Straggler

1 hour ago, rjw63 said:

Putting a team in the top six that isn't actually in it, and leaving one out that is.

Yep, that is the puppy. The OP even manages to reference Chelsea just to complete the media darling wankfest bingo. It seems that despite finishing above spurs last season and being ahead of them now, having just beaten them on their own ground is not enough to emerge from their shadow.

Found an interesting thread on Reddit that I think perfectly encapsulates the impact of mindless football reporting on the opinions of fans.

The 86 point theory

Quote

All points are equal, but all wins (and draws) are not.

This is an attempt at a pretty hardcore statistical analysis on the true value of one win over another win dependent on the opposition. It's ok to read, I think it is well intended if a little pointless but I'm not going to knock the OP for giving it a go. 

Where it falls over is when it starts breaking down the performance of the top 6 teams. Take a look and see if you can spot where my faith in his ability with data handling took a fatal hit.

4 hours ago, villa4europe said:

but just like the approach that VAR will fix things removing VAR wont fix things

at the core of it all the refs still aren't good enough and the law makers keep **** about with the laws, that needs to change first or we go nowhere 

I disagree. Removing VAR in it's current form is totally logical. This iteration needs to be understood to be making the game worse not better and binned off. The amount of change required to make it work well is not achievable over a single close season. Yes the officials are the problem, they are beyond hopeless and are so caught up in their referee bubble that there is no hope of change. 

A new generation of VAR official needs to be created and it needs to be independent of the match day team. They need to be able to implement the laws of the game without fear or favour for the teams playing or for their mates (because they won't be mates anymore) officiating the game.  

However to do this they will have to admit that they screwed the pooch by appointing the people that are running VAR right now. They need some proper modern professionals in there. They did the equivalent of putting Gerard in charge. Great history in the game, totally unsuited to the managerial role.

14 hours ago, Genie said:

I bet Max would be furious if Red Bull brought in a proper driver to partner him.

This could be the best thing to happen to F1 in the short term. The rivalry could carry an entire season, even if redbull remain untouchable. I'd have loved this to happen.

To be fair to the Tories they have done a pretty good marketing job on the changes in tax. They have got us doing the maths on the relatively small amounts the budget will make us better off, whilst actually making us poorer.

15 hours ago, cyrusr said:

The "government" has 6 years to bring a claim for breach of contract, so in theory March/April 2026. Those contracts will be in the hands of Labour soon enough and if there is any way to get that money back, I suspect Labour will be pursuing it. If anything else, it will massively help balance the books and justify how much better at money Labour are than Tories. 

I think you are a little optimistic there. I suspect Starmer will draw a line under it or some other bs language about not looking backwards. I'm 100% confident these crimes will never be punished and the money never returned. They will even keep her in the Lord's despite having blatantly abused her position.

Accountability for the rich and powerful has never really been a thing in this country regardless of the incumbent government.

Just now, HKP90 said:

I was thinking how I'd try and fix it, perhaps by going 442, allowing Grealish to attack from deeper, and getting midfielders to run into channels to pull them out of their shape, but then I realised the only proper centre midfielder on the bench is Henderson. Our bench is terrible in terms of options for changing shape.

Take Southgate off.  Replace him with a hat stand.

1 minute ago, Keyblade said:

Nobody at half-time of a football match: "I can't wait for Joe Cole's analysis of this"

I would honestly rather they just played 15 minutes of adverts.

It's like they gave the management of the England team to the Goes Wrong Show team.  It's so bad it's funny.

Yep, 100% a pen, especially as he gave the foul by Walker seconds later, which was almost exactly the same contact

50 minutes ago, mjmooney said:

Trophy cabinet: 

You're gonna get a bridge named after you

42 minutes ago, UpTheVilla26 said:

I'll turn up with some see through boxer shorts to my job on Monday and see how that goes down with my employer. 

Quoting amnesty International ffs

Was she at work?

You should probably give that outfit a go, then everyone would be clearly able to see youre nuts.

Tonight for the England game we have Cole, Defoe and Lescott.  It's the perfect hatrick of awful punditry, thick, boring and humourless.  None of them have said anything interesting or insightful ever.  The mute button has been a blessing.

4 minutes ago, Genie said:

Did the track damage the engine? Or are Ferrari trying it on…

Ferrari did report damage to the monocoque, engine, and battery fairy early after the incident. I'd imagine it would not be that hard to prove physical damage should they be challenged to, but with F1 shenanigans who really knows.

Must be borrowing the officials from VAR on a quiet weekend.

1 minute ago, Genie said:

In this case tbh I don’t have an issue with his comments, he’s trying to protect the integrity of the sport. It’s clearly on a trajectory towards all show, and little sport, like boxing has entered into. The balance is off and he’s right to make that point imo.

 

He can be correct and a whinging little shit at the same time. If you whinge about everything sooner or later you'll be on the money. But yeah today I agree with him too. I'm off to gargle bleach as I feel unclean 

2 hours ago, villa89 said:

Widely reported that Ukraine have crossed the Dnipro now. Apparently this is important as it could mean they can cut the supplies of Russian forces in Crimea.

In theory yes. In practice they are moving forward very very slowly. In no way a criticism of the effort, what they are doing is incredibly difficult, but they won't cut supply lines advancing 10s of meters a day.

13 minutes ago, StefanAVFC said:

Also, why are they talking about 'returns' to Rwanda? 

Well they have only just appointed a minister for common sense, so I imagine she will need to get settled in first before sorting all this sillyness out.

13 hours ago, Brumerican said:

It's the only good thing they have going right now. It's actually pretty damn good. You have to be super smart to appreciate what's going on but thankfully I am.

Yes, I also understand it perfectly.

3 minutes ago, Davkaus said:

Lee Anderson is available.

Please not even in jest! It doesn't even seem that outrageous after what came before him.

2 hours ago, Zatman said:

He just signed an incredible contract that he had no chance of getting elsewhere

He is 26 and he has 1 goal this season and got 5 in 2021/22

I know his recent record is poor, but I also think he is a very good player in an environment almost designed for him to fail. I'm prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt that his output is a product of the madhouse that has been man u for a few years now.

I can't help but think how many of our existing players were written off as useless under Gerrard that are considered wonderful now.  I still think that Rashford could blossom again under the right conditions. 

I suppose my conjecture will remain just that if his contract will prevent us finding out, it's just a shame to me that he seems to be a genuine talent suffocated by a crappy club.

16 minutes ago, Genie said:

Exactly, he didn’t go out on the lash on a whim. It was his pre-planned birthday party and he arrived at training the following day on time ready to go.

Its a bizarre thing to have to apologise for, and to be made public.

It says way more about the manager than the player. It's a poor decision made by a manager not coping with the pressure.

Rashford needs to get out of that club ASAP.  He is such a gifted player and could be a great club ambassador outside the club. He is wasted at United