A'Villan

Strongly disagree with this. A leader is not allowed a few moments to take in a significant blow to everything he has spent the year working toward? Besides, Liverpool were off celebrating. Messi's going to go over an attempt to drag XI fully grown men who just happen to be pro athletes away from their celebration? In front of the Klopp end? That would get him real far.. I agree that Ronaldo has a more passionate demeanor than Messi. But being animated isn't the only way of expressing and actualising desired outcomes. I have listened to Messi in multiple interviews and while he is not the most profound person I have ever heard speak, he doesn't need to be. A good leader just needs to be human and remember what it means to be just that, so that he/she can serve others in the community to create a world we want to be apart of. My experience, players who motivate through brute like aggression, and shouting at their teammates, are the first to highlight how much better they are than them too. You don't want to let them down because you understand what they bring to the table, that they've earned their seat, but man dialogue can get difficult when a hero gets 'furious'

And for what it's worth. Messi had two beautiful, thread the needle passes to play in Suarez and Coutinho. The finish just went begging on both occasions. That would have been one or two crucial goals that made it improbable for Liverpool to rescue the deficit, and would've sent Barcelona on to face Tottenham.

From what I have seen of Maradonna, he has better close control than Messi. Believe it or not.. Messi has the superior passing range. Both can curl in free-kicks like Messi's vs Liverpool.. It's close and they both strike me as similar players in the way they play.

That's sort of what I meant when suggesting that one team has identity where the other didn't.. We're talking football here essentially. Yes, there is definitely a psychological aspect to earning points from losing positions, if your attitude goes so does the game, for sure.. You're right to recognise character, but I will repeat, it's essentially about football.. Outmaneuvering opposition and manipulating the ball better. The level of standard in our passages of play has noticeably enhanced from last year. Remember, in their inaugural season, Bruce got 13th, Smith 5th. Both started in October, there was one week difference, I can't recall if it was Smith or Bruce who had the extra match, but I digress..

You are right in saying that we were hard to beat. 20 clean sheets and I think 3rd fewest goals conceded. Apparently neither of us have given a very accurate account of football under Bruce on the ball though. I've just crosschecked team statistics from 3-4 websites and under Bruce we were not a long ball team, nor were we a counter attacking team. whoscored.com has us down as scoring a single goal from counter attacks all season (surely not). What we did do well, is have the most crosses of any team in the division, which makes sense, our wide men were our threat, Snodgrass 14 assists, Adomah 14 goals.. Another stat that surprised me was that we had one of the lowest rates for being dispossessed in the division. I suppose with the quality of talent.. Anyway I'll stop stinking up the Smith thread with Bruce talk.

He'll know it too. I mean, he'll know that he is good enough to be on that pitch, in what is the pinnacle of world football. It'll only add fuel to his fire I think.. I've been avoiding this thread because Grealish is my favourite athlete since Michael Jordan and I only want to embrace the idea of us ascending under his leadership. Wolves will be playing European football next season, no? Why can't that be us season after next..?

Agree with this mostly. We did a lot of defending under Bruce. Passages of play consisted largely of clearances and direct long balls. I think there's a strong argument to say that was because we lacked identity and not because we lacked the ability in personnel. When build-up consists largely of the ball returning to the opposition, allowing them an opportunity to dictate play once more, you could say a team lacks ideas of what to do. Which is because it lacks... identity! Depends on the context and how you define identity. I think people are referring to identity in the sense that there is an identifiable purpose, oneness and congruence to Smith's approach. Players are generally if not always on the same page (identifying intent) and passages of play are able to develop on our terms, as opposed to hit and hope.

I think what people are overlooking with the Liverpool comeback to beat Barcelona is that neither first or second leg scores were reflective of the balance of play.. The thing is, and what made it such an enthralling encounter, is that Liverpool were very decent in the first leg despite leaving with a 3 goal deficit.. Once Barcelona have a three goal lead, everyone's confident it's over and expects them to hold on, and because they didn't some people explain their disbelief by assuming failure. The promise of Messi's Barcelona having finished the job wasn't to be, and like any broken promise we aren't always sure how to feel or what to think about it.. If you watched the games, neither Liverpool in the first leg, nor Barcelona in the second leg, were entirely on the receiving end. Both had quality passages of play and created.. It's what made it such a freakish tie.

Hopefully you're being sarcastic.. In that match we had 64% possession, and were equal in shots on target and in total. Nearly doubled their passes and had 13% higher completion rate.. We also quadrupled the amount of corners for.

I wouldn't worry too much. Liverpool were very unfortunate to lose the first leg, let alone 3-0. The better team went through. I think we have been a little unfortunate to have a two goal deficit for our encounters against WBA so far.. Now we are in a much better place as a team, the form side of what's left of the competition. If they give up the lion's share of possession like they did in their last game and our last meeting, then I can see us taking a lead into the second leg. We have a numerical advantage on them for shots, possession, pass accuracy, dribbles per game. They only scored 0.1 more goals than us over the regular season. Our first three months were under Bruce, and Smith had to settle in. What I'm trying to say is I like our chances..

Come on Liverpool!! You got this..

Where the sun never sets.

Learning about what you're made of is always time well spent. Wanting to add gym into my routine. For so many reasons. I'm yet to really challenge my body with a workout outside of intensive basketball sessions. I'll be on display for professional teams in Asia these coming months, so I want to give myself every opportunity to get noticed by coaches and scouts. I'm playing organised 'ball 6-7 days per week, for hours every day. Technical skills, being an asset with any of the triple threats, positioning, in-game scenarios etc.. Then matches. That's all well and good, I enjoy developing myself as a basketballer, but I would love to challenge myself and grow as a person most. Finding my best is where I want to be. What better way to prosper than to test and explore the capabilities of my very being. Not only physically. Mentally, emotionally, spiritually, all of it. There's real purity to workouts. People lie, cheat, deceive you any time they believe it suits them to do so, but working out will never lead you astray.. Try lifting what you're not ready and prepared to, and you will learn a lesson in restraint. People may come and go, but 100kg is always 100kg. We're not always going to be motivated, that's why we must learn discipline. I have a lot of admiration for people who commit to working out. Keep at it. Love your work.

I agree in part. I think Bielsa will get more out of his team than we've seen and celebrated in their recent outings, come the playoffs. Foolish to ignore their potential. Leeds have players too. One of note, Pablo Hernandez, who even at 34, is one of the top candidates to challenge Grealish for the best player in the division.. Hernandez has 12 goals, 12 assists. The most key passes of any player in the division and is top ten for passes per game, as well as top ten for shots per game.. He's mostly played on their right, so if we meet again, Taylor and probably El Ghazi in particular, have a big task of marking him out and nullifying his threat. WBA have some top players throughout the pitch and can punish mistakes, however giving up over 60% possession and conceding 13 shots on target at Derby says something.. In victory against us, they allowed us 64% possession and equal opportunities at goal. We're an improved outfit since then. Give us 64% possession and we'll bury them I reckon.. Personally unless Leeds rekindle that spark, we're without a doubt the best team left in the promotion race. Certainly the in form side in any case. UTV!

It'll go down as one of the great mysteries of history.. maybe not. If you enjoyed Tolkien's LOTR, The Matrix or One Hundred Years of Solitude, Game of Thrones would be time well spent. What's LoD?

Reincarnation. Being schizophrenic I've had a few run-ins with it.

Flied dumprings pwease.. Mind you I'll get a fly in my next serve of dumplings for that one.

You're like a former friend of mine. Very wise, old soul and all that, but doesn't get around hip-hop or Game of Thrones. Truth being stranger than fiction personified..

They're great. The only major pitfall is that you run the risk of sleeping through something of importance. Some of my greatest moments and realisations were born of the introspection that comes with laying to rest..

Leeds losing to Ispwich was unexpected and is ominous for them, but in my opinion they still are our toughest test remaining.. WBA over two legs, home and away, just like the regular season dishes out. It'll be tough. We've taken away a deficit of two goals for our efforts thus far. However, I have never been so eager to watch Villa play. There isn't a team in the country who I wouldn't want to see us have a pop at..

Congratulations on reaching the playoffs in your inaugural season as manager of your club, our club. A promotion guru of this division and a Champions League winner couldn't pull it off in theirs. Here's to the here and now.. UTV!

Don't you think that the time loop in the the plot has added to the show..? Would you be disappointed with GOT ending in a similarly spectacular way as The Matrix..? Perhaps one of the greatest pieces of visual media in modern times.

Quadruple overtime anyone?

I'd be tempted to start Davis if Abraham remains out now.. For anyone who didn't see it, the quality from both teams was there, despite people saying that it was a friendly-esque affair. They fielded their best XI because they wanted to go up as champions, and until their second goal the game was contested.

I think this one is worth the read, but goes deep. So bear with me, and maybe you'll bare with me. Symbology is rife throughout the story.. Examples should probably precede what I'm about to write to give a greater context, but I want to cut to the chase.. Spirals, circles and wheels. We see them throughout.. What do they represent? The Umber boy pinned to the wall at The Last Hearth with the limbs around him.. Are the exact same formation used by the Children of the Forest in the Night King's creation. Symbolic, or what? Coincidence? We'll see. If there is meaning, then what is the message? From the corpses of the dead left in circle formation by Walkers in the very first episode, to Daenerys being engulfed in a circle of flames, emerging as the Mother of Dragons.. Jon is circled by the dead on numerous occasions, Daenerys by the Dothraki and by the slaves when she liberates them from their masters.. Alright, A'Villan, you said you were going to cut to the chase. Does Tormund Giantsbane have hanky panky with Brienne of Tarth, or not? Seriously though, I'm doing my best.. Circles, spirals, wheels and their meaning.. Daenerys: "Lannister, Targaryen, Baratheon, Stark, Tyrell. They’re all just spokes on a wheel. This one’s on top, then that one’s on top. And on and on it spins, crushing those on the ground." Tyrion: "It’s a beautiful dream, stopping the wheel. You’re not the first person who’s ever dreamt it." Daenerys: "I’m not going to stop the wheel. I’m going to break the wheel." What if I told you (this is where you'll have to bear in order to bare with me), that the symbology behind the circles, spirals and wheels represented a cycle. The cycle of life. They say context is everything and this is where I will possibly lose you (if you're still even with me).. But my word(s) are like my (s)word, only one ends where the other begins. The bible was written in the Near East. That means that it was written by people who think like Easterners and not like us, Westerners, or Westerosi. In the Western way, we think in a linear way and focuses on appearances.. Man is walking down a pathway and there's a tree, he sees tree, walks past the tree, the tree is now in his past, it's gone, he's never going to see the tree again, forgets about the tree.. It's not in his sight.. it doesn't appear to him (remember focus on appearances).. He keeps moving on a linear path.. In the Eastern way, we think in a cyclical way (takes us back to the source, back to the beginning) and focuses not on appearances, but on function.. Man is walking down a path, sees a tree, keeps walking, cyclical path brings him around, again he sees the tree, he goes around, again he sees the tree.. cyclical.. Each time he sees the tree he sees something different about the tree, he begins learning about the tree (remember focus on function).. A bit like the Three-Eyed Raven, no? "You're a good man, Theon. Thank you." Theon then fulfills his purpose, or function. Are you with me? I hope so. Don't fear, even I am eager to get there. Patience is virtue. It's beyond long story becoming short, but here's what I think will happen.. Bran was never the target for the Night King. The reason we see Jon and Dany constantly circled is because the target is their child (the Prince or Princess who was promised).. The cycle of life remember.. The message from the Night King left at the Last Hearth was a child at the center of a spiral (or cycle), and that child is that of Jon and Dany.. He is coming to kill that child. How it unravels.. I don't know.. You could be on to something..