It all started with Cristiano signing for Al Nassr last year. Karim Benzema, the Real Madrid striker and one of the best on the planet currently, decided to move to Al-Ittihad. He is joined by N’Golo Kante who had injuries last season but is still a very decent player on the field.
Ruben Neves from Wolves had interest from different Premier League teams. Not long ago, every other Arsenal fan wanted Mikel to bring him to Emirates, he is such a decent midfielder that he will start in any of the PL team’s midfield bar City. He has moved to Al-Hilal, at the age of 26 for a 3 year contract, and Wolves are getting £47m for him. Chelsea has shifted Hakim Ziyech and Edouard Mendy is expected to leave too. There are rumours of Koulibaly, Mahrez, Aubameyang, Neymar and a bunch of others.
Is it any difference to Chinese Super League or MLS? In short, yes.
China turned out to be a retirement home, so did MLS (and even now, they are). Players who had spent their best days, were moving to MLS and CSL, to earn a big fat check. Kind of a ‘grab whatever you can coz it’s going to be over soon’ round. But what Saudi League has managed differently is that, they have attracted some of the best and in-their-prime players. Though, Ronaldo had a bad season by his standards at Old Trafford, he could have literally walked into any of the teams he wanted. Benzema is still a hot entity in world football. Heck, I would have loved Neves at Arsenal for that amount of money.
Mendy is a Champions League winner. Riyad Mahrez, Bernando Silva, Gundogan, who all just won a trebble at City, are all being linked to different Saudi teams. We even have rumours for one of our own, Thomas Partey. Much like others, Partey is still in his prime and had a brilliant season with us. He still has couple of good years left in him.
What Saudi League has done, is, attract the attractive ones (money helps) and build from there. Any other league like Indian Soccer League are low on budget, they can’t pay millions and though the playing condition is a bit of hostile, it’s not as much as Saudi Arabia here. It’s the bottom up approach for Indian Football. It’s the top down for Saudis. Hear me out, Ngolo Kante is rumoured to have a net worth of 23m euros after playing in one of the richest league, in one of the richest clubs in Chelsea and winning almost everything. He will earn whooping 100m euros in his 4 year contract at the Saudi club. 4 times his net worth!
Is it going to last?
I don’t know. Unlike China and US, they have money and they can keep doing it forever. The lot that’s reaching Saudi this year (and the next year) will decide how famous they get, and how much impact it will have on European Football. English football in particular is rooted enough, and might not have impact in terms of revenue and popularity locally, but there’s a bigger market share outside and Saudi league will compete with it. Some of the neutral fans are invested in players (Ronaldo, Messi e.g.) rather than the club they play for.
What can the English club do?
Nothing, they have opened the pandora box. From an owner, who spent half a billion in one season, and now wants to shift some players and recoup some of that money, has a buyer outside Europe. Players, who were sitting on bench, being paid a whooping 100k/week wages will earn 10x of that. It’s a win-win for the club and the players as of now. It won’t be long before the players whom the club wants to keep, will ask for a transfer for that 10x money. It won’t be long before it further inflates the market because you have to pay substantially more to keep your prized possession from moving to Saudi (and MLS has opened the gate too with Messi and Image/TV rights).
In my honest opinion, it’s worse that the European Super League. Either it will ruin the financials all over, or it will force clubs to go back to grassroot level of developing footballer and instilling in them the club identity over money.
Only positive? For every Neves, there’s a Lukaku.
You are welcome to disagree with what I feel, because I haven’t seen anything like this. I don’t know how it will turn out. I would be more interested in your opinion about why/why not it’s a good thing for football in general and English Premier League in particular.
Bob
Agree on the heat – I did make some Gazpacho yesterday so I’m at least sorted for lunch!
https://arseblog.news/2023/06/transcript-mikel-arteta-talks-to-marca/
That’s fair, Bob, now I have the facts I’ll understand better where you’re coming from. I didn’t want to label you because I hate labels but I only had world of academia to go by. I’ve met few doctors (PhD’s) I’ve liked. You’ll know from running a business with different management levels that CVs mean little in the scheme of things.
As mentioned they maybe at the top of their games in contracts and legal matters, but negotiators they are not. Business strategists they are not and rain makers they are not.
Was you business linked to education? Just curious.
Anyway, please don’t forget I love the club, too, and I’m an old grisly when it comes to things business. I used to love start ups because building something from nothing and handing it over was something I enjoyed. People who worked for me always did well.
We’ll never agree about The Arsenal until Arteta either wins a title or the CL or is fired.
I don’t care which, as long as we start winning and seriously challenging for the full season.
Marc
Fair point, too. I was going to ask you if you still cooked, as I remember you enjoying the culinary arts.
It’s good to share, Bob, it makes communicating some much easier 🙂
Tony
Yeah still enjoy a bit of cooking – going to make Osso Buco later (poss tomorrow if it doesn’t cool down a touch later).
Tony, ‘we’ll never agree about Arsenal…..’ If you make it about whether Arteta is doing a good job or not!
It was a dive shop and a backpackers hotel on Utila, Bay Islands, Honduras. Utila Dive centre and The Mango Inn. Great times while I was single in my late 20s into my early 30s but not so worthwhile when I got together with my wife 25 years ago!
Teaching in inner city schools in North London is a gateway to a multi cultural world. My highlight last week was when a very shy, recently arrived Ukrainian boy who had seemingly ignored me all day came up at the end of the day and offered me a high 5.
The previous week’s highlight was a 10 year old girl who I’ve taught on and off all year, told me that her mum was picking her up as her dad was on tour. I asked whether he was a musician and she replied saying he’d been in a few bands. I asked whether I would have heard of any of them and she said ‘Have you heard of Blur?’. Her Dad is the lead guitarist!
Working in primary schools is not the same as University academia. You are part of the local community which in London can mean 15 or more different cultural backgrounds in one class. It’s one of the reasons I love London, this cultural diversity from a young age, it means that the children have a real opportunity to grow up as tolerant humans, recognising and understanding difference. They are friends with whoever treats them well which makes difference in culture, skin colour, religion largely irrelevant.
Hi Bob
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I can easily see why those apparently small exchanges with students resonate so much. In fact they must really make your day. I’m thinking of doing some arts and social science-based support for A-level teachers and students this coming academic year. Where better to pour knowledge into kids’ minds about the virtues of revolutionary Marxism! Your comments have inspired me!
I never made it to Honduras although I did spend a few tense hours at the airport in Tegucigalpa. Gun fire a-go-go. My central American experiences involved a month topping up my Spanish in Cuernavaca, 4 mad months working in Mexico City, 4 really dull wet months in Belmopan (British Honduras before it became Belize of course) and some brief forays into Guatemala, Costa Rica and Nicaragua (sin Somosa!). I was always struck by a Mexican saying which is kind of equivalent to our idiom ‘things are going from bad to worse’ ie ‘salir de Guatemala para entrar a Guatepeor’. This saying of course also sums up Arsenal’s fortunes after jettisoning Emery and putting Arteta in his stead. 😉
Mmmm… Gazpacho. Marc – I had this recipe that involved freezing little sprigs of basil, rosemary and coriander in ice cubes and adding them at the end.
Kroenke, mainland Honduras was and isn’t for the faint hearted! The Bay Islands are very different; originally made up from Cayman Islanders, bilingual and piratical in their mentality.
Learnt to dive in Belize, travelled a little in Mexico, being taught how to properly body surf by a stable hand from Kentucky, drinking too much mezcal in Zipolite on the Pacific coast and Guatemala, Tikal in the jungle was one of my highlights, climbing up temples above the tree line, howler monkeys doing their thing, like being in Tomb Raider.
Love the Guate phrase. Not sure Arsenal are going from bad to worse but it’s one interpretation!
Just watching Blondie. I had the cliche Blondie poster up on my wall as a 15 year old….
Bob-I certainly don’t begrudge you for your usual divide and conquer/hearts and minds rapprochements…that said, yours is clearly not a quest to bring unity among the rank and file for the greater good of the club, but simply a headboard notching exercise which seeks to convert the seemingly unconvertible…we’re neither moldable clay nor the misguided and unwilling occupants of the island of misfit fans, so please refrain from employing the same pedestrian tactics that you clearly lean on in your professional endeavours …as someone who has who has both played sports at an exceptionally high level and has likewise taught those from the ages of 7 to 77, I fully comprehend both your pedagogically-inspired inklings and what’s necessary in order to thread the highly nuanced championship level needle
in conclusion, I would simply ask you this, would you leave your classroom in the hands of someone who had no experience whatsoever and who cared infinitely more about what others thought and their own selfish pursuits than completing the task at hand in the most logical and timely fashion?…btw, since we last spoke your sentences have exhibited the same sort of “run-on” and unorthodox qualities that you were so quick to judge me for, so maybe you should take your on advice and get your grammatical house in order…have a great day
own advice
if it’s to be believed that the Hammers have strongly encouraged us to submit a 3rd bid in order to finally complete the process we started some time ago, it could be a good sign for those who view Rice as our missing link…of course, it could be an attempt on their part to incite an official bidding war with the likes of City, but it seems more likely to be a reflection of their desire to both placate Rice’s wishes and get on with their own off-season transfer pursuits…at this juncture I’m not even sure what matters more, the impact that Rice will have on our multiple front aspirations or to not be gazumped for the umpteenth time(slight exaggeration)…sadly, it just might be the latter…our sloth-like business practices are oft-times a lose-lose proposition, as the extra time involved enables the outside observer to look more closely at the player in question, flaws and all, which could quite easily sully the whole endeavour, or it can actually lead to some viewing this potential acquisition as so transformative that anything less than getting it over the line will be considered an unmitigated disaster
I still believe that the positional versatility and doggedness of Caicedo are much more in keeping with our most pressing tactical needs…that said, I certainly think Rice will instantly make us better, but by how much is the 100 million dollar question…it’s not like I question his obvious DM qualities, it’s his passing nous that gives me cause for concern…in the more recent past we’ve relied so heavily on a deeper-lying pivot so I’m not sure what our tactics will look like with someone who’s nowhere near the level of an in-form Partey…if his presence requires us to return to MA’s early tactical inklings, a 4-2-3-1, with GD Jorginho as the Xhaka replacement, and Havertz in some sort of frontline rotation with Jesus, no fucking thanks
on a side note, enough with the banter surrounding PSG’s interest in MA, which btw was not their first option…this reminds me too much of the latter Wenger years when we had to hear too many fucking stories about the “better” jobs and players he turned away…hopefully this isn’t being used in a “like a new signing” way, so that we supposedly have something to hang our proverbial hats on should our transfer plans go tits-up
not sure a managerial appointment at a club who treats their hired help much in the same vein as Trump treats his Russian prostitutes is really a feather in your professional cap
based on how ESR has performed at the U21’s, MA’s ghosting of him later in the season is even more baffling…I feel for the kid as he clearly wants to come good again at his preferred club, but based on MA’s supposed TW pursuits, I just don’t see him getting significant minutes…if I were in his camp I would have a difficult time not encouraging him to seek some potentially greener pastures…I really want him to stay on, but not if he’s not in our plans, as I think he can really help another top flight club, even if he’s being deployed in a more “super sub” capacity
Bob, I echo KP’s sentiments and when it comes to kids, well you know how my background would support our young generations, our way is to help them by paying for school and books. I admire inner city teachers and can see how even the slightest of a connection made makes the job so worthwhile.
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Dive shop was going to be my next guess where I can imagine that was a great business to own. Sadly, wives tend to prefer proper jobs like fathers, so a period of experiences to savor through life. What you do now is something that requires great patience and talent and how I wish there had been a ‘Bob’ type in my early orphan years.
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You have my utmost respect and I thank you deeply for sharing. As with authors, I try to get into the minds of writers and musicians, as to what stimulates their story telling real or otherwise. It’s not as deep as it sounds, but more perspective seeking based.
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Football wise Arteta has always been too involved. Aouar v Partey was a shameful affair played up to the last TW minutes.
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TRVL
Divide and conquering really? You think us so shallow?
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Kidding mi amigo, but a bit harsh I must say. I think some times and especially here we have to let others have their say, vent or rant. We come here to be with like minded and generally emotionally Gooners.
Bob was right in that he said we need to keep a focus on the bigger picture as well as closely examining the smaller details, as TWs are jigsaw puzzles at the best of times. Would you be happy with Lavia, Rice, Havertz and Timber?
As a big picture they could well fit together.
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KH could go either way, Rice is unknown at 8 and Timber is an Ajax, Dutch league player looking to step up where Lavia is similar from a lesser Euro league. The smaller details make our potential buys really not much different to previous windows. More gamble than perfectly fitting pics to play together.
The proof will be in the PL results, and as such I’ll add poor club TW performance comments here now, but I’ll give A&E 12 games to show what their plans were for this coming season’s buys or the lack of them.
Until then it’s unknown, so we should harbor hope to begin with and then adjusted from results.
.
Almunia
I meant no offense with my academic and doctor references, but pretentiousness and acting like the smartest cat in the room doesn’t work for me, I grab my flak jacket and go to verbal war or I head for the nearest exit because that person doesn’t need me to point out what a dick they are.
The teacher I fondly remember most was my comprehensive school 60+yo maths teacher, Mr. Platt, with spittle in the cracks of his mouth the indomitable Lancaster bomber navigator from WW2 who used to make maths into bombing raids and navigation. No one was late for his class or left early.
I see Bob in that category now.
Marc
Osso Bucco is one of my favourite Italian meals even if it’s meant as a cheap lamb neck dish. I don’t cook, but I watch Masterchef Australia and MKR in it’s earlier days. I understand about cooking when people talk, but no idea of the actual practical side. Moving to France should be a gastronomic delight. I’m seriously bored of differing levels of chilli and lemon grass.
Tony-it might have come across as a tad harsh, as you’ve suggested, but when people go out of their way to enage in a far more personal pissing contest with me I generally don’t let that slide…he went all school teacher with me and, considering my extensive experience in that particular profession, I responded in a manner I felt best suited the circumstances…I certainly don’t harbour any real ill-will towards him, in fact, I rather enjoyed our usual back-and-forth, but when his responses took on a more pot calling the kettle black vibe my impression of him quickly changed
like I’ve mentioned before, I have encountered this type of behaviour on a myriad of occasions over the years on several Arsenal forums…as a general rule these types of techniques were used by those who were well-aware of the pro-Wenger or Arteta sentiments of a particular blog owner and saw this as a means to bait those with contrarian views and a penchant for flying off the handle…it’s clear that the ultimate goal is to encourage enough of these types of responses so that this targeted individual might be subsequently ousted…these types of practices were quite commonplace on both LG and JA and although Bob wasn’t incredibly persistent with his baiting attempts it did trigger my natural instincts to respond in a more aggressive manner
if this offended anyone, like yourself, KP, Almunia, Marc or other contributors, who I feel that I’ve developed a definitive kinship with, I do apologize, as this certianly wasn’t my intent…I guess sometimes I forget that not everyone has the same tough skin as myself, in that I really enjoy the banter, regardless of it’s tone…so in the future I just need to be more cognizant of this fact and maybe not lean into this course of action so often…Cheers
Bob
These work for short periods and worth the relief but not for long term usage:
https://www.amazon.com/Ice-Air-Conditioner/s?k=Ice+Air+Conditioner
We just had out hottest summer for many years averaging 45+*C daily for 3-months and thankful it rains every day now.
on a more footballing note, imagine someone who wanted others to view them as a journalist could actually write an article that referred to Havertz as “one of the best players in Europe”…I like the player, at least his Bayer incarnation, but this is a fucking rich claim
TRVL
No, nothing like that just, we all need a bit of a reality check now and again. I’m no different. We are a real community here of strong minded people, no apology needed for me.
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The world of academia is a law unto itself where the best and brightest minds come together, but who’s to say a teacher of young students is any less smart than a professor teaching astral physics? It’s all in the teaching and connecting with one’s students.
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Arteta doesn’t help himself where you’d think he’d have learnt by now, so believe me when I say I’m not happy with where we are at the moment TW wise, as I posted above, and we need to get our incomings prior to pre season, something we’re not good at, which leaves Arteta struggling to settle his new look team.
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I’d offer you some patience, but my reserves are running low, too. A&E’s serial mistake making is not helping either.
Ambarish
Good work recently and is paying off.
More will come in time of that I’m sure. Keep the posts coming and please ask by email for one of us to help when you don’t have the time. We look to you now to tell us when you want help, such as when you go on holiday. Our cultures maybe different, but we are all behind you 100% Ambarish, don’t be shy in asking, as you have some great proponents of the written word here.
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Approx 8 weeks to the new season and counting.
Morning Tony,
Thanks for the kind words.
I think Rice will be playing 6 but against stronger teams, Lavia(fingers crossed) could play alongside Rice, so I think you’re concern about him playing 8 is ungrounded. I do hope ESR has a good pre season, whenever he joins the squad, as I feel he at the very least could be great coming on in the 8 position.
Havertz is definitely intriguing. I was very interested to see his attacking runs stats – 2nd in the PL. He’s good in the air, like Rice which will help in both attacking and defending set pieces. Defensively without the ball I’m not too sure. Getting a top 6 in is clearly vital!
Where I am nervous is still in our ability to extract the maximum when selling. The thought of Xhaka and Partey going for the same (or less) than Lavia doesn’t seem right. Both on high wages of course but still.
Bob
It’s never easy selling to a market that is flush with clubs wanting to sell, this particular period seems to be worse than most. In this situation, I’d see Edu’s job as finding the right fits for our outgoings and sell that to the clubs best suited. Assuming the fit is mutually beneficial, If the player doesn’t want to go, then let him train alone. The club has acted fairly in trying to help move the player on. Xhaka and Partey are of our own doing yet again.
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To be fair and for footballing reasons only, I’d keep Partey for one more season unless it’s all about to go pear shaped for him, then let him be someone else’s problem.
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I see Everton want Raul to get them out of the mire and find them players.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETxmCCsMoD0
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Come on no way Raul gets Pink Floyd. Corny seriously fits and they were Sweden’s biggest export.
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KSE needs an elite negotiator and salesperson who can sell dreams successfully while sedating Mikel – seducing if it’s a woman.
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There’s that and being more financially prudent in the issuing of packages and deals with the future firmly in mind assessed by an algorithm, perhaps?
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Time will tell, Bob.
Tony
Bob is bullshitting you about his disdain for hot temperatures and high humidity. He’s a veteran of the coasts and jungles of central America for chrissakes! Bob – have you read Mosquito Coast or seen the film? That mega fridge that the father built. The coast and cays of the Yucatan and Belize were pretty full-on but I imagine it just got that extra bit stickier and gnattier down your way.
I know that feeling of inner city heat though. Washington DC was insane in summer. Down here on the SW coast of Wales, thankfully there’s usually a westerly breeze at some stage of the day.
The heat… The dust… The flies… The auld shileleagh! Get the beers in Bob – that’ll cool things down.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jun/26/pakistan-india-football-south-asian-cup
Hi Ambarish, Hoopah, Divyanshu
I saw this and thought of you. I don’t know if you watched it but it sounded like the kind of full-on sporting occasion that one expects between India and Pakistan these days. I see your man Chhteri played his part.
Igor Stimac sounds like he’s taking a leaf out of Arteta’s book of being sporting to the opposition…
Stimac used to play for Southampton back in the day i think which possibly helps to explain why he can be an arsehole.
Kroenke,
When I first went to Utila the island’s electricity ran on a generator which was turned off at around 10pm. Being much younger and getting accustomed to the heat made it more manageable, as well as being able to snorkel in the Caribbean in my luck breaks! Obviously sea breezes were a feature but a still, humid day was to be endured. By the end of my time there I was usually sleeping with aircon. The sand flies were the worst aspect of the island though. Vaguely remember Mosquito Coast…
‘Inner city heat’ is brutal! Working when it’s over 26c is harsh. Yesterday after walking the dog I mostly kept still!
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jun/26/elton-john-at-glastonbury-review-headline-pyramid-stage
Isn’t it marvelous how you still can’t see the join… Yeah right!
Someone should tell Watford’s favourite and baldest son that he needs a smaller syrup because his head has shrunk with age a bit like something from a West African ju-ju market.
I’m no longer a fan of that old nazi Morrissey but I’ll always remember a wonderful quote of his about Elton John…
‘I’ve been a sworn vegetarian for as long as I can remember, but I’d give it up in an instant if someone brought me Elton John’s head on a plate….’
Tony
Not sure if you’re a fan of the little fella (I doubt it given the stuff I know you’re into) but there ought to be a soundproofed geriatric jail on Mars for rock stars who refuse to put their axes, drums, pianos anything down. Elton, the Stones, Paul McCartney the lot of ’em. I’d even pilot the Rocket! 🚀
Kroenke, funnily enough I was having a slightly heated discussion with my step daughter On Saturday whilst watching Guns n Roses, about ageing musicians performing. She argued that if they’re way past their peak they shouldn’t perform, I argued that nostalgic pleasure is real and trumps the faded talent issue. I guess we both had a point! We agreed to differ!
The thought of eating Elton John’s head is more than disgusting, just imagine him turning up on a silver platter with an apple stuffed in his mouth!
KP
I liked Elton in his Goodbye Yellow brick Road 73 days. He had such a good writing partnership with Bernie Taupin. They went their own ways after and I lost interest in Elton for maybe a decade or so where some of his hits I liked. Talented guy for sure.
Now just hold on a minute the Rolling Stones needs to stay but the Stone Roses and others you mention are an embarrassment. Their live sets and I’ve got many BluRays/files of them, are just excellent. Bassist, Darryl Jones, as with Guy Pratt with Floyd added to the Stones musicality greatly, and probably elongated their career and what else Mick Jagger fancied lengthening.
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Great Bass line in Out of control from live in Bremen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6Zgp3Kw6Q0
#keepthestonesearthbound
Mind you, KP, I read that they were playing with Bill Wyman, the statue like bass player, again. Maybe they can be put on the pending list.
The above track was 98. Cuba was an excellent gig, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXnQp8EJEvE
RIP Charlie missed not forgotten.
Bob
I entirely agree with your daughter. These old bands are rock and roll establishment which ought to be mutually exclusive terms. In my view, they and the awful programmes that Simon Cowell make should be discredited (note I don’t use the word ‘banned’) and the way should be genuinely cleared for younger and original talent. If the festival phenomenon started with Woodstock, I doubt that Bill Haley, Mel Torme and Perry Como were considered for the headline acts. Glastonbury just looks to me like an exemplification of white, smug englishness saying look how edgy we are sipping prosecco watching Elton John reprise his back catalogue for the 500,000th time.
The Clash had it right when they penned that track 1977
In 1977 I hope I go to heaven
‘Cause I been too long on the dole
And I can’t work at all
Danger stranger
You better paint your face
No Elvis, Beatles, or The Rolling Stones
In 1977
In 1977
Anyway,who believes EJ is actually going to retire? I saw what was vaunted as the Who’s last ever gig at the Birmingham NEC in about 1980. They were back on the circuit in months. So will Elton be when the lame and toupee industries undergo inflation. Old Elton might need shrinkflation as well.
I get your point to some extent Tony but it’s striking that bands that walked the walk are happy now not to be taking to the stage using zimmer frames and have therefor grown old more gracefully.
When Jagger leaves this mortal coil, I’m have expecting some Tory ballbag to call for a national week of mourning. I find the likes of de Niro and Pacino becoming father’s again in their 70s equally yuck.
Phew! This all makes such a welcome change from speculating whether the bubble blowers are going to serve up Rice. I took a rarish dip into LG today. Soooooo fucking dull.