I actually don't think our current malaise has anything to do with the Makems or our reaction to them. It's more that there is so little to debate at present - we've done the Board ad nauseam, we've done previous managers, we've debated the sales of Dyer and Solano several times, we've discussed the need for a striker, central midfielder and centre half for at least three years and have had so few new players that we can't really debate them (on the basis of his couple of appearances, you can't say much more about Lolo than that he looks good). Apart from the defections of Stonehouse and Wadsworth, there hasn't even been any scandal/evidence of instablity to discuss. We haven't even played that badly yet. Even topics that are new and contoversial such as "Should Bobby go?" are easily dispensed with because the answer is "Well, it depends how eager you are for Goerge Graham to be our next manager". Let's face it, the fact that the PL title has already been decided doesn't help. Once the season gets going in earnest, we'll be much less scratchy and hopefully have some new subjects to talk about.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Answers

Know what would have me skipping like a 45 year old, Doug ? (the comma is vital to me staying in your good byuks, although I haven't the faintest idea what a '45 year old Doug' would skip like :-)))

Anyway, it would be for me to go out at lunch time and trip over Chronic billboards screaming about the new plenty million world star we've just signed completely out of the blue and a complete surprise to everybody.

Just like the Shearer signing did.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

My good friend Dougal - have to disagree I'm afraid.
We would actually have much more to talk about - footy & non-footy - if the bbs wasn't being constantly disrupted by various mischief makers of different degrees. Right now this even has us at each other's throats, and is royally brassing me, and a number of others, off.
Unfortunately, their is no will on here to take the bull by the horns, and bloody-well castrate it!

BTW, I don't agree either that the PL has been decided - the team I assume you're referring to have not performed that well to date, and their manager seems hell bent on self-destruction. I have feeling in my water (don't!) that Arsenal might give them a battle this season - I sincerely hope so.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Sounds to me like another cake and ar5e party might be a good idea Mr Clark.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

...... sounds good to me Pit Bill.
BTW, you never did tell me what a Cake & @rse party was - last time we had plenty of cake, but not ............... nah, better not!

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

The Bbs is always more active when things are going badly. We all come here to have a good moan.

Other things tha could happen that would liven things up would be the maKems struggling, I reckon they might this season, and also think I'll put money on Man U not to win anything this season.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

"we'll be much less scratchy and hopefully have some new subjects to talk about"

What's that supposed to mean then? :-)

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Dunno, Clarky, but I just feel we have become sort of navel gazers (ie. a suggestion that we might be cliquey prompted about 100 000 postings), and I think the tendency to focus on crap is because there's not much else to talk about. This is NUFC we support so there will be something happen very soon, good or bad, but at present the only real news is the loan of a PSG CB.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

PS. I'm including myself in that criticism before anyone calls me a Makem.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Too late. I called you that on another thread. And BTW, wrt to gazing at one's navel, well I wish I could (mine you understand - nee bu99er else's) but it seems to have disappeared lately in a mass of fat.

I don't actually believe that the title race is all sewn up. At least I sincerely hope it isn't. I think Liverpool will give Arsenal and ManUre a good run for their money. ManUre may still win it, but I doubt if it will be so early and by such a big margin as the last couple of years.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Clarky
An ex MN mate of mine who was even more cynical than I am, used to see just about any social gathering as nothing more than a get together of those of a certain orientation.

Shouldn't tax your owld intellect too much to twig what was the going expression to describe such a gathering.

Mind, he always used to have what passed for a smile on his chops when he talked about it, but it might have just been wind. :-))

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

I dunno I disappear for a couple of months and the board goes to shite?!!

Former No.1!!

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

It was only a temporary glitch DeB. Things have been restored back to normal ;-)

How's it going? Looking for a better job with internet access yet??

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Far from it! The new job is great and is much more enjoyable than the last. I never used to enjoy going to work but now I know I will have a good laugh even if the workload is manic.

I pop in here every now and then but not as often as I'd like. Well can't stay around too long there is beer to be drunk out there and it won't drink itself...........well not until about 11pm tonight when it will seem that way probably!

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

Hi! Good to hear from you DeBuilder. Sounds like your new job is working out fine.(:o)

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

There's not much to moan about at all! Two points out of two games we got nowt of last season makes me pretty happy at the moment. Although seeing the game against Troyes did my head in!

Didn't they have great movement on the break? I know solano was absent without leave in the marking departmentwhich made things look really sick but I'd still throw a couple of pounds to get the hairy lad upfront, their No 8.

-- Anonymous, August 31, 2001

The irritating thing though Bok, is that with a bit better finishing, and perhaps luck, we could easily be sitting in 4th or 5th in the table with 6 points. We didn't get those results last season, but then we won't be getting a Coventry or Man City away game like last season.

However, things are pretty positive from my point of view, especially after that England game (although why Warren Barton was overlooked again is beyond me)

-- Anonymous, September 01, 2001