2023 Summer transfer window - hopes, needs, expectations and rumours.

[pauliewalnuts]

Too many people go to university, standards have been diluted.

This I agree with.

That's a Blair thing. "Everyone should have the chance to go to university". Yes, I agree with that, but it should be "everyone who is bright enough should have the opportunity to go to university", ie about equality of opportunity.

Rather than just shovelling absolutely anyone who fancies getting a degree through three years of having their pulse checked just to check they're still alive and then giving them a degree at the end of it.

Oh, and tihs is where we won't agree, and I say this as someone who got sent to a fee-paying school, equality of opportunity means not having a ridiculously socially skewed school system like we have now.

[ASHTONVILLA]

Too many people go to university, standards have been diluted.

This I agree with.

That's a Blair thing. "Everyone should have the chance to go to university". Yes, I agree with that, but it should be "everyone who is bright enough should have the opportunity to go to university", ie about equality of opportunity.

Rather than just shovelling absolutely anyone who fancies getting a degree through three years of having their pulse checked just to check they're still alive and then giving them a degree at the end of it.

Oh, and tihs is where we won't agree, and I say this as someone who got sent to a fee-paying school, equality of opportunity means not having a ridiculously socially skewed school system like we have now.

We agree completely on this.

[paul_e]

There's some real nasty posters on this site who jump into bullying/harassment mode really fast whenever someone behaves differently (footy seems to kop the most of this)
Or when someones world view/politics is different (Ashton is getting it today)
Then theres the whole labour vs tory stuff. Which seems to get shoe horned in whereever possible.

You guys may find it amusing but personally it makes me feel uncomfortable reading through the bullying whenever it occurs.

Even if in your view the person you're being a dick is in your view more of a dick. You're still being a dick.

Just let people be for fucks sake.

(I'm aware I may be the only person getting fed up with all this, still. I felt strongly enough to bother posting this!)

I'm not sure you fully understand the point of a forum, disagreeing is pretty important. Most of the time when people cry bullying it's nothing of the sort, it's lots of people individually disagreeing with the same post/poster for largely the same reasons.

Ashton is getting some shit today for describing teachers in the sort of language that has bene reserved for immigrants for the last decade and then doubling and tripling down on it, not because people are bullying him.

[ASHTONVILLA]

Every time you write that it means less and makes you look worse, it's basically 'my dad is bigger than your dad' at this point.

Call things as I see them. When people spout a load of prattle that is not even vaguely relevant to the point being discussed I will call it out. It's a reasonably effective method, as I am always far too short on time to argue the toss with a clusterbomb of irrelevant tosh. But so what. This is a football forum full of people I don't know and will never meet. Their opinion means nothing to me and has no relevance or impact in the world. I am perfectly happy to disagree. I don't give a flying shit what people think of me.

Edit. Except possibly on matters where I am expert. I also acknowledge this is somewhat hypocritical if engaged with teachers. But my level of expertise in my field is more akin to Pele at football than the average teacher at teaching in all fairness.

[Sexual Ealing]

Weftist lord dalas.

[Stu]

This has been fun to catch up on!

In before the lock…

[paul_e]

Every time you write that it means less and makes you look worse, it's basically 'my dad is bigger than your dad' at this point.

Call things as I see them. When people spout a load of prattle that is not even vaguely relevant to the point being discussed I will call it out. It's a reasonably effective method, as I am always far too short on time to argue the toss with a clusterbomb of irrelevant tosh. But so what. This is a football forum full of people I don't know and will never meet. Their opinion means nothing to me and has no relevance or impact in the world. I am perfectly happy to disagree. I don't give a flying shit what people think of me.

Edit. Except possibly on matters where I am expert. I also acknowledge this is somewhat hypocritical if engaged with teachers. But my level of expertise in my field is more akin to Pele at football than the average teacher at teaching in all fairness.

Right-wing word salad (and astounding degrees of arrogant bullshit layered on top).

[Stu]

Yeah, my best friend is autistic. Diagnosed late in life, neurotypical people have to learn when engaging isn’t the best idea. It doesn’t excuse rudeness though.

[PeterWithesShin]

Word salad no ballad

[Smoke]

There's some real nasty posters on this site who jump into bullying/harassment mode really fast whenever someone behaves differently (footy seems to kop the most of this)
Or when someones world view/politics is different (Ashton is getting it today)
Then theres the whole labour vs tory stuff. Which seems to get shoe horned in whereever possible.

You guys may find it amusing but personally it makes me feel uncomfortable reading through the bullying whenever it occurs.

Even if in your view the person you're being a dick is in your view more of a dick. You're still being a dick.

Just let people be for fucks sake.

(I'm aware I may be the only person getting fed up with all this, still. I felt strongly enough to bother posting this!)

I'm not sure you fully understand the point of a forum, disagreeing is pretty important. Most of the time when people cry bullying it's nothing of the sort, it's lots of people individually disagreeing with the same post/poster for largely the same reasons.

Ashton is getting some shit today for describing teachers in the sort of language that has bene reserved for immigrants for the last decade and then doubling and tripling down on it, not because people are bullying him.

I'm quite sure nobody has mentioned immigrants, especially Ashton. Why is that relevant in any way? He said a System was Infested with certain political ideals and you draw comparisons to immigration? How is that helping this discourse?


Disagreement obviously is part and parcel of a forum I'm just saying how I see it. It feels over the last 2/3 years on here certain subjects are just open season for people (often the same sets of people) to gang up (or lots of people individually disagreeing with a single poster as you put it) for having a "wrong" belief,  usually in my view to the detriment of the discussion that was taking place to start with.

[ASHTONVILLA]

Yeah, my best friend is autistic. Diagnosed late in life, neurotypical people have to learn when engaging isn’t the best idea. It doesn’t excuse rudeness though.

I agree with that.

I was only diagnosed in my 40s, and I would have saved myself a lot of issues had I been aware earlier.

If I have been rude I do apologise. I don't think people should hide behind issues and excuse bad behaviour. That said I do not believe I have been rude, or at least anywhere close to as rude as people have been to me.

[Stu]

Same with my mate, Ashton! He was 41, he met his now long term partner and she’s a psychiatrist so spotted what was going on very quickly. He’s a direct fella too, I kind of love him for it because he means what he says and I can trust him with anything.

[tomd2103]

So..... when do they fly out to the US?  First game is on the 24th, so presuming maybe Wednesday / Thursday?  Might even be Friday with it being a relatively short flight to Philadelphia and getting there around lunchtime.

Might be wrong, but I wouldn't have thought they will get any business done while they are out there, so probably looking at before or when they get back. 

[ASHTONVILLA]

Every time you write that it means less and makes you look worse, it's basically 'my dad is bigger than your dad' at this point.

Call things as I see them. When people spout a load of prattle that is not even vaguely relevant to the point being discussed I will call it out. It's a reasonably effective method, as I am always far too short on time to argue the toss with a clusterbomb of irrelevant tosh. But so what. This is a football forum full of people I don't know and will never meet. Their opinion means nothing to me and has no relevance or impact in the world. I am perfectly happy to disagree. I don't give a flying shit what people think of me.

Edit. Except possibly on matters where I am expert. I also acknowledge this is somewhat hypocritical if engaged with teachers. But my level of expertise in my field is more akin to Pele at football than the average teacher at teaching in all fairness.

Right-wing word salad (and astounding degrees of arrogant bullshit layered on top).

Edit. Except possibly on matters where I am expert. I also acknowledge this is somewhat hypocritical if engaged with teachers. But my level of expertise in my field is more akin to Pele at football than the average teacher at teaching in all fairness.
[/quote]

Right-wing word salad (and astounding degrees of arrogant bullshit layered on top).
[/quote]

Except I have been reasonably clear in my line of argument.

Arrogant? I see why you might think that. However I am absolutely in the top 1% in multiple scientific fields. I have been called 'the Bill Gates of agriculture' in the FT, and described as the Stephen Hawking of my field in multiple science publications. I have advised the UK government (under Labour), and currently advise the Australian government. I recently turned down 1.4m Yuan a year to advise the Chinese Government for 2 days a month (on principle). I have so many awards for scientific achievement that I can't fit them in my office. Under the last Labour government the then science minister (Lord Sainsbury) asked me to write a book about how someone from my background achieved so much (I refused). I am not arrogant, as I am pretty useless at many things mot people find easy. However when in my area of expertise I am exceptionally gifted. I attribute this blessing to God as yes 'Shock horror' I am a Christian.

As an aside I have been meaning to ask for a while. Did you ever work at Heathcotes in Preston? If so I might know you IRL.

[Rory]

There's some real nasty posters on this site who jump into bullying/harassment mode really fast whenever someone behaves differently (footy seems to kop the most of this)
Or when someones world view/politics is different (Ashton is getting it today)
Then theres the whole labour vs tory stuff. Which seems to get shoe horned in whereever possible.

You guys may find it amusing but personally it makes me feel uncomfortable reading through the bullying whenever it occurs.

Even if in your view the person you're being a dick is in your view more of a dick. You're still being a dick.

Just let people be for fucks sake.

(I'm aware I may be the only person getting fed up with all this, still. I felt strongly enough to bother posting this!)

I'm not sure you fully understand the point of a forum, disagreeing is pretty important. Most of the time when people cry bullying it's nothing of the sort, it's lots of people individually disagreeing with the same post/poster for largely the same reasons.

Ashton is getting some shit today for describing teachers in the sort of language that has bene reserved for immigrants for the last decade and then doubling and tripling down on it, not because people are bullying him.

I'm quite sure nobody has mentioned immigrants, especially Ashton. Why is that relevant in any way? He said a System was Infested with certain political ideals and you draw comparisons to immigration? How is that helping this discourse?


Disagreement obviously is part and parcel of a forum I'm just saying how I see it. It feels over the last 2/3 years on here certain subjects are just open season for people (often the same sets of people) to gang up (or lots of people individually disagreeing with a single poster as you put it) for having a "wrong" belief,  usually in my view to the detriment of the discussion that was taking place to start with.

With respect, joining a discussion by saying simply 'leftist word salad' and following that up with the below response doesn't invite responses made in good faith.

'The state school system is so infested with leftists that I pay for my kids to be privately educated...They have a lot of holidays, don’t work particularly long hours, took a long holiday during Covid whilst I worked all the way through it. Not the slightest bit interested in paying them more'

Ashton has since made some more reasonable posts that haven't had the same degree of negative reaction; the reason being they weren't complete arse gravy. Widespread objection to that was not bullying, it was the response to an unpopular and unfortunately worded post that insulted thousands of hard-working and often undervalued people.