Rayvin

I agree actually it's unfair of me to put all that at Starmers feet since the whole fucking party is blind to it. But he's not going to do it and it makes me keen to just move him on and try the next one until we finally end up with a leader who can do what needs to be done. And a leader with some charisma, to use CTs word, could indeed manage this. Johnson got Brexit over the line with nothing but charisma and waffle, we live in a brave new world where anything is possible, apparently. I have no expectation of anyone in Labour doing anything differently regarding Brexit incidentally - I don't believe his advisors are as shit hot as you think they are, but they're too far down the path now to change it. It remains my line in the sand but its not really part of my thinking in this discussion.

No, I'm asking you, what has he done that makes you think he's such a good leader? I think we all agree here on the facts of this - He's done basically nothing and Johnson has hung himself, but that this is a correct way of playing it. What has he said or done that makes you think he'll set Labour up for a decade plus in power? Which is what we need btw, 5 years before a more competent Tory leader reorganises their party and beats him at his own game (not hard to do when you consider all the economic mess that Labour will have to sort out and get blamed for) isn't the sort of answer we need to this. Starmer should be entirely about making it so that the Tories never get power again. Electoral reform, press standards, safeguarding institutions, maybe even a constitution. He will do none of these things because he is somehow delusional enough to imagine that if he wins this GE, it will be because Labour were attractive rather than the Tories were horrific.

I'm not saying he isn't, but I am saying that what he has done could have been done by literally anyone and that giving him credit for it is premature. I am gravely concerned that when he actually has to win on his own, he's going to reveal that there is no underlying substance to his platform.

I think the times are stranger than the leader is meaningful and I'd have a very hard time believing otherwise. Labour were nowhere near the Tories until around Christmas when one of the various scandals to have flared up under Johnson, maybe it was the start of partygate, flared up. That suddenly surged Labour forward. The only credit you could possibly give Starmer for that is that he hadn't managed to fuck his party the same way Johnson had. Except now we discover, unjustly or otherwise, that he's caught up in the same nonsense. Go back to before partygate and Labour were a solid 6 to 8 points behind. Johnson is the one who is deciding the next election, not Starmer. He's barely even said anything man, what is it you think he's actually done other than keeping his head down?

If the "usual suspects" are "the left" I'm not sure who Starmer appeals to that Cooper doesn't. Don't think the anti-Blairite left like him any more than they like her given his lies to them. Him going and Cooper coming in might actually provide the chance for a clean slate for winning some of them back while still remaining on target. I'm also having a hard time imagining she'd be grovelling to the Brexiteers to the same degree as he has. In fact I'm having a hard time imagining she would have put up with anywhere near as much of Johnson's shit as Starmer has. Starmer is a very poor answer to the predicament we find ourselves in, honestly. His entire platform is based on just letting Johnson hang himself. I sincerely hope he has something more beyond that but I doubt there's anything that will cement a new Labour dynasty. While I don't agree with her on everything, last time she was on the ballot for leader I was going to back Cooper until swayed by Labour's pathetic and dismal support of austerity forced me to Corbyn.

So we lose 5-0 to City, as expected, and noises about not being mathematically safe resurface, along with the whole squad needing an urgent overhaul and Howe being shipped. Let's be real lads, we're not going to be the City overnight - we're just going to start to try to compete. They'll aim for top ten next season not Europe. And tbh, we could probably get top ten with these players and Howe for a full season.

Are we serious, this stupid beer gate thing is enough to take him down? I thought that was meant to be above board? If he goes it'll put pressure on the oaf, although he'll just ignore it and survive so that shouldn't be the reason to do it. Labour should have a female leader next. Cooper I think.

Weirdly, Louise Taylor and most of the mackems are going on as if this is a formality now. They won 1-0 at home.. I'd imagine S.Wed will get one in the away leg? Or was the gulf in quality evident?

If it stays 1-0 I fancy Sheff Wed to take the tie.

As much as you don't value it Renton, I think a lot of people do need a vision or a narrative to follow on with - and I think it's predominantly down to the fact that a large number of people's lives have been and remain totally shit, and that some positive messaging about a future to move into is going to be worth its weight in gold compared to the idea that the situation will remain basically the same but will be better managed. I've been saying it for years but we're crying out for some fucking vision from Labour - but at this point I don't think it's ever going to come because the party fundamentally doesn't know who it is anymore. And with that in mind, we need to get back to a position wherein parties can campaign passionately for issues they really care about and believe in the value of, without worrying about losing everything in the process. Coalition can deliver that, if Labour can just get their heads out of their arses long enough to see it. I also continue to believe Brexit will be a big factor next time out but I'm prepared to acknowledge that my own bias may be blinding me on that.

I don't think Labour are capable of a majority anymore, Brexit has irreparably broken them. Coalition and then electoral reform are the only ways forward now. You simply aren't going to get Remainers and Leavers sitting under one party banner while hating each others guts. And frankly, that's probably for the best.

It's not going to be an annihilation in the GE either. This has to be fought as if our side are the underdogs, or we're going to lose it IMO.

It's really hard to tell with this stuff isn't it. Same for the one Isegrim posted. We just don't know, and Ukraine has to try to keep this war relevant before it drops off the front pages into 'acceptance' -so I understand why they'd be motivated to run this sort of thing.

A German friend of mine said he would readily take him for Frankfurt (his team) but that they can't afford the fee. Since they're a Euro qualifying side who are presumably used to seeing him play, that sounds encouraging. But yeah, one good season does mean he represents something of a risk.

I think you've conducted yourself very well in all that. The person on the other end clearly just wants to draw a line under it, and this may well be because they're a disempowered office admin in the whole thing, but ultimately it's clear that you're not going to get anywhere with them. You could try to go over his head I suppose but I'd imagine they'll just close ranks. Well done for standing up for your players and for what's right though. Based on what he's said there, if it happens again, I would go to the police anyway mind. You can't trust the FA to do anything about it, clearly.

I know man, I know. Mental piece.

It's absolutely on the players, they just collapsed. Guardiola had set them up well, the game plan was working. That said, I do think club culture plays a part in this beyond just managers and players. Madrid very likely always believed that they could turn it around and go through, even in the dying minutes - because they've done it before and because they've won the damn thing so many times it could more or less be considered 'their' competition. City have never won it, they've never made it over the mental hurdles and each season that monkey will be on their backs. They don't have the weight of history to lean on that says they belong there, they remain pretenders to the throne as it were. I really do think stuff like that makes a difference, and that Guardiola - if he ever wins it for them - will consider getting them over that line to be the biggest success of his career.

You can target particular aspects of history fairly well if you approach it at a high enough level so maybe save it for later when you can be more selective? I did Chinese history as part of my degree and I found it fascinating because I genuinely knew nothing about it - but otherwise, when you're covering familiar territory, it can be a bit dry. Fully admire your desire here though, it's making me think I should be more proactive about my ongoing education myself. Good luck with whatever you take forward.

I mean.. this is just pathetic. Not even much more to say on it tbh, it literally is just pathetic.

This is the thing for me. Completely oblivious to his own failings. The sort of guy who blames immigrants for his life being shit instead of taking responsibility to do what he can to improve even within the surrounding limitations.

22 goals this season, which is good. Only 9 the season before with a 1 in 3 ratio, but he's close to a goal per game this year. 26 years old, would be getting him just as he comes into his peak years.

Tell them you will go to the press. You don't have to do it but see how they feel about the idea of such a flimsy statement being scrutinised. Beyond that, tell them that the next time it happens you'll just report it to the police and bypass them entirely. Everything you've set out basically, but just tell them you're doing it. It is abhorrent.

Let's not bring common sense into this mind, I'm not sure the Le Tissier style brand of it that seems to be all the rage these days is any better than the faith we're talking about here.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/who-scored-blog/2022/may/04/premier-league-signings-of-the-season-luis-diaz?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other The guardian ranks the best signings of the season. Bruno comes in at number 9 which is fine until you realise the garbage that they've put ahead of him. Has Coutinho done more than Bruno has?? Bellends.