KennyPowers

Checking in. Brian Hoyer for MVP (that's not my team name, just a general feeling)

If we don't achieve an 18th player, what's the alternative?  

 

Perhaps a dummy team run by one of us with team decisions made by all of us on here?  It can auto draft so there will be no unfair influence, it will just require weekly updates to the team that so long as the majority agree shouldn't therefore benefit or impede anyone else.  Thoughts?

Someone can have a second team if they want. I don't really want one though. 

Playoffs currently week 15,16,17 if people happy with that?

I guess so. Week 17 is always a bit odd if teams can't change their playoff position but its still the last week I guess which makes sense for the final.

The only problem I have with it is there are plenty of Man U youngsters who have come through the ranks and been extremely highly thought of because, well, they've played for Man U under Alex Ferguson, they must be good. Yet in the cold light of day years later they never really stood out when they dropped down the league or indeed leagues. 

e.g. Chris Eagles, Luke Chadwick, Darron Gibson, Jonathan Greening. 

I remember Cleverley did well at Wigan, I don't really remember his spell at Watford.

I think to be honest I'd much rather Villa spent the money on a player who has proven themselves too good for the Champiosnhip (e.g. Danny Ings) than a player who has proven themselves not good enough to be a squad player at a top club. 

Josh Gordon banned for a year for smoking weed. Should've knocked his wife out instead, that only gets you a two-game suspension.

I hate the NFL at times. When America differs so greatly in its criminalisation of cannabis, to ban arguably the leagues best WR for it is just atrocious. 

Random is fine I think plus you get the bonus of the panic when you get the first pick you didn't want. 

I really feel at this point the season hinges on hanging on to Vlaar

I think if these were more "playful" comments then it wouldn't be a big deal seeing as they were made in private.

 

But like I said before, these aren't casual jokes, things that you can say "well we've all made jokes like that before, he's probably not actually like that".

 

These are quite vindictive comments, that to me at least, suggest they are views held by the person making them.

From what I've read I wouldn't describe the comments as vindictive. 

The most damning thing is that it's more than reasonable to assume that Mackay has been making comments like this his whole life and he's probably said a lot worse things in private. There's no real way Mackay can say I made a mistake with some text messages, he has almost certainly talked like this his whole adult life and believes it's acceptable (at least in private) .

Given he's been in football his adult life it's fair to assume he's been shaped by football culture and that a lot of people in football speak like this and that's the uncomfortable thing for football (fans, players and staff) to come to terms with.

I can't help but think this story is highlighting a real football culture clash. 

There's a big percentage (who knows how big) who think it is okay to make offensive comments as long as comments are made casually or in jest.

Then there's another generation (on average younger and more metropolitan) who think that no it isn't okay under any circumstances. 

It's a tough balance for the mainstream media and football in general to condemn the text messages without alienating a lot of their audience. 

SIggy! 

Good to see Van Gaal change it. Playing 3-5-2 when you have 2 senior centre backs and no players with experience playing wing-back seemed odd. 

The thing that got me though was when he was asked about Blackett and Lingard pre-match you'd think he'd say something like 'they've impressed me in pre-season and deserve a chance' but no, all he said was 'there are several injured players and I don't have many options'. 

Rooney! Not that I'm bothered about Man U but fantasy capt!

Man U look such an odd team. 

Hernandez looks so shit, I swear he used to be frightening. 

Signed back up. It says I was 11th last year, wow that was bad. 

Yay, the annual left-back signing. 

Whisper it quietly but our defence has a chance of being good this year. 

 

Let's not take the focus away from the vile crimes being endlessly committed by the shock troops of the IDF, nor excuse the pitifiul hasbara lies of our Israeli mouthpiece chum.

Mass murder is being committed daily by the vile IDF, for political advantage and economic gain, including but not restricted to oil and gas off the coast of Gaza.

Thieving, murdering scum.

The recent casualties of 2000 people is hardly mass murder, sad and unnecessary, but not mass murder. Hamas allow their people to be put in the line of fire. They know they cant do shit to the jews but they still continue to fire their silly little rockets at israel. They openly admit to wanting to wipe out the nation of isreal. Hamas have had their chance to settle for peace but they dont want it. Doesnt justify the over the top actions of Israel who are as guilty as Hamas but if I want to talk about northern iraq rather then gaza then I will.

Yet we have over tens of thousands (not 2000 like gaza but over 40,000) of innocent people in northern iraq being slaughtered, beheaded, kidnapped, just because they are not a certain religion yet you say lets not take away the focus from gaza?!?!

 

Good post. This intense fascination with Israel at the expense of anything else going on including other atrocities around the world is quite frankly bizarre. I'm not even sure why it happens. I can only speculate that people feel very comfortable, on very safe ground to discuss Israel because the narrative of the situation is very simple, at least in their heads and situations in other countries are not.  

Facepalm

Just declare Germany the winner and stop wasting everyone's time

I hate this business of players initiating contact to draw fouls and I hate this business of players 'accepting' their own fouls by going down when they feel contact (effectively refereeing the game themselves). 

Sadly, this is endemic in Spanish football and judging by the Brazil-Colombia in South American football too. 

It should be fairly simple to solve. Just get the authorities to put an emphasis on:

1. Football is a contact sport. A touch is not a foul. 

2. Play to the whistle. The referee is in charge. 

3. Keep your mouth shut. Save your energy for running, not whining. 

What a let down that game was. I hate referees who 'manage' the game rather than just applying the rules. 

Oh I can't possibly book anyone in the first half, that would make things difficult for me if they did a bad foul in the second half.....

I can't possibly punish someone for diving and feigning injury, I have to make sure all the players are my friends....

Just apply the **** rules, you're not a **** babysitter. 

Chile just lack the central defenders to do Brazil

So can Suarez play on Sat since he's appealing the ban?

Suarez was stood in an offside position. His only chance of scoring is for some numpty England defender to flick it through or pass it back short. FFS

After the deathly dullness of the past two managers lets appoint someone a bit off the wall for a bit of respite. 

Edit: I'm wrong, nevermind

Yeah they never reverse a decision based on what a player says

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN9YddQWHOo