Winter News

But the rightful heir to the throne Sensible. You don’t get to pick. And because you don’t get to pick, you don’t get some grubby second rate politician as president, enjoying his last ride on the gravy train while slyly influencing policy without let or hindrance.

 

What we don't get the chance of a Megalomaniac as head of the state like Trump.....someone who treats women as objects......someone who is constantly on the fiddle and nearly never pays tax.

This makes Charles look almost saint like in comparison.

 

Over recent years of increasing polarization, it's become obvious how flawed the structure of American government is: overweening state governors challenging central government on national issues: presidents unable to pass legislation in line with policies mandated by their election because they don't control one of the two parts of Congress (or either of them), the Senate blocking the House of Representatives and vice versa and worst of all, politically appointed and motivated Supreme Court judges. Then of course there's the unrestricted nature of campaign spending, which allow the likes of Trump to buy the presidency.

Our own ramshackle constitution looks a model of balance and effectiveness by comparison (apart from referendums).

There's a clear lesson that the House of Lords needs to be reformed but NOT replaced by an elected chamber so that the House of Commons remains sovereign. I wouldn't lose any sleep if the last hereditary peers were removed and appointments to the Lords should be taken away from the politicians and perhaps taken on by the Privy Council or some worthy and independent group.

Also, the last thing we need is proportional representation, which some see as the answer to a maiden's prayer. It's a recipe for paralysis.

 

Swansea are saying that Morgan Whittaker will be in their squad for the weekend.

Rangers had made an offer which was below what Swansea have valued him at.....hearsay suggesting £800,000.....Swansea it seems have put a price of £2 million on him.

Whittaker has played well in Div 1....but valued at £2 million I doubt it.

Rangers playing in the Scottish Premiership can not be sure how much game time he would get in their first team....maybe £800,000 is a fair risk....more than that for an unproven player at that level might be too much of a gambol.

Swansea of course might be say that we will put him in our Championship squad for Saturday....hoping maybe Rangers will increase their offer.

If that fails to get a response from Rangers....will Swansea play him not knowing if he will be able to perform at their level.....OR maybe think it better to see if Argyle would take him back and continue increasing his value for a summer sale.

 

And getting (at least) a proportion of his wages off their budget. That's assuming our recent transfer dealings leave a space for him. We didn't want to lose him but as Swansea recalled him, the void had to be filled.

 

It would be cheaper than buying him for us so why not if we were serious about getting him here in the first place.

As for the Royal family notdistant I like you do not want an American style system here either. However that doesn't make Charlie a suitable King and it does not excuse him his morals or that of his current wife. I don't happen to think that his behaviour in the past is good or excusable. In fact there are hardly any members of the Royal Family who sit with much credit these days. If you want equality then his sister would have made a much better Monarch than him. It will really stick in my gullet if they put any form of crown on Camilla's head. Just my opinion of course.

 

There still seems to be some mileage in Rangers buying Whittaker....reports that they have put forward an improved offer of £1.5 million for him and that Swansea have rejected that.

 

Plymouth v Derby will be televised live on Sky TV....on Tuesday Mar 7th...now kicking-off at 8pm.

 

As the final day of the season has been shifted to Sunday because of the Coronation, does that negate the UK ban on televising Saturday 3pm kick-offs so we can watch our away game?

 

What it does mean is we can enjoy the pomp and pageantry of a Coronation on the Saturday.

The last one which I can remember as a teenager....became a landmark and the start of the television generation for most of us....looking at the black and white screen with its magnifier to enlarge the picture to 12 inches.....if you didn't sit directly in front of it you could only see half a picture.

Better than watching a president being sworn in......in the freezing/snowy January weather in Washington.

 

Just read the write up for the Swansea away 1-1 draw at QPR.

It states that Morgan Whittaker was in the squad....but refused to play.....it sounds he just wants his future sorted out......that will surely encourage Rangers to persist in their efforts to buy him.

Just come back to us Morgan....we'll give you a game.

 

We have the weird situation that the only unbeaten team at home in Div 1 are 16th in the league....but have only won two games at home ?

 

Statement from the CEO Andrew Parkinson. I thought he was going to say "can we please have no more drunken ****s (fill in the blanks to your own preference) running onto the pitch but it isn't that.

https://www.pafc.co.uk/news/message-ceo-andrew-parkinson

 

I tried to read this earlier today but her ladyship kept talking and I couldn't concentrate. Having just read it now all I can say is "WOW". Impressed with Argyle these days just doesn't cut it.

 

No further loan recalls are possible:

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/sport/football/plymouth-argyle-steven-schumacher-makes-8059591

 

The rumour that I heard on Saturday seems to be true: Morgam Whittaker was announced as being in Swansea's matchday squad on Saturday but he withdrew himself.

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/sport/football/steven-schumacher-argyle-morgan-whittaker-8059788

What a shambles and a shame for a very good player who was very much wanted here by the club and the fans and who wanted to stay. A player who was blossoming and featuring in pretty much every game, either as a starter or substitute.

 

I would think it has been noted by some clubs the grubby way that Whittaker has been treated by his parent club.

The question is would he have come as well if he had never left Swansea for a years loan at Plymouth....I think the answer is NO.

We have played him and coached him for the last half season.....has he improved....no doubt there....YES.

So Argyle got a poor deal from Swansea....there only way out is to sell him to Rangers for what they are willing to pay.

OR....to let him return to Plymouth and to cover their red faces up and try not to be too embarrassed in how they miss-managed him.

 

I don't get why people think Whittaker has been treated that badly. He was loaned out, loaned being the important word in that, and still paying a large proportion of his salary but getting nothing back from him they decided that they would try to sell him on. Whether Argyle have improved him or not is not the issue is it. We got a player for less than would be the case if Swansea hadn't agreed to loan him to us and he has fitted in well and improved which is the object of a loan deal. Are Swansea to blame for all of Whittaker's ills currently? Matter of opinion and depending on which side you wish to sit and view it. As for the refusal to play in the squad on Saturday well I've read the accounts reported and I'm not so sure it was a refusal at all. It was reported that he spoke to the Manager there and said he wasn't in the right frame of mind to perform. That is not refusing to play. The Manager then decided it was better for Swansea if they left him out of the squad. That doesn't sound that unreasonable and you can understand where Whittaker was coming from to an extent by admitting his head was not right. He is young and it must have been a big disappointment to help a club to a promotion situation and then not be able to complete it and get the kudos associated with that.

Whatever we think he is not our player and never has been. If Argyle did this with one of theirs I wonder just how much angst there would be for the player involved. Not so much as is being portrayed with Whittaker I'd bet. Players think nothing of using every trick in the book to their own ends so who can blame a football club for making the most of their opportunity. Having said that I also wish he hadn't been recalled and we kept him for the duration but I'm not about to pillary Swansea for their stance either.

 

It never reflects well on an organisation if it wilfully renegades on an agreement it’s made and which has been taken in good faith.

Yes, there was a recall clause but to call upon it without any concrete plan for what was to follow is both shameful and incompetent. Their own manager as much as said there was no place for him in their squad before the recall. That’s hardly a foundation for getting a big fee is it? Does the right hand know what’s the left is doing there?

If you remember something similar happened with Ryan Broom and Peterborough. It’s Amateurville, that’s what it is

 

Maybe so notdistant but in all honesty none of us know who said what to whom or what club did or did not make an approach. It comes across as poor when you look at it now but it may not have seemed so at whatever triggered this. I do not think Swansea reneged on the deal. It was written in the contract that there was a recall button and they have just decided to use it. When Jephcott was recalled from Truro a while back and scored a load of goals that helped us to promotion nobody talked of us reneging on our promise. Like we always do eventually we should just move on now and not let this derail our season. If he comes back then great but if he doesn't then it is not different to any other player going we have had in the past.

Maybe we should be more worried about Schuey and the dream Everton job that has come up.