Mic09

You make a good point. Oh how I wish Villa would have signed players like Micah Richards, Lescott or Sinclair back in 2015! Maybe the history books would have been different.

I'd consider starting Nakamba with Luiz. It's not the best pair, but it might prove a useful tactic. Smith Rowe loves to run through the middle and that's where the main threat lies, we need bodies in his way to slow down the Arsenal threat.

Dean has to get some more points on the board. I never expected Europe this year (although that would be a great achievement) but in order for us to get another Bailey or 2 next year, we need to push on and show we are competetive. This season is objectively not great for Smith. But, minor slip ups (brentford, watford, wolves) need to be eradicated quickly, and I see no reason to question Smith if he fixes these in the next 2 months.

the Lete/MSC logo is one of the few sponsorship overkill examples of kits that work. It just looks right on a Napoli kit, gives it that interesting Serie A twist.

It might also have relevance in December, when Mings collects 5 yellow cards and misses a game against a top opponent.

It's nothing, because it's so stupid and unnecessary. It happened around 60 mins in, 1-0 up, in our own half. If you want to waste time, just pass it to the keeper. It's nothing, but it's unnecessary and gives him barrier to make a hard tackle in the remainder of the game. It's just not very smart, and Mings seems to make those calls on regular basis.

There is something with Mings I can't put my finger on. It's not that he lacks concentration, or that he isn't very good. He just behaves... unwisely. The yellow card for time wasting was bad. Then, while at 2-2, he pushed the ball away when the wolves keeper had it set up for a goal kick. Instead of trying to speed up the game for us to attack, he wanted to waste even more time. He does those stupid things, which is really weird. It's really not a concentration issue, this has been happening time after time over the last 3 years. He just doesn't behave in the right way. It's not a good trait to have in a club captain. He is a good player and we should keep him. But I think we can get a more solid defender, and I think this 'sillyness' has to be dealt with by Smith. The fact that it hasn't been for a long time now is concerning.

If I didn't have a licence I'd probably not bother getting insurance either

It looks bad on pics, but looked good in yesterday's game

I wonder if there is "some" sort of security, even if trained members of staff or police being aware of their whereabouts at all times. Or do they just go around like every other person?

Next up, Ole blames Saudis for lack of penalties

I'm guessing this solution would push us to what, 50-52k?

I don't get this "players won't want to live in Newcastle" stuff. It's a job. And a short term one that will pay them £300k a week. You realise they won't come back from St James' and go to a local Tesco and for a pint in the town. They are not looking at local schooling or the prices of council tax. If the Man City extreme happens at Newcastle, Mbappe will simply live in a mansion in Yorkshire, get a helicopter ride for a bender with Grealish and Pogba in Manchester, and report back for training the next day. If Mbappe wants to be in Paris, he gets on a plane at 6pm on Saturday and is back in Newcastle on Monday morning while a pretty lady rubs dolce gabbana all over him. Newcastle's location really isn't an issue.

It's not incoming, it's already here. Based on clubs coefficient, if you are in the top but fail to qualify you are guaranteed a spot. So 6 PL Champions League places incoming.

It isn't any different, and unless they have received consent to do so by the player, news outlets shouldn't spread the news around. It's better to be vaccinated, and we should educate about the benefits of it, but "shaming" people for not doing so is childish and poor.

I always thought you gossip about stuff that goes on in the office? Like a dirty trap nr 2 after someone's been in, or a guy who made out with the girl from accounts during the lunch break. How can you gossip about Maggie if she works from home? ''Maggie, that little bitch, would you believe what she's done? She wants to take the kids to school herself, what a slut'.

They both play for the same national team in the same most expensive team in the world in similar roles. They will both win the same trophies for the next X years. I'd say their ceilings are fairly similar if not the same.

Maybe not get used to it - but not be surprised when it happens, because it will.

It was both host countries he referred to, I double checked it just now to make sure!

Things are definitely getting better, although there still is a problem. Things like documentaries are a bit, well, angled at a certain view. Of course if you watch a documentary where fans slag off black players that's gonna be disgusting. But in majority of stadiums that isn't a problem, or isn't as much of a problem as some claim it is. I watched tens of games live in Poland, and I have never seen an issue any more than I would have done in UK. Especially now where BBC has an article everyday about someone being abused one way or another. But yeah, Poland does have an "ultras" culture thing going on associated with football firms. I guess much like France or Germany. But it's a marginal phenomenon, just like in those countries. But to claim "Poland is racist" is a bit, well, simple.

I think it's a bit poor to say 'Hungary is racist' or 'Poland is homophobic'. It's definitely not helping to solve the problem, and it definately adds to it. Wide, sweeping generalisations based on anecdotal evidence and 'eastern European' stereotypes. Warsaw is probably the safest European capital to walk through at night. Little homeless problem, and LGBT posters everywhere. I think that before we discuss how awful those places are, we should look back to our country where policemen kill people, the Euro final, the absolutely overwhelming racial hatred within warehouses and low skilled jobs. Didn't we all talk about how Brexit was driven by xenophobia and how Saka received abuse after the last penalty? There is a problem, and it's a problem in every country. I'm glad that outspoken racist hatred is marginal. So let's not be so shallow to say 'Poland/Cech/Slovakia/Lithuania/*insert a small eastern country here*' is racist.

I need a beer

Yeah, but Sol Campbell said that if you go to Poland you might come back in a coffin.

You might be right. At the same time, we were shouting about his 'chances created' stats to showcase how much he brings to the team. We did this in 2018,2019 and last year even before he got the England call up. It seems like his stats are similar this season in this respect, so we should still praise his performance on that basis.

Let's not be hypocritical. How many times has Jack not scored/assisted, yet he was the difference on the pitch at Villa? And we all saw it, yet we question it when he does it in a blue shirt? His movement alone allows Silva/KDB to run into positions as Jack pulls two defenders away.