THURSDAY 3rd FEBRUARY 2000; A Game of Poker?

The Times has a long article that focuses mainly on the three management teams. They are complimentary about Rowland and Pell, but comment that analysts "have yet to be sold " on Ron Sandler's charms. "We get the feeling he was just appointed to keep the chairman company" one observer is (somewhat unfairly) quoted as saying. I suspect there is a deliberate strategy actually, which is for David to be the outward face of NatWest while Ron concentrates on trying to make the internal changes happen that support the defence.

The article is positive about RBS, but less so about Masterton at BoS, who has "failed to win over many commentators in the bidding battle." There is no conclusion, only that this is a game of poker and "it's a question of who will blink first."