peterms

:shock: Please tell me you don't work for Boeing, or Otis...

So you don't think a multi-billionaire like Randy would have employed a decent manager? There wasn't another manager in the whole of world football who could have got us to 6th place in the league? Obviously he would have employed a good manager, if he didn't want to undermine his own investment. Clearly other managers could have got us to 6th place. Not many, but some. What is different here, and what I like, is that for the first time in my lifetime, we have a combination of a chairman and a manager who appear to see things the same way, have a similar long-term perspective, respect each other's role and authority and not encroach on their sphere, and both show more than just competence in their job. Arsenal had that, though it's been shaky with ther recent boardroom battles. Who else in the upper reaches of the prem has that? For me, that's a long-term benefit beyond price, which can lay the foundations for a long view, again for the first time in my life. Cherish it.

Yes, both the Moyes and Curbs examples are good ones. Listening to some of the people who phone 606 with these sort of views, there seems to be some sort of arrogance that sets in for some people when their club climbs a little higher than they're used to; they want a trophy manager (not in the good sense), like some guys who make a few quid want a trophy wife. Every club has them, I suppose.

Really? Why? Look at where we were, and where we are now. The league says we're now the best side in England outside the Sky 4. What more could we realistically have hoped for in the three years O'Neill has been in charge? Yes, but it's still surprising that such a tiny minority want him gone - 4% at the moment. Why is it surprising? Partly the tone of some threads, which seem to suggest that some people are so unhappy with him that you would expect them to vote "no" here. And that feels like more than the tiny handful who have voted accordingly. And partly because any opinion will carry some degree of support, however odd it looks to others. Lets face it, you could probably get more than 4% of people agreeing that they've been kidnapped by aliens, or that Jade Goody was the reincarnation of Elvis.

Yes, but on condition that he holds a poll on here before each signing, team selection, and substitution, so he can avail himself of the depth and breadth of wisdom that's on offer.

Good article - and a better reply by Blandy. Not that it's a competition...just nice to have some thoughtful pieces after the last couple of days on here.

Get some fresh baby beetroot and slice the stalks so that they are only about a centimetre long (this stops the beetroot from bleeding). Wrap them individually in foil and roast them. Take them out of the foil and peel them (the skin will fall off in your hands). Beetroot is actually quite a nice vegetable when it isn't pickled, adn this is my favourite way of preparing the vegetable. Sound advice. Though as well as the skin coming off in your hands, so will the colour. So you might look like a more extreme version of Lee Hendrie the next day. But roasted beetroot is definitely one to try. It's far removed from the pickled stuff in jars. Strangely, it goes well with grilled white fish, and not only because of the colour contrast.

If you mix them, then be aware of the different density of the veg, because it greatly affects how they cook. The same temp and cooking time will leave carrots firm, parsnips soft, and whole aubergines collapsing. You can deal with that by adding the softer ones a little later, or choosing a mixture accordingly. Some things just don't go in the oven together. Roast potatoes need a fairly high heat, but roasting halved tomatoes works really well in a low oven for several hours. You just can't do them both together. General tip for roasting things like potatoes, carrots, celeriac - parboil potatoes for say 10 mins, then lightly scrape the outside with a fork to create some small ridges to crisp up. Heat some duck fat/goose fat/olive oil in an oven dish, roll the potatoes round in it, cook at about 180c for 40-60 mins, depending on how small you cut them up. Add some flavourings - chopped garlic and rosemary 10 mins before the end; or whole cloves of unpeeled garlic and bay leaves half an hour before they are finished, for example. Salt and pepper too. And move them around in the pan every 15 mins, making sure they are well coated with fat and the herbs etc are well coated, because the fat will carry their flavour. Save leftover fat in the fridge for next time... Carrots and celeriac work well together. Cut into batons the size of your little finger, roast as above for maybe 15-20 mins. This is a good base for laying meat on, if you want to present things a little differently. If you want to roast green veg like broccoli or beans, this is best done in foil. Get two lots of tinfoil shaped roughly like a rectangle, a little bigger than the size of your keyboard. Spread a thin layer of oil on one to stop things sticking. Cut veg into bite sizes and lay on foil. Add salt, pepper, maybe herbs, garlic, a little lemon juice, whole chilis - whatever you want. Place the other layer of tinfoil on top, and fold the edges over several times, so you make airtight seals around the edges. Place on a baking tray and roast for 15 mins or so. The veg will steam in its own juices, and pick up the flavours you added. Downside is you can't easily check how it's doing. But it looks and smells good when you open it at the table. And you haven't leached out the nutrients in boiling water which you throw down the sink.

Sounds good to me. I would add that a liquidiser is useful for pureeing the ginger, garlic, onion mix. Add a little bit of water while blending. And a coffee grinder that you only use for spices is really handy as well.

This is quite a good introduction. There's also some links on that page to video demonstrations which might be helpful.

Will Arshavin stop us reaching the Champions League? Only if he lies down on the runway.

Flat. Two views from it:

Great piece, and many interesting insights from others as well.

BOF, "If my auntie had bollocks she'd be my uncle". Is that true, or would she really be a transgendered auntie with an identity crisis?

I screen them out. I vaguely notice where adverts are, whether they are in newspapers, on hoardings, or on websites, and I don't look at them. If they are pop-ups, I use software settings for that. If the site has pop-ups that get past this, I try to avoid the site. Am also on the Telephone Preference Service and its postal equivalent. I block spammers, don't take cold calls at work, and if one gets through, I will either waste their time or be very curt with them in telling them not to call me. I watch very little tv, leave the room when adverts come on, or else read while they play. I really don't like adverts. Apart from the ones in Viz.

Nice report, as always. We did have some luck, though. Milner's goal wasn't a header, but handball. See MON's comment about "...or whatever part of his body he got on it". And in the same move, they lost a central defender, so a 15-second spell which really improved our position and made theirs worse. And for our second goal, the foul started outside the box, so the free kick should have been outside the box. Too bad for them - if you're going to foul in that position, that's the chance you take. But a piece of luck for us all the same. Not that I'm complaining.

Really enjoyed that one. Caught the atmosphere of the times.

Maybe not the widest range of options, but I managed to find one to suit me.

I see Arshavin is reported this morning as threatening to go on strike to secure a move to the Prem. Sounds like the last person we'd want.

Oh, I think we all have ambition. The point is that some people seem to be about to spit the dummy if we don't make the Champions League this year, whereas others, like PB, are more interested in the longer term building of the foundations for sustainable success. Me, I'm in the latter camp. Less interested in short term glamour, very supportive of the long term vision which is in place in the club for the first time in many, many decades. Not impressed with throwing money at people like Robinho, very impressed with building a team of players and player support which will be there when the flighty billionaires have developed another interest like space shuttles and gone off to do that instead.

I think we have to take one game at a time, certainly one season at a time. Its a little early I feel to be worrying about what may or may not be in twelve months time, there are too many variables to make a realistic judgement. Right now I'm just concerned about not embarrassing ourselves against Gillingham, and then getting three points off West Brom next weekend when (I think) Arsenal, United and Everton are all away. All I know is that getting into that fourth place is going to take a superhuman effort from all concerned - fingers crossed. What a lovely and calmly put response! Yes, I absolutely agree with PB ... it's so easy to get carried away with all the maybes, yet if we didn't qualify for the ECL but did win a Cup, would that cause all the fearsome things to happen that some predict? In my view, even if we didn't win anything and missed out on the ECL by a hair's-breadth, I cannot see that a cause for the Villa stars leaving, with the possible exception of Barry. We don't even know yet which new arrival we may or may not get in January! All is possible; all could be a disappointment. But that's life! Well said John; and congratulations Pete. This is like an antidote to some of the manic frazzling that's going on in some of the message board threads. Calm down, guys, take a breather...get some perspective.

Pyramid schemes are illegal, immoral, and exploit the gullible. You must have an interesting and unusually flexible definition of "scam" and "dodgy" if you think it's a pyramid but not dodgy or a scam. But yes, steer clear.

I agree with your answer that left is cold. But since I had the taps replaced, one turns clockwise, the other anticlockwise. I find this mildly disconcerting. Should I get out more?

Great piece, especially considering your apparent suffering. Not sure about the Spanish omelette, though. Bacon sarnies or an Indian buffet are the treatments of choice.

I don't generally bother with the Indie. Nothing against it, just happy with the Grauniad. But this must be a nightmare for anyone who values journalism.