Alex

Stunning analysis.

I think he won player of the tournament at some youth summer cup, where they'd also won it before. Not trying to belittle the achievement but it's not something you should read that much into. If he'd been recognised by some global / pan-European award for a particular year it would be more significant. I don't want to or mean to write him off. I just think he'll have difficulty because of his size. And while he's fast, he's not that fast (or doesn't seem to be). I really hope I'm wrong, obviously.

I've thought that for ages. You have to be exceptional with his physique really.

Stop replying to him all the time, man! He's a fucking tit.

Gravity might be the only film I've seen this year which came out this year, come to think of it. Was alreet but not great. Also, Clooney is basically Buzz Lightyear which takes the edge of the poignancy somewhat.

Sorry to hear that, mate.

They do. That's what I'm on about. They were the stuff thought up by Sagan to help get the public into the mission. They're an afterthought as opposed to the missions' objectives. Sagan was good at that romantic shit and it worked. The probes themselves were actually sent to study the Solar System.

There's that, plus that's not why it was sent. That was just stuff Sagan came up with as an afterthought to capture the public's imagination.

Aye, the novels in particular are excellent.

I remember her. Any idea what happened, Jill? RIP.

Cheers for posting that, mate. Great read.

The majority of the press and the so-called pundits must be in a right quandary. On one hand they can trot out the 'deluded Geordies' cliches but, on the other, I bet they're fucking gutted it looks like relegation is highly unlikely for at least another season.

Best euphemism I've heard in a while.

It could be condensed into about two pages. Easily. He's basically saying I'm not actually a wolf from the Steppes but spiritually I am a wolf from the Steppes. Over and over and over again Love that book though.

Nice. It is though.

The treatise on the Steppenwolf could be trimmed down like Other than that, I concur.

In an era before he was protected by television cameras and refs on the pitch, and able to pay for protection wherever he went off it (funny how he thought he needed that) he wouldn't have been anywhere near as mouthy I would suggest.

We haven't formally declared war since World War Two. Hence the argument that lawyers would have a field defending anyone charged with treason over this. You could argue we're actually at war and have been on many occasions since then but that's a completely different matter in legal terms. Do you think someone representing the Crown would have much luck citing google like? Is this a wind-up, btw?

We don't want to go risking Uefa Cup qualification.

There's a reason why Bellamy didn't spend very long at any club and wasted his career (to an extent because of that). It's because he's a pikey little cunt with a big mouth.

Naturally. It was balmy. Joking aside, I wanted to go to Delos but wor lass rolled out of bed too late so we just wandered round Mykonos Town. It's quite cool and pretty but it's eye-wateringly expensive and even the locals have more edge than a broken piss-pot.

It's that level of detail that separates the men from the boys in the creepiness stakes

Been on a couple of Mediterranean cruises. Both were holidays for an occasion I was invited along on rather than something I'd chosen myself. I don't think I'd be into some of the Caribbean ones some people I know have been on where you have a few days at sea but the two I went on (mainly Greek Islands but a bit of Italy / Croatia / Turkey) where you had plenty of stops were canny. The good side, i.e. seeing lots of places, is also the frustrating part because it's those places you really like that you'd also like to spend two or three nights at (at least). It's a good way of seeing places you possible wouldn't otherwise though. The food was fucking ridiculous like. The last one I went on I think I went to the gym about 14 times over the course of the 12 nights I was on it and still put on about half a stone. I was getting up, doing some cardio, then shifting a massive oval dinner plate of breakfast. By half 11 I was going over to the pizza bar. They're not really my cup of char, because of the rigid structure, but it's a good way to see a lot of places. Also, while it's not exactly sailing around the Ionian Sea in a schooner, it's still a romantic way to travel I think. And you can always go back to the places you really loved and spend more time there.

Sometimes it's better to be a lucky manager. Even SBR had his moments of fortune which worked out well. Obviously that's not a direct comparison between the two managers.