Mark Albrighton

Bednarek on that for a matter of months, yeah? Not great business, no one is saying it is. I’m saying it’s not Coutinho level bad business. What was the loan fee for Barkley? I seem to recall it being quite high. I’m betting his wages weren’t terribly low either.

With respect, the buyout of Emery’s contract is going to be an unavoidable cost. If you want him, you pay the compensation. The only way that could be levelled at being a stick to beat Purslow with is upon Smith’s sacking, Emery wasn’t employed but Gerrard was still chosen anyway. Paying Rangers for Gerrard, paying him off, yes fine, his doing, his fault. Paying off Villareal in order to appoint Emery, not so much. Also, maybe I’ve missed something, but were the likes of Bednarek on wages that warrant their inclusion with the likes of Coutinho? I dare say someone like Barkley was a bigger hit to the finances all things considered but he wasn’t signed under Gerrard so subsequently he’s not so much of a stick to hit Purslow with. I suppose ultimately the difference is I don’t discount all the previous years credit for a bad 12-18 months.

Think they’ll get out of it, but it’s so close down there. Two points between 16th and 23rd. Their games against Millwall and QPR are important. If the penultimate game against Huddersfield is also a six pointer then that really could be a nervy one.

I would be (reasonably) interested to know what previous England managers’ records against top ten sides - AND where England were typically ranked during their tenure playing these games. I’m willing to guess that previous records are similarly successful but that England weren’t ranked as highly as they currently are/have been over the past X years (at least I assume England are high up there at the moment, I don’t know).

What I have read in the financial thread is a few people (who I accept know a lot more about these things than me) debate and go round and round in increasingly tedious circles as to what the numbers mean. The fact that there seems to be a debate at all suggests that things aren’t necessarily ****ed. And that the club have suggested they’re falling in line. As I have said, you can level the bad deals at him and then bemoan the financial state we (possibly) are in. But people can also point to some rather good players that have come in while he was here for not excessive amounts, which he would have at least played a part in too in the negotiation side of things (I simply can’t think why a slighted Suso would paint a different picture, no reason whatsoever why he would do so…).

His last season, the 22/23 season. What in particular did he do awfully? Gerrard is already there, so I guess not sacking Gerrard before the season started, that could count. What did he do exceptionally wrong? Are you including the confirmation of Coutino in that season? I remember it being confirmed at the end of season awards. Edit - and the last two years mainly being remembered…that’s down to the individual. I’m sure there are some people who will remember Dean Smith’s final six months as being the “true” face of his tenure than the previous couple of seasons. I wouldn’t be among them, but you know full well that those people exist. I try and keep his whole time here in consideration when weighing up the pros and cons.

But this is guesswork, isn’t it? I don’t think Dean Smith was SOLELY down to Purslow, but he would have played his part. He would have played his part in negotiating some of the deals like Douglas Luiz for a relative pittance. But **** all that because we gave Coutinho a lot of money. We don’t like the Terrace view thing “Oh what was Purslow thinking?!?” But the same people will say “Well Heck must have the backing of the owners to do this…” And it goes the other way too, in the case of Heck, I know. There’s just zero ****ing nuance from some.

But, Purslow gets blame for Coutinho via the Gerrard appointment. Setting up the scene for a Liverpool reunion. Does he not receive credit for Smith bringing in Konsa and Watkins? Setting up the scene for a Brentford reunion? Seems a very similar dynamic to me. The difference is the one didn’t work and the other two did so that would require some acknowledgment that he might have done ok in the latter case(s). Edit - just to clarify further, he was definitely involved in taking a wheelbarrow full of money round to Coutinho’s place, but he definitely wasn’t involved in the negotiation for the transfer fee for Konsa? Do I have that correct?

Out of interest, does he take any of the credit for taking part in the negotiating the (relatively) inexpensive deals for Konsa, Watkins, Martinez, Kamara…? Or is it just the bad deals he’s responsible for? I guess it’s like how he’s to blame for the Gerrard appointment but Smith’s hiring doesn’t count in his favour for some reason.

A while back I was out walking down a fairly quiet street and these two young guys (late teens/early twenties) were walking towards me, one with his music reasonably loud. As they got closer, completely unprompted, the one lad turned the music all the way down while we passed each other. Now, being several paces away from them, he put the volume back up. One for the cheer you up thread really. Some folk will do as they do but are capable of being aware of their surroundings.

I’ve mentioned before, but trending topics on Google and how I occasionally fall for them. I click on the search bar and a drop down of trending searches is offered. These can’t be based on my previous searches, the current ones offered include Malaysia Airlines, some Grand Prix rise at Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Utah Tumbleweeds. I have no interest in any of the preceding. Anyway, and this is what has annoyed me, I see that Debra Winger’s name is trending. “Oh blimey, has she died? Do I need to alert VT?” is my thought. So I click her name. And what is causing her name to trend and convince me to do an internet search for her? Turns out there are several tabloid articles who are expressing surprise that she looks different now to how she looked in the early 80’s.

Everybody Loves Raymond

As it stands they have lost one more league game than Chelsea.

I listened to it. Didn’t hate it. I don’t think it’s easily the best song of 2023 (or 2022). Posted it in the new music last year but “Nothing Matters” by the last dinner party is a belter and would be my choice (but I hadn’t heard much, admittedly). So I’m not completely removed from new music. Although all that probably should be in the music thread/new music thread/getting older thread.

Third I think. Forest - Pool Spurs - Palace Luton - Villa Everton - WHU Saudis - Wolves Fulham - Brighton Brentford - Chelsea The funny thing is, the Forest game was about 30 seconds away from being last in the running (I would imagine). The Brentford game probably featured the best goal of the fixtures, fwiw. Not that that attribute should automatically bump it up, but it was a definite highlight of the show saved towards the end. You could make a case our game should be ahead of Spurs. Meh I really don’t care, although I do find the consistency in choices (or inconsistency, if you prefer) mildly interesting.

Probably worth acknowledging that VAR overturned the incorrect offside flag for Ollie’s second goal. You can still hate VAR and want it to be burned in the bin and then thrown in the sea. That’s all fine. But if you’re playing fair, it’s only right to note when it’s stopped a **** up.

Yeah at the very least, I think the ball has to be with Forest in a non dangerous area for them, minimal pressure from Liverpool. But no. Ultimately it proved to be a good defensive job by the ref. Stopped the attack dead, set Liverpool on their way. When I occasionally sound sympathetic to the accusation that the refs are biased towards certain clubs, it’s decisions like that. I genuinely don’t think that happens FOR Forest against Liverpool. Or if it does, it would happen once for them compared to half a dozen times for Liverpool. Because if it did happen against Liverpool, along with the national mourning over several days, they’d have Klopp screaming about replays and having to deal with that meltdown. It’s just not going to happen with Nuno. I will accept that perhaps the Forest owner isn’t beyond some unpleasantness in this regard

Yeah I’d be ****ing fuming if I was a Forest supporter tonight. Before I saw it the beeb say that Forest regained possession (kinda hinting that they had sufficient chance to prevent the goal). But I don’t know, having now seen it, they could have done better when they briefly had the ball, but they were under pressure around their box instead of having possession where they originally DID have it, on the attack at Liverpool’s end. Pretty poor.

Antiques Roadshow in our house. And my memory is that my folks would also watch The House of Eliott on a Sunday evening. This was made more tolerable for 9 year old me because of Louise Lombard.

It certainly went bad rather quickly. It’s an interesting read (both there and the fall out in other threads), in a car crash kinda way. Shame, because it would be nice if there were more women around here.

Funnily enough, my main reference point to the brits now is an ill fated thread on here (before my time but have looked through it).

Genuinely had no idea that the brits were on. I never watch them, but usually I’m at least aware that they’re on. Not seen any marketing whatsoever. I guess it’s once again an itv thing and I can’t think of anything they show I might consider watching. That’s been the case for years, but maybe it’s even more so now.

Blimey. sha lose Sheffield Wednesday, Stoke, Millwall, QPR all win. Huddersfield stop Leeds’ winning run. I’m going to try this again. Wish that Emma Watson would pop round next weekend, asking if I’m available to go out for a drink with her. And now I play the waiting game.

Yeah but it’s natural to take more glee in an opposition fanbase’s incorrect predictions of your team’s downfall than reflect on your own equally incorrect prediction.