2025
If the world sits back and accepts the bullying of Trump and his cult, then we will really deserve whatever he chooses to do. |
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Reply | Starmer
at 14:21 4 Mar 2025
Arriving hand in hand with the death of woke in the US and many Eastern European countries, arguably even Germany, is a new realism.
We've been used to a nicey, nicey, be kind to everybody, we're all equal approach to life in general for a couple of decades and Trump, the right wing in Hungary, Romania and perhaps even Germany are now saying, open your eyes.
People are different from each other and recognising that is not wrong. |
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Reply | Starmer
at 10:02 4 Mar 2025
My opinion is that Starmer is grateful for an opportunity to play a role between two factions which should be on the same "side" but for various reasons are not presently. It's like refereeing a match between the first team and the reserves. He's grateful because it disrupts the relentless campaign from the right wing to throw rocks at his (short) time in office, whilst ignoring the utter shambles of their decade and a half.
Putin is emperor of Russia and he sees it as an Empire. He has made no bones about the "fact" that the republics who broke from the old Soviet union are "Russian" and he wants them back. He miscalculated badly by think Ukraine was an easy target and is now mired in a war that has destroyed the economy and has damaged his reputation. The state owned and run media in Russia of course claims otherwise but no leader who send his people into a "meat grinder" for years, can expect to be universally admired.
Trump thinks that geopolitics is just a big business and can be run as such with "deals" being done. He knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.
He has surrounded himself with cultists who understand that disagreeing with the notoriously thin skinned Felon is a ticket to obscurity. He is also apparently willing to risk low poll ratings (he seems to attach such weight to these guesses) in order to enrich himself, his inner circle and his family (in that order). I read recently that only 4% of Americans approve of appeasing Russia. (I have not checked or verified that result).
In the present situation however he is correct that the war cannot continue. Absent a complete collapse of the Ukranian forces, this war will drag on. Even if the US withdraws support, Europe will make up some of the difference - enough to keep the conflict going for a decade more.
Ukraine will be forced to concede territory - the only question is how much. Does Ukraine actually want the Donbas and other Eastern provinces which were infiltrated by Russia for years and now lie mainly in ruins? They would need to say that they do, but really?
However ceding that territory to a dictator without some form of guarantee that when Russia recovers its resources and tries to invade the rest of the country, the whole of the western world will respond, is madness. That guarantee backed by either European nations paying more for defence and/or the US agreeing to be part of it is crucial. Without it, there is no advantage to Ukraine (or western democracy) in giving up the fight.
And therein lies the biggest issue. Trump is a toddler in terms of geopolitics. He is unreliable, erratic and likely to side with the last person he spoke with. he is not somebody you can rely on.
if there was a truce/peace and a Trump clone is elected in 2028, it is inevitable (in my view) that Russia would be firing rockets and artillery into Ukraine (or perhaps another former republic) by 2031, confident that a Trump/clone led USA would not intervene.
For me that the danger.
if Trump wants a peace prize, he's blown the Gaza route and therefore need Ukraine/Russia war to end. How strong is his desire to have that prize? Very but would I bet my country on it still having his attention in 12 months? Not a chance. (More likely that we will win the PL in 26/27.) |
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Reply | Last chance for Juric
at 11:38 26 Feb 2025
Some managers have always had the ability to make the most of their playing staff and get them to put in decent performances.
Some managers are perhaps gifted and those rise to the top because they are able to see things in players or put them together in tactically astute formations and win games consistently enough to finish above the relegation places.
Some managers are stubbornly wedded to certain styles even when it's clear beyond reason that it does not suit league or squad. (Take a bow RM).
And then some managers were never good enough, will never be good enough and will be allowed to destroy what little morale exists and put our club back a minimum of five years. This seasons winner in that category is Ivan. |
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Reply | 5 Things About Chelsea
at 11:33 26 Feb 2025
When I was a young teenager, all the glory hunting kids at school supported Leeds or Chelsea.
Got their comeuppance when the school decided that the sports teams colours would be decided by a vote. I was part of a group led by the senior pupils who successfully got red voted in as the choice.
Never really liked Chelsea and especially as I can probably count on one hand the times I've seen us beat them. |
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Reply | Hate to say this
at 08:26 26 Feb 2025
Dibling needs to be withdrawn from the team for perhaps the rest of the season because otherwise his confidence will be destroyed, his form will follow and then his value in a sale will drop.
He cannot save us and he should not be risked. |
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Reply | Brixton Academy
at 15:27 24 Feb 2025
Glad to see it has reopened.
Last gig I saw there was Kasabian (before Tom Meighan left/was forced out). |
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Reply | Hate to say this
at 08:45 24 Feb 2025
The harsh truth is that Dibling is not yet ready for a midfield role, especially in a team that needs to dig in and at least try to make it hard for the opposition to score.
I don't recall him winning a tackle in a game and he is not a box to box diesel engine.
In an ideal world he would play as the most advanced midfield player and not on the wing, but we don't have that luxury and giving hm game minutes increases the price we can get in the summer. |
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Reply | Have Southampton Fans Finally Lost Faith With The Club
at 09:57 20 Feb 2025
I've not "lost faith" but I certainly wish this season would end and that we hear from the owners a sensible and sustainable plan to get us back to being something other than three points in the bag for the opposition.
Thee is a thought that those who got us into this mess with poor recruitment, hanging on to a clueless manager for too long and then replacing him with worse, trying to turn the stadium into a theme park and a failure to communicate with fans, are not those best placed to find a solution. If so, they should sell the club to somebody who not only cares but shows that they care.
I am resigned to a struggle next season to stay in the Champ and it being another five years before we are serious contenders for promotion. I think that by the time we are there will be a European super league which will dilute the quality of the PL and make it easier for promoted clubs to stay there.
It has been many years since I was a Milton Road chorus participant. However the fact that I choose not to be in the Northam End repeating inane songs does not mean that my support for the club is wavering. I support the club and the team and would do even if we were in the National League but it makes me by turns angry and sad to see where we are this season. |
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Reply | Next Season
at 16:43 17 Feb 2025
And lost to Burnley |
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Thread | PSR could be history - where does that leave us?
at 16:42 17 Feb 2025
Despite I think 16 clubs voting to keep in place the Premier League PSR rules, as amended following the Man City legal case, it seems that a committee has decided that City were correct. The PSR rules since perhaps 2022 are unenforceable.
Aside from this meaning that most of the financial irregularity charges against City will now be dropped, where is that going to leave the PL?
Whilst there is already a de facto split of the PL into three parts - top 6, next 8/9, bottom 5/6 - mainly being a reflection of the financial power behind the clubs (few exceptions each season perhaps) if clubs are essentially unfettered in how much money their owners can "invest", we will see an acceleration of that split becoming recognised.
I can see top 4 to 6 being in a Euro Super League inside five seasons.
I can see the PL being 18 teams.
I can see the PL being limited in how many teams might get to European cups.
Personally I would welcome that. I think it would make the PL more of a competition and less of a parade. However the PL will hate it because it means less influence and less money. I suspect therefore that this will get very messy.
If however it opens the door to clubs like ours being better able to compete if we ever get promoted again, I'm all for it. |
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Thread | Money triumphs over sporting integrity
at 14:31 17 Feb 2025
I'm not a tennis fan by any stretch but the stench coming off the Sinner situation reeks,
He admits that he was negligent and took a banned substance. WADA conveniently accepts that he did so unintentionally. The result is a three month ban in a period when there are no big tournaments.
I confess that aside from a couple of high profile cases, I'm unsure just how widespread drug taking and bans are in football, but the situation with Sinner is like asking a player to take a ban between April and July.
Tennis though cannot have their number one player (who people pay to watch) missing from tournaments.
Corrupt. |
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