Anorak

I hope Norwich stay up but I reckon they'll need other results to go for them.

Better late than never. Mike had the worst attitude and least redeeming features of any egomaniac shithead mistake who's ever posted here. Marney was often hilarious because she was clearly a few sandwiches short of a full picnic and Chris Coey even came up with a decent wisecrack once in a while.

Like those boring old Italians you mean? Serie A has gone absolutely goal mad this season. South American club football can be as dull and cynical at least as often as it's European cousin, except it's even uglier when is like that.

Probably Walker. He was still on daft premier wages we couldn't possibly afford to keep paying so he's an unwilling sacrifice really. Shame but totally unavoidable really. Gillespie improved somewhat since christmas but I won't be sorry to see him go. Doesn't get enough service in for the front men. Dabizas has been our worst player all season long. Good riddance to him. Blake hardly played but made such a bad impression in his brief appearances that he was roundly booed when he came on as sub eventually. It can't get any lower than that for any player (my mate said it proves how horrible Leicester fans are). Wilcox was injured most of the season and is too old anyway. Nalis is a bit of a shame. He finished the season really well after being inconsistant and out of favor at various points. Earned cult status for that volley against Leeds in the premier. Won't be crying over any of them. I'ts a necessary move really Fancy your chances against Brentford? I hope you win just because Martin Allen has been supremely irritating every time i've seen or heard him this season.

South American football is usually pretty tedious to watch and full of constant foul play despite how naturally gifted so many of the players are. I knew this thread was about Southampton when I saw Van Halen's name attatched. Man Utd will save you by putting out a reserve team next week anyway so there's no need for praying.

Walker, Dabizas, Gillespie, Nalis, Blake and Wilcox have all been released to save some money. We've got Kisnorbo from Hearts and some Slovenian/Slovakian coming in. In other exiting news we got our 21st and final draw today. I was quite glad Crewe stopped up.

I plan to get new comps by Belle and Sebastian, Son Volt and The Boo Radleys. Shame the Boo's one isn't a collection of old EP tracks pre Giant Steps similar to what the B&S release is like. Might be getting these, some of which are already out Eels M Ward Okkervil River Richmond Fontaine Smog

Similar to us last season. They can find the net themselves ok but can't cope defensively.

Proper country music has plenty of the best songs ever don't forget.

Pato Banton & UB40 - Baby Come Back OMC - How Bizarre That 'Are You Jimmy Ray' song as well. All enjoyable singles.

I'd like to see one of the promoted sides stay up. Beating Southampton would be enough for Palace to be that team I think.

Some bloke summed it all up years ago on a financial football programme. Actually, I think I ranted in a similar way about the same thing last year. It was basically (the tv bloke) Morrissey's point in shorthand really. Something like 'there's always been/will be the have and the have-not's in football, but if the gap gets too big........well it's not fair system and everything gets fucked up basically.

EDIT - C. League Debate........ As far as Eastern European sides go those two have a proud European history. Steua won the European Cup in 86 and Kiev won the Cup Winners Cup a few years earlier. Both sides have had a tradition of producing technically excellent footballers for decades. The late 90's Kiev team were class and only missed out on playing and possibly beating Man Utd in 99 because they twice chucked a 2 goal advantage away against Bayern Munich in the semi's. The same few western European countries have always been home to the wealthiest, best supported and successful teams in European competition but the modern champions league format of allowing them an extra 3 places has let them totally monopolise it. I'd rather see a Kiev or a Steua than a 4th place side from England, Spain or Italy who haven't come within sniffing distance of thier domestic title for 15-20 years. Sporting Lisbon won their first Portugese titles for some time a couple of years back and what was their reward? A place in the qualifying round.....against Inter Milan (who scraped a 4th place in Italy on a monopoly money budget). Kiev's reward for getting a whisker away from the final the previous year? Yep, you guessed it. The very best players from around Europe will of course end up in the top 3 or 4 leagues but with the current format spreading the wealth so unevenly the gap is going to get just too wide. Worse still, the financial rewards being denied to the rest has a knock-on effect on the development of the game. With no money coming in or financial incentives offered you can bet there's going to be a lot less chance of a Hagi or a Shevchenko being unearthed. The sad thing is, given that the financial gap in European club football is at such a ridiculous state, they would be off to London, Milan or Madrid before they'd started shaving rather than when they were approaching the peak of their career when they had already become national team regulars or inspired thier local 'Championship Winning' sides to be a genuine threat in Europe for a few seasons. The modern format has robbed us of the romance the competition once had, where underdogs could upset the big boys and great teams and achievments were possible on a more even playing field. That brilliant Ajax side of the mid 90's wouldn't have been allowed to develop as it did. The ungodly mess of the Yugoslav war breaking up the most talented group of players they ever had would have been more unbearable as they'd have likely been denied the sole consolation of Red Star's 1991 triumph. It's robbed us of great shock results like Kiev's 4-0 win at the Nou Camp happening more often. The one bright spot has been getting rid of the second group stage as the top sides don't have 5 or 6 bites at the cherry and it actually costs them if they don't fancy it on a cold night in Prague or Moscow. That's why I wasn't cheering for Liverpool tonight. At least it would have felt like Chelsea belonged there to some extent after their progress this season.

I'd just about given up on him in the last year or two. If it's as good as Heartbreaker or Whiskeytown's best then i'd definately want it.

I think Derby have just switched off a little the last couple of games with their place virtually assured but i'm sure you'll see the proper Derby again come the play-offs. I fancy Wigan to brush Reading aside next week unless nerves get the better of them. The last week's been great for Leicester, two good wins and a belated feelgood factor to end the season with. We're actually playing some decent stuff and it's no coincidence that Connolly's started scoring a few now he's finally getting some service. Amazing how much better the defence looks without Dabizas as well.

Losing the 93 play-off final to Swindon. Coming back from 3-0 down only to be robbed by a terrible late penalty. Couldn't even speak afterwards. I'm not generally a bitter man but i'm glad Swindon have had such a rubbish time of it since. I shed some tears when Southgate missed at Euro 96. That wasn't in the 3 Lion's script and it hurt.

Kasabian are idiots. They try too hard to have an 'attitude' and their music isn't nearly good enough to back any of the posturing up and make it forgiveable. Even declaring their firm support of Leicester City couldn't soften me up enough not to realise they're about as far from being the genuine rock'n'roll article as Showaddywoddy.

The Walkabouts do a brilliant cover of 'On The Beach'. I prefer it to the original. The Handsome Family do a tremendous version of Kris Kristofferson's 'Sunday Morning Coming Down' as well.

I listened to them when I was about 13 and I still do now. Been consistant enough to never release an outright bad album in my view.

Neil Young - On The Beach Queens Of The Stone Age - Rated R Eels - Electro-Shock Blues The Harder They Come - OST

You're right, it doesn't. Nobody has ever called the Fanclub original or innovative unless they were taking the piss. What exactly is a classic album though? Does it need to be groundbreaking or what? I can't be arsed even thinking about the criteria let alone debating it with anybody so I settled for including what i'd call 'critically well-regarded albums'.

Simon & Garfunkel -Bridge Over Troubled Water: Two classic songs (The Boxer is the other of course) and a whole load of nothing. I remember fast-forwarding Cecilia and El Condor on my Mum's greatest hits cassette tape. The rest is slight and forgettable in the extreme with only Song for the Asking and The Only Living Boy in New York barely poking their heads above the ground. REM - Document: I've always found Finest Worksong, Welcome To The Occupation, The One I Love etc as dull as ditchwater and the less said about Lightnin' Hopkins the better. I actually love It's The End Of The World (Mills and his backing harmony on the chorus), Disturbance At The Heron House and King Of Birds but there's way too many duffers for a classic. Especially from a band capable of making Murmur and Automatic. Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonesque: I like this album a lot but there's no way it's their best work. They pull out there best Big Star chops on stuff like December but I just don't find it quite all it's cracked up to be. They did make a perfect guitar pop album in the 90's but it was called Grand Prix. The band even thinks the same.

I'd agree with that. Wide Akake has definately been overhyped/overated etc but the allmusic review is ridiculous and as silly as any of the reviews hailing him as the second coming. The way some people are going from one extreme to the other over a good but not spectacular album is daft.

I thought Liz cheated on Savage with Ric Flair (c'mon, the evidence was all there!). I thought retirement matches were totally legit. I was sold on the 'parts unknown' thing as well. Some wrestlers were too evil and mysterious for anybody to know where they came from.

I've enjoyed 'Rumble Tumble' and 'Freezer Burn' by Lansdale. Both were funny. I particularly liked 'Red' the midget from 'Tumble'.