[Hermes]

Originally Posted by Paul If you are indeed Chris Bascombe, allow me to elucidate: I find your style patronising and cliche ridden. I am well aware that you have to write under an editorial policy, but I don't see your colleagues going for the "tenuous pun of the day" award in every single piece of copy they submit. Maybe it is unfair to compare you to Henry Winter who's more experienced and writes for an entirely different readership; but who are your readers? The single-celled amoebae of Merseyside? You only have to read the letters page to see that many Echo readers are capable of stringing together a sentence that contains more than one clause, let alone being able to read one. And anyway, the point made by Chris Smith (I think) is a spurious one: all the nationals invest huge sums in their sports coverage (even the red tops; well, The Mirror at least - I've got no interest in that other rag) and no longer exclusively print patronising bilge that a six year old could cope with. Brian Reade and Oliver Holt both write for a readership broadly similar to The Echo's, yet avoid patronising their readers. On your specific "riposte", if you want to compare qualifications, I can go one better with a post-grad - but who fucking cares? I don't need a piece of paper to justify my opinion. You're a professional writer who offers up his stuff for public consumption. If you can't take the criticism, stop doing the job. Or should I now expect to find you recanting your criticisms of Liverpool failures? I've no personal axe to grind about you; I don't know you. However, I do know your writing as I pay to read it (in the knowledge that what you print about the club will have some foundation in truth); and I think you could do better. You're obviously a big Red, but you're in a privileged position. Why not aim a little higher? If my opinion makes me a twat then fair enough - but it's a valid opinion because I partially pay your wages. Care to respond (I'm genuinely interested), or are you a one-post wonder?

Woah there, this is worth coming back for, an opportunity to verbally joust with the Echo back-stabber himself. Bring it on. If he's the genuine article of course (genuine and article never having come together during ChrisB's career before). Knife sharpened for Moores yet Chris? He may be gone soon you know.