MakemineVanilla

21 minutes ago, Herman22 said:

The more I see of the McGinn red card the more it’s clear the ref has been influenced by the spurs players and the bench. He clearly going to give a yellow card but then starts talking to someone and changes his mind. 

We have some of the worst and weakest refs in the world. As soon as any pressure came on he folded! And we all know the next steps. All his mates, the former refs who are paid by TV channels to say nothing will say he was right. A lovely protection racket they have set up. 

It was amusing to see the player get up and chase after McGinn and then suddenly remember to put on the agony, to get the result the team wanted.

Its a cynical old game!

The deadlock at half-time was a decent representation of the balance of play.

Tottenham looked pretty solid and the one chance Villa had was spurned by Watkins trying to gift-wrap it for Bailey.

Villa's long hoofs downfield never looked like bringing much joy.

Villa's lack of pace down their left had already been exploited by Man United and Tottenham's opening goal came the same way.

At that point Villa were still in the game but a misdirected pass across the back-line, quickly followed, which took the game beyond Villa, and McGinn put the final touches to a bad day.

We've seen it all before, when Villa have chased glory on two fronts, and ran out of steam.

In previous years such a shock has led to serious decline, and we can only hope the club is more resilient this time around. 

14 minutes ago, The_Steve said:

Would be great to see a replay to be sure on the pen shout 

The defender scuffed the top of the ball with his studs but made sure he tripped the man.

Maybe they have noticed that secular values carry no political weight but theological values do?

On 08/03/2024 at 12:15, magnkarl said:

 

So he promised to end the separation of powers; wouldn't that bring about the one-party state?

Too reminiscent of previous turgid European nights to be enjoyable, and although the name Ajax suggested European glamour, it was more like a replay of Helsingborgs.

So the return fixture does not promise to be very appetizing.

You can't beat the glamour of European football but there are definitely exceptions.

I have often wondered why it was called the conference, but its obviously where they get the referees from.

12 minutes ago, chrisp65 said:

All my usual sarcasm to the side.

I’d be quite sure that within sight of the big shiny silver windowed financial towers of Canary Wharf there are still pockets of deprivation hanging on trying not to be pushed out by the aggressive ‘gentrifcation’ of everything and anything touched by lots of money. There will be people that obviously don’t want to be poor, but also can’t engage with the financial jobs on offer and the creep of the £5 takeaway coffee shop and the artisan baker. 

But to put it in to context, from my own personal point of interest, the money for Canary Wharf is £242 million. The money for all Wales, three and a half million people, is £170 million.

We really do need these awful tories and tory copyists out of office for a very very long time.

 

 

 

Looking at the Isle of Dogs on Google Maps, it looks to be pretty well gentrified, as compared with countless places around the UK.

10 hours ago, chrisp65 said:

Absolutely chuffed for the Canary Wharf financial district managing to get £242 million of levelling up funding.

I think it fits the definition of rehypothecation; which is to say, the Government is using collateral they do not own (public money) to finance future assets, that is to say, party donations.

14 minutes ago, DJBOB said:

It’s hard to believe, but some of the less biased pollers I follow are really saying that there’s a small but significant set of voters who voted for Biden and are switching to Trump as the reason for Biden currently losing in the polls. 
 
Who these people are and what their mindset is continue to be a struggle in basic logical reconciliation. 
 
Polls have been off and I think the race will be close but it really is a struggle for me on who those people are. The rabid base I get, but vote switchers? Truly mind boggling. 

So what do the republican media say, which might have convinced democrat voters to switch?

2 hours ago, bobzy said:

I blame second (or third, fourth, fifth etc) home owners.

Just say Robbie Fowler!

21 hours ago, DCJonah said:

Are these arguably the worst generation?

Didn't fight in the war and build the country back up and then after benefitting from everything that was good, have done everything they can to make future generations worse off. 

 

First of all, I think the headline is bollocks.

But I definitely blame myself for voting for Blair in 1997, even though wiser heads warned me that he was a total phoney.

But as for blaming the boomers, it could only apply to those who pissed their good times up the wall, as anyone who bought a house, council or otherwise, have a massive amount of equity to draw upon, and still have a substantial amount to live on and/or leave to their children.

What they are not telling you, is that if they taxed property and not just wage-earners, they might be able to deal with the country's debts, or attempt to remedy some of the squalor, which is to be seen in every town and city.

6 minutes ago, VILLAMARV said:

On my Orwell binge I also finally got round to reading Animal Farm.

Currently wading through On Anarchism by Noam Chomsky. bit of light holiday reading

I've read a few books by Chomsky but I have always been disappointed that after he's laid out the problem, he always seems to conclude that there's no solution because the system is built to make that impossible.

I've never been that keen on Orwell's tales and fables and much prefer The Road To Wigan Pier, which lays out the conditions of the working-class in the north, including the lousy food/diet and the vermin-infested housing.

For non-accountants like myself, the only question is, whether such accounts are a matter of fact or a matter of opinion?

3 hours ago, Genie said:

Probably a good thing, it’s better that he is beaten at the ballot box than forever be arguing about being the real president that people want.

America's claim to be a democracy sometimes seems doubtful but moving to a single-party state would definitely be a bad look.

Philip Larkin's Letters.

Amazingly interesting and a reminder that before the age of ubiquitous phone and Internet access, people were incredibly isolated, so if you wanted to discuss some arcane subject, you had to subsist on a meagre supply of letters from the few people who shared your interest, and who might live the other side of the country.

On the subject of poetry, I see JCC has a new book out, called What!.

I'm looking forward to that one.

13 minutes ago, choffer said:

None of us talk about moderation. Ever. Under any circumstances. Probably. 

Only to the bloke in the mirror!

1 hour ago, villa4europe said:

Don't disagree but at the same time it would be who we would potentially be selling to, realistically with most of our players it would be Chelsea, utd, spurs or arsenal and it's not only making us worse that you'd have to factor in it's how much better it would make them 

Watkins to arsenal for example imo would be a disaster and therefore there's no amount in the world they could offer to get me excited about that transfer - if man city or real Madrid want him for £100m then so be it 

All that said I still don't think we'll sell a key player this summer, they'll all stay 

He could play the exact same role as Haaland, and with De Bruyne providing the assists, he could do really well.

13 minutes ago, omariqy said:

**** the tories.

Sorry it's been a while since I said it out loud. 

Sorry to be pedantic but they have already ****ed themselves.

1 hour ago, Rightdm00 said:

I feel dirty even typing this.  If the stupid money offer comes in this summer does Villa eventually accept knowing that Unai can mold a new striker for a third of what we get for Ollie.  

Villa have sold just about every decent striker they've had on the books, from Gerry Hitchens to Benteke.

So it is not beyond the possibility, and no doubt Mr Heck would call us cocksuckers for complaining about it.

Sending on Rogers sent the wrong message by suggesting the win was a certainty.

The players seemed to think so and the team completely lost its shape for most of the following 44 minutes.

Iroegbunam was the obvious replacement, even if he's not quite up to speed yet.

I had suspected the possibility of a banana-skin but I didn't think it would be entirely self-inflicted.

No doubt Barkely will be humming "I remember when!" in the changing room, thinking of his problems at Villa, and being determined to put it right.

They are in the bottom-three and remembering recent history, it looks like a possible banana-skin.

On the positive side Luton had a very tough game on Tuesday and have had less recovery-time than Villa.

Watkins has the pace to exploit their lack thereof at the back, but who is going to provide the assists?

Good Villa need to turn up or it's red-faces all round.

6 minutes ago, The Fun Factory said:

Notwithstanding his political views which are somewhat colourful, Galloway is a dreadful MP.  I think the last time he was in the house he had one of the worst attendances on record.

He clearly doesn't give two figs about his constituents, it is just one massive ego trip for him.  Cynics would say join the club I suppose.