THAT title was, quite frankly, a ludicrous thing to type after what should have been a straight forward game. But nothing is easy this season, nothing straight forward it seems. Even a home cup tie against a Championship team leaves you pulling your hair out and finishes so late I considered going straight to work after.
It had seemed like we might be in for a normal night at one point, I think. Jordan Rossiter scoring after a defensive mix up usually reserved for the home team at Anfield. If we can’t cut them out, I’m at least glad they are spreading. Rossiter did finish it confidently though. In fact he did everything confidently, always wanting the ball and using it intelligently. When he tired Williams came on and did exactly the same with the added bonus of being dead big. Took his penalty beautifully too (after some wonderful encouragement from The Kop). Lucas did alright alongside them both as well, much happier in a deeper role. Maybe we might have some midfielders after all.
Behind them we didn’t look terrific, but is it just me or do we seem a bit calmer when Toure is there? I know we were playing a Championship team, and he did loads of mad stuff, but everyone seems a bit more assured when he is about, despite him being the weakest of our four central defenders. Saying that we still concede from a free kick, Jose Enrique doing a great job of telling everyone else what to do before forgetting to mark his man. He was alright though Enrique, generally won his battles as always and part of a high proportion of the few good things we do with the ball too, including the second goal. He’s a good fella to have around. Moreno may be clearly the better player but he could learn a thing or two from him still, including how to use the ball effectively in the final third.
Suso takes his goal well. In fact he did lots of things well. It was funny because his pro-activity showed up the others playing in similar positions who were far more tentative. Lallana and Sterling (for 119 minutes at least) both had good games, showing nice touches and that they are generally good players. But too often they seemed to be waiting to see what was happening, looking around for too long and allowing the opposition to get set. Looking for others for inspiration instead of providing it themselves. Suso came on and decided to play however he wanted and that everyone else should try and join in. It went ok. Certainly better than for Markovic, who seems to lack a trick as well as a trigger.
There is of course, a reason we are so tentative. A mixture of players not knowing each other terribly well and not being particularly suited to playing with each other, at least in the formation they have been set up in. I feel for Lambert really, isolated to a ridiculous degree, forced to run channels only to find himself unable to do anything when he receives it there. I feel for those attacking players behind him, turning and looking for a runner and only finding a fella who always wants it into feet. The outcome will probably be that Lambert features less and less, but the manager has paid money for him and so should really have a better idea of how he can utilise the skills he has without just sticking him up top on his own and hoping for the best.
You can tell it wasn’t all Lambert’s fault, as it wasn’t much easier for Balotelli when he came on, having to come deep for the ball leaving space up front that no-one seemed to be instructed to fill. That said once Middlesbrough began to tire, Liverpool did begin to impose themselves, and had by far their best period of the game leading up to the Suso goal. After that they had a choice whether to press on for a third or see out the game. They chose the latter, possibly with an eye on Saturday. Seeing the game out is all well and good if you can do it. Liverpool couldn’t, or maybe just can’t. I said to my dad next to me it would take something daft for Middlesbrough to score and boy did we get it. Suddenly its full time and Boro players who were cramping up ten minutes ago look like they are ready for another 90 and our lads all look shell shocked. On top of this their end is bouncing and half the Main Stand have gone home. It doesn’t look good.
The end is crucial here. I convince myself which ever end we kick will decide the tie. Luckily its The Kop end and so I assure myself we’ll be fine. They miss first and everything is as it should be. All great pens from us until Sterling. I understand why he was put on the last one. A bad night for him in gifting them a goal at the death becomes a good one if he slots it. He doesn’t of course, and so it becomes a rotten night. But he’ll move on quickly. Bet he scores on Saturday. Then it goes on forever and ever and ever until one of their lads webs it into the stand out of sheer boredom and we’ve won. Muted celebrations as it should be. Some great penalties from unlikely lads though.
Middlesbrough deserve a lot of credit of course, their team for showing application and technique as well as spirit and their fans for turning up with a Justice banner, selling out their end despite it being miles to travel on a weeknight and being on the TV, and making a racket all evening. I’ll let some strange behaviour pass, although having three Chelsea players on loan, a Chelsea away kit and singing songs about Chelsea goals against Liverpool does suggest something of an identity crises. The ‘Sign On’ stuff is shite though from a group of fans who a month ago rightly protested against the TV show Benefits Street being filmed in the town with a banner that read ‘BEING POOR IS NOT ENTERTAINMENT’. They will probably use the dreaded ‘B word’ to describe the ‘Sign On’ chants. But making fun of poverty is either fair game or it isn’t and the people of Middlesbrough need to decide whose side they are on. Warning though, on the other side are dreadful lads and they’ll be laughing their heads off over two places in the North arguing over who this country have let down more.
Anyway, Liverpool need to get better and quick. More fluid, more solid and much more belief and character. Everton on Saturday. Any hopes Daniel?
summed that up beautifully John – my favourite bit – “until one of their lads webs it into the stand out of sheer boredom ” – it defo seemed like that!!! I also spent the entire game pondering the Toure question. He just seemed like he was organising everyone a bit better than we’ve seen recently, but, on the flip side, he’s always got a mad moment in him and it was against a championship side. Wouldn’t blame him for a mistake on the penalty – it was after 120+3 minutes after not playing all season! And it was more the poor pass which had them on the front foot. We seem to make one mistake and it’s a goal at the moment – nothing new there I guess – I think we’ll have to score 3 to have a chance of winning on Saturday – and God knows where those goals are coming from…”Any hopes Daniel?” indeed!!
Benefits Street filmed in Stockton. Not Middlesbrough.
*Editor: And Stockton-on-Tees is four miles from Middlesbrough. Plenty of Middlesbrough fans live there.*
They still did the protest though, yes?
And, It wasn’t the Chelsea away kit. Just looked identical. Jesus Christ!
I started getting aroused around 70 mins in. It was Enrique’s fault, playing out of his skin in the league cup – the league cup! After Suso’s goal I had the kind of stonker I’ve not seen in a few weeks. I saw a brief glimpse of it during Kate Forrester’s ‘knickers’ podcast. But this, this was hard, I mean rock. For fifteen minutes I admired it’s proud, angry pose. I almost took a selfie. I should have done because after that crazy back pass and the assault in the penalty box my once magnificent boner disappeared quicker than a Balotelli twitter troll.
Then came the craziest penalty shoot out I’ve ever seen. Every one a belter, even the misses. “Who takes the penalties? ” Balotelli once asked. ‘Everyone’, should have been the reply. Good experience for a young team as two of them breathed a sigh of relief I climbed into my onezie
rec for having a onesie.
Lambert looking utterly out of his depth and more like a Sunday pub side reserve. Slow of feet, slower in the head.
I was in 2 minds last night about going. In the end I decided I was gonna go and enjoy it. As in, use it to check out the players on the fringe of the first 11. I wasn’t gonna get down about it as I wasn’t bothered about the result. Problem is, it doesn’t work like that. It’s impossible not to be bothered. Truth is, it left me with more questions than answers again. I didn’t even have the consolation of watching an epic penalty shoot out because for the first time ever I left before the whistle. I left on 29:50 mins of extra time because I was so desperate for a smoke.
I’m not gonna get on players back who haven’t been given a chance but Lambert worries me. In fact, our strike force worries me now. I agree with Neil Atkinson that our problem is not scoring more than a dodgy defence. We need 1 more Sturridge before I’ll be content. I’m livid Sterling played 2 hours. Completely unnecessary. Look at Everton’s team last night.
On Sterling, I’m sick to death of Real Madrid. If he’s there main target then we’ll lose him. P.s I’m glad I’ve pulled out the Madrid trip. Ronaldo scored 4 again last night. That’s 7 in 4 days. It could be over 10-0. Last time we went there you couldn’t get tickets outside the ground. If anyone’s going your best bet is pay the 30 Euros to become a Real member.
if we get to keep suso it will all have been worth it.
No way is Suso leaving anytime soon cos he won’t get playing time. Look at Isco and IllaraMendi. they’re riding pine. Amazing players too.
it WAS good to have Enrique back, I have missed the shepherding the ball out of play. To try and sound like Neil, “the endless, endless shepherding”.
If you want to get the best out of Lambert play him behind Sturridge as a forward pivot: he loves a through ball.
God knows what a “forward pivot” is, but if it involves being slow then Lambert’s ideal. I felt really uncomfortable watching Lambert prove beyond doubt that he is a trier but no more than that. Why Rodgers felt the need to ‘invest’ £4m on a guy completely unsuited to our style of play is beyond me. He must have been recommended by the same scout who told Rodgers that Mingolet was the ideal keeper for us. On a positive note the young lads showed great maturity and confidence, Enrique was strong and played on the front foot. A big shout for Lucas, snubbed as captain for the lamentable Lambert, he put in a great shift and showed that we have a good defensive midfielder if Rodgers bothers to play him. Suso too gave the impression that he has something to offer, again if Rodgers bothers to play him.
Think Teddy Sheringham. Someone who can stop play while players flood the box then provide the through ball. He has a good weight of pass. What he can’t do is run the bloody channels. But I agree, it seems odd that we’ve signed two slow strikers when our game is built on pace.
Jordan Williams (Jordon?). Woof. That guy was immense. MOAR JORDONS!
Rodgers looks like Dick Emery’s impression of a saucy vicar.
He does too!
Oh you are awful!
As a Lucas apologist (and proud) it makes me happy to see that he had a good game in his best position and if played there he doesnt look like a 90yr old playing professional sports.
Not that Brendan will see it mind but still….!! :)
I love TAW, look forward to each download.
But one thing that does irritate, is the presumption that all listeners are Labour supporters.
Some of us believe in what this Tory Government are about.
Trying to reduce public expediture, reduce the appeal of a life on benefits
Private sector job creation, there are more people in work now than at any other time in history.
Yes, some are low paid jobs, awful zero hours contracts, but we’re competing in a global market, it’s not a recession, it’s a correction.
Get job experience, put it on the CV, learn and move on and up.
The cost of living is far less in China and the rest of developing world than it is in the UK, so they pay their workers less to produce the goods WE BUY.
We can’t yet pay ourselves more, to produce goods which then no one can buy.
I don’t want a Government that’ll tax hard working people even more. The highest paid, those who put in more hours, those who build companies to offer employment to others, they’re already paying more, I’m self-employed, sometimes I work 70+ hours a week, do you think it’s right I might have to pay over half in tax, give half way!
Keep up your terrific web site and podcasts, but please tone down the politics, that’s not why we listen.
P.S, In 1981 I left college and had to move south after 14 months on the dole, the family have all died out now, house gone, and I’ve got 3 school kids of my own, so probably can never return, an ecomonic migrant you might say, but I’ve done well with 2 O’levels and 7 U grades…you can’t escape (job) market forces, Labour don’t understand markets, don’t forget if you shop around to find the best deals, you ARE the market.
I don’t think anyone presumes any support for the Labour Party, as such, but more of a support for a common “socialism” of the type that means we all look out for the weakest among us and try to help them. That’s the Liverpool way, as a city and as a club. That’s why as a city Liverpool doesn’t vote Conservative, because it’s alien to the concept of standing up for the few against the many – but also why it only grudgingly votes Labour, because the Milliband/Blair/Straw/Mandelson New Labour never really stood up for anything either….
As for the football, were a few games into the season, have a shed load of players injured (Sturridge, Allen, Can, Flanno, Johnson) plus ones only just returning. Teams are setting up differently having suffered at hands of our rampant forward line last season. We have to work it out, and get players back, and Brendan Rodgers has the ability to do it. Not so far adrift at the moment…. YNWA
Capitalism is minimal government control and allowing a free market economy.
Socialism is ownership by the community and equality for all.
There’s the way it is….. and there’s the way it ought to be.
Both systems care for the elderly, the sick and the poorest, and they do, differently and with totally different results.
I’m not sure I agree LFC look after the weakest and poorest of it’s supporters but that’s another story.
I lived in Liverpool for my first 22 years, I’ve live outside for 30, I know how Scousers are regarded.
“here’s a Scouser, watch your hubcaps”, follows me around.
From the outside it looks like Liverpool feels picked upon, “the few against the many”.
But I know from the inside, Liverpool people are vibrant, funny, resilient and enterprising. The city needs a serious image revamp.
Take a look at how bitter Evertonians appear when we play them at Goodison, we all know they’re not bad people, it’s a perception from the outside
Just maybe a Conservative majority in the city, or council lead, might bring capital investment, interest, fresh ideas and more opportunity than a continuation of the ‘us and them’ theme.
of course “minimal govt leading to fee market economy” is the biggest lie ever pushed.
Minimal govt means a vacuum and it’s the Corporations that fill that vacuum. That then means govt policy is basically made to keep corporations happy. It’s an evil within the system.
The way the EU works is that they have the power to suggest things that stand up to corporations. However those suggestions then have to be ratified by the individual country [prime] ministers – who have the corporations in their ear saying “if you don’t stand by our interests then maybe we’re operating in the wrong country”. It’s blackmail pure and simple.
Hence the EU becomes remarkably ineffective. The tories do make this worse because they worship corporations. Anyone who makes money must be good no matter what the background story.
Their total lack of concern about the creation of oligopolies and the individual [most earn very modest wages for extremely meagre pension entitlements] is a disgrace. And selling our soul to the finance industry as opposed to what Germany does for example (manufacturing) is the biggest betrayal of its people by any Government in the 20th Century since the war. That’s where the debt train started and it can never end. The industry must have more profits this year than last. That means more debt must be issued. That means there must be another housing boom. Tough if you’re parents can’t divest their high house price to help you. You must be undeserving. A scrounger, looking for a handout.
Policy these days for any essential need has to now pass the private sector test – is it good for their profits. That’s why the BTL industry will not be acted against. Nothing will be done because they make money so they must be supported.
Did you know they enjoy tax relief on 10% of their income? Why? What have they done to deserve that while also having lending rates plummet artificially? (they certainly don’t maintain their properties).
Hence for 9 million who rent, they are being squeezed into poverty all through govt policy and inaction – all because someone is making money, so it must be good.
you make a good point about being careful bringing politics into something that shouldn’t be about politics – although lets face it, economics is at the heart of football in a very 21st Century way – ie shitloads of funny money made available to keep the finance industry going.
And there you go, we’re back to politics and the really appalling right wing debt/finance industry based economic policy that’s all about devaluing the currency and pushing asset bubbles while your average joe doesn’t understand why his wages don’t make it to the end of the week/month anymore.
We import because we don’t apply duties to countries’ products that refuse to offer anything like the kind of society you/we believe in, with healthcare, pensions, security and land ownership – how many people drummed off their land in China? How many suicides in ipod factories?
Osbourne took us to within a rounding error of a triple dip recession. The BofE had to ride in and print £200billion (read that again) to keep us going and stop us going down the toilet. If we went into recession the game would have been over. We would have been savaged by world markets.
Do you know that it was deliberate? Instead of printing money to spend as before, by using QE, the banks push the money out to private individuals to take on the debt instead of the govt. That’s an ideological approach. But it’s sinister. It’s about credit which is only available to the better off rather than better wages. Hence the housing and BTL boom on the South East and the recovery there. But it trashes the currency and rasies the cost of living and there you have it. The rich get richer because they can get the credit that QE leads to (cheap credit). They easily withstand inflation while half of the population is wondering why the can’t get their wage to last the month. You are easily conned.
Did you know the tories recently fought the EU who were trying to limit landowner/farmer payouts to £300K to reform the CAP? Individuals have to be limited no matter how much their rents rise but not wealthy landowners who get millions from the CAP.
Why is it never the btl landlords at fault, who have seen their borrowing costs plummet artificially yet continue raising rents? It’s all about dole scroungers for you, yet you’ve moved south to get work where the finance industry dominates. Don’t you see the irony?
Did you know 4 out of 5 jobs created since 2010 have been created in the South East? You know, where hundreds of billions have been spent on the banks, infrastructure in London, rich economic migrants looking for politically safe place that doesn’t ask where their money comes from, and there’s a massive housing boom going on where house prices have exceeded 2007 highs? That’s a good economy to you?
I can show you people whose rents have risen 80% of their income and rely on tax credits and food banks to live. They can’t move because landlords are refusing to take in families with children, pets or blacks.
What you fail to realise in any meaningful way is 5 out of every 6 people on benefits IS IN WORK. Cameron has been pushing the lie that the crisis meant a million people just walked out and decided to live a life of riley on benefits. IT’S A LIE so he didn’t have to address the catastrophic cost of living being imposed on low wage individuals.
Get your head out of your backside.
Good stuff Jonny. Wanted to reply myself but my boss is sitting opposite me today. It’s absolute naivety on his part.
You must have a shit accountant if you paying tax…..
I’ve always been under the impression this site is about local culture but with a strong football theme. It’s very very rare for politics to be discussed on here. In fairness to this article, an interesting point was made about the away fans. It was probably the most enlightening paragraph in the article but it didn’t particularly merit replies on where Benefits Street is set or political allegiances, in my opinion but that’s up to you (and Kevin). I often criticise articles on here. Some make me angry and I comment that’s the case. I don’t, however, dictate to the site what they should or shouldn’t do. I have a choice – read the articles or not come on here. Simple. There’s a myriad of websites talking just formations and match reviews only. They bore the shit out of me. There’s a reason why this is the site I come to for my LFC fix. Please don’t speak for me on why I listen. Our views are a million miles apart mate. Thanks
Fuck! I thought I was replying to TonyH. That was the intention anyway.
Yes – I realised.
Ok, maybe your point “Please don’t speak for me on why I listen!, is a fair one
But a Podcast is a broadcast, it’s a one-way communication, there’s no medium to reply, it’s a very powerful tool, I don’t think political opinion, left or right, should be part of the show. (IMHO)
I notice too there’s never an opposite view within the group, I’d have thought Rob would have added some balance.
JonnyS,
Wow! – there’s a lot there and I’m not going to pick it all to pieces here.
I have to go back to my original statement…
There’s the way it is….. and there’s the way it ought to be.
You seem to think life is fair?
You need to understand the markets?
Impose import sanctions on China because you object to the way they govern their people and they’ll reciprocate, they’ll blow us away, causing mass unemployment and job losses – in what way is that ever useful?
China’s natural resources are enormous compared to ours, that’s not fair, they’ve got a bigger country, that’s not fair either.
You shop around to buy a TV, you’ll buy from shop A because its cheaper than in shop B.
You’re making staff in shop B redundant – you ARE the market.
If someone worked and saved, or their parents did, and paid off their mortgages, on death the wealth is passed on. That wealth is more often not used to get a BTL property. Interests rates are below inflation so money left in the bank is depreciating, year on year.
It’s not the fault of BTL landlords that people can not get on the housing ladder, it the fault of successive governments who didn’t build more affordable housing.
The more houses there are, the lower their price: the market again.
You’ll love this fact:
Thatcher built more council flats and houses each year (17,710) than Blair and Brown did in the WHOLE of their 13 years in office (7,870) or putting it another way, on average
Labour = 562 council houses built every year: Tories = 41,343 council houses built every year.
(REF: Tom Copley, Labour’s housing spokesman, http://www.fullfact.org)
Osbourne and Cameron have attempted to reduce the deficit, £14,000,000 a day in interest repayments alone, piled ever higher by almost criminal borrowing of he previous government, my children and their children will have to pay that off, they did that in the full knowledge their policies will effectively mean they’ll be voted out of office by a public who think we’re all entitled.
Interest rates are low because the economy was/is weak, a small rise will mean people unable to service their own mortgages – back to market forces again.
Actually, I moved south to work in a government organisation, an economic migrant, just like the Poles and the Bulgarians today, you go where the work is – it’s the job market ( a common theme)
People are suffering with low wages, using food banks, drawing tax credits, this is the way it is, it’s not the way it ought to be, but at least it’s work, it’s experience, it’s feeling a part of society and there is always opportunity to move on and up, in time.
Crazybob has an accountant – not so Crazy then Bob
I’m not actually sure what your initial points were about. I think I’ve missed the podcast you refer to. That said, I’m happy to challenge things wherever I see them. TAW will soon be able to advertise the site with ‘Come to TAW to discuss football, music, politics and rape’.
Personally, I think you’re misguided. You speak facts admittedly but you don’t take a holistic view on issues. You seem to suggest everything is a result of the markets. You forget that actually, everything in life, as with people, is a mixture of structure and agency. Our environment shapes us but human behaviour and people’s decisions also shape our lives. Taking a quantitative view, as you do, will lead to black and white beliefs, as you have. There’s an example I often use that’s unrelated but should help you understand what I’m trying to say.
Teachers X & Y inherit a class for their pupils final 2 years. Teacher X’s class previously averaged A’s & B’s. Teacher Y’s class averaged D’s and E’s. After the 2 years teacher X’s class now average B’s and C’s and teacher Y’s class now average D’s & C’s. Which is the better teacher? Well, in your world it’s teacher X because her class got higher grades than teacher Y’s grades. We can then enter those grades into a table nationally and the best performing schools will be the ones with the highest average grades. Take a more qualitative look and you’ll realise that there’s more to the ‘facts’ than meets the eye that reads the school league table and forms opinions based on it.
What I’m getting at is your politics are very ‘one eyed’. P.s I’ve no affinity to ‘New’ Labour. I see them as career politicians too. Setting themselves up for a ‘brighter future’ for themselves. I want a party that represents people. That puts people’s welfare alongside the need to keep the economy strong. So, yeah, debt is bad whether personal or national. The deficit probably does need to be cut going forward. It’s where you cut it from though. I don’t wanna live in a society that doesn’t have public libraries or activities for kids. I don’t want to live in a society where if something doesn’t make profit then it’s of no use. It’s a cliche admittedly but especially when that money is being ‘better spent’ on ripping children to pieces abroad. Ok, wars open your “markets” and “we” benefit with contracts for British companies but it goes in the hands of the few. Not even a complete lunatic would suggest there’s a trickle down effect. It’s all stashed off shore.
You go on about life not being fair so we have to accept things but in an earlier comment you were complaining that if you have to pay extra tax it’s not fair. I find people with your views often have double standards. It’s the ‘one eyed’ thing. Whilst you’re in work, you’re kids are healthy and you have a home then you don’t need to care about the things you simply put down to ‘the markets’. It doesn’t matter that the welfare budget actually goes on pensioners who’ve worked all their life or people who can’t physically work, or helping working families pay these BTL landlords because their wages are so low. Worse of all I bet you can’t see that wages are low not because of natural forces of competition but because politicians have manufactured the working environment that way to please the multi-nationals. Yes, they provide jobs but at what cost to peoples lives? Wake up mate, you’re not a robot. You mention ‘might bring in investment’ but what about investment in people. You can find happiness outside of a ‘strong economy’. Do some charity work (I’m sure you’ll say you do, because it probably brings acceptance from your peers). On that point about doing something for it’s intrinsic value, I grow my own food. Every week I meet someone who says ‘but for the time you put in it’s cheaper to buy it from the supermarket’. This is what I mean by black and white views.
Just one more small thing. You go on about the consumer being ‘the market’ and assume everyone will go for the cheapest option. We have a nice street locally that has flower shops, sandwich shops, butchers et al. It’s got a nice vibe. Sainsbury’s wanted to build a shop there. There was no need but they got approval. The residents though make a point of shopping at the independent shops still. It’s more expensive but having that street and it’s shops enhances our lives. Not everything is about financial gain. Fuck Microsoft Excel off mate. When you’re gone you ain’t gonna look back and think how good that balanced spreadsheet looked. Fuck politics off as well. It’s all a big con. Right! I’ve got a Derby to worry about now. Catch you soon mate. Ignore my shock tactics. Just don’t want you to miss out on what’s important although that’s for you to decide. Later pal. Enjoy tomorrow.
Robin – I wanted to leave it as there, as probably only you and I are left at the arse end of this article, but you make so many assumptions about me, and you’re so wide of the mark, I have to reply.
For me, Teacher Y wins (my Mum was a teacher in Kirkby), I know more than most what it takes to enhance their lives, the sheer bloody hard work trying to educate kids who’s parent don’t give a toss and want to kick fuck out of the teacher.
The thing you’re missing with your analogy, it that the parents might chose the school, using league tables, based on what they think will give their child the best start in life, against all the other kids who are in competition with theirs for jobs, university places apprenticeships etc… competition, the market again.
Your assumptions about me are as wrong as me saying you’re a veggie growing, pot smoking, cardigan wearing looney leftie, who thinks we ought to throw away nuclear weapons and welcome in the rest of the world, cos their actually really all quite nice (Putin, IS, Kim Jong-Un, Mugabe)
I don’t think that about you.
We all want a fair society, free health for all, a decent wage and a bright future, Christ who does not??
You talk about war as if its a business decision, I find that odd, some wars have to be fought, you probably wouldn’t want to. I think you’re referring to IS and Iraq – that is a binary choice, either they win or we do, thank Christ you’re not in power.
Being made to pay 52% tax on hard earned earnings, mega long hours, very little family time, is unfair, and mean there is less incentive to grow a business and employ more staff, that’s not just unfair, it’s plain stupid.
Finally, we all need to contribute to a system that cares for the elderly, the poorest and the sick (I’m repeating an earlier post) this is the purpose of the benefit system, not to fund a lifestyle where a neighbour is working and earning about the same as the guy next door, able bodied, yet who is not.
Your street sounds very nice mate, in Formby or Southport (making an assumption, but you’ve allowed me to) great for you that you can afford to pay 30% more for your milk and beef, bollocks to the bloke next door with no vegetable patch of his own, and has to pay inflated prices to the fat butcher, so you can have a nice street – choices mate, the market, you’re the market. Bugger the others
Paying tax isn’t stupid or unfair, it’s what a civilised society does, and God knows I pay many, many thousands of pounds each year in income tax, NI, VAT, council tax and the rest, to provide for services that make us a civilised nation (health, social welfare, education, transport etc)….. and the only thing I begrudge is that multi-national corporations, fat-cat city slickers and the selfish amongst us think there’s a virtue in paying as little tax as possible…Now I’m off to bed. Big game tomorrow – my lad’s playing for Calderstones U14s vs SFX U14s in the morning. Then we’re off to Anfield at lunchtime – YNWA
Hope he won Howard! I used to play for Calderstones too, a long time ago… Well the B team at least!
Christ mate, If I wore cardigans you’d have been absolutely spot on. Never liked them though. Chester actually, so close again. Definitely not well off though.
It’s interesting that you assume I’m well off because I mentioned having morals in the sense of supporting small local businesses over a multi national.
I didn’t say you were well off, I said …
“its great for you that you can afford to pay 30% more for your milk and beef, and bollocks to the bloke next door with no vegetable patch of his own, and has to pay inflated prices to the fat butcher, so you can have a nice street.”
LESS well off might welcome cheaper goods all under one roof with decent transport, free parking and delivery services…. But you’re happy to have removed their choice, there’s no pressure on those high street prices now, no market forces
How does that sit with your moral high ground?
It’s immoral to spent money than you earn and leave a deficit for generations to pay back, you’d be happy with that as long as you’re getting what you want.
Christ it must be so easy to be a socialist, utopia, until the wheels fall off, as it has in every country that’s tried it, they had to build a wall in east Germany to keep people enjoying it, North Korea is a huge success and the USSR, we’ll enough said, the only place it sort of works is China, I recently returned from Hong Kong and China, and well they’re about at Capitalist as you can get.
Oh and I didn’t say paying tax was unfair or stupid, but Howard missed that point
Ok 3 hours to KO, should be a very open game but that Atsu looks a handful.
TAW keep having a labour MP on. I don’t wanna listen to lying politicians. But if they have one party on, especially on local radio, then they should have them all on.