A'Villan

Promised myself I would start up either break dancing or salsa this year. I have two left feet and a whole lot of awkward to go with it. So I'd like to overcome that. I have written some lyrics in the last year which I have been invited to record free of charge at an established artists studio. I'm happy with the lyrics, have been told they flow well, I think elocution is on point and have received feedback to say as much. I'm just terrified of how my vocals will sound, to the point I have never even rehearsed it to myself, I just show people the lyrics on paper. So that's a thing. I started playing basketball 24 years ago this year. 19 of which have been spent playing with commitment to a club, around 15 years at an elite level. I haven't been snowboarding in a few years but that was a lot of fun and I plan to do it again this year.

Had a taxi driver take me 6km free of charge the other day. Didn't say a word other than to tell me to relax when I offered him my money!

I thought the defending from GSW was better than the offense from Miami! A tad unfortunate but who doesn't love a buzzer beater for the win!

I can tangle my words. Try 'acquiring' rather than 'requiring' and see if it makes any more sense. You can't gain promotion without getting the results. That wasn't really the gist of my post though. I meant if supporters expectations for a successful campaign were rested on us gaining promotion solely, they have a prolonged wait ahead.

Greatest Small Forward to play the game from where I sit.

Partly why I mentioned keeping Grealish. Edens played a role too though. Not that I'm in the know. I just have done a little bit of reading and I don't think the appointment of Kidd and the success that came was a fluke. It is also interesting to note that Edens decided to part ways with Kidd when it became apparent that Kidd could not fulfill their ultimate ambition of being NBA champions.

That made me laugh, trust me to be confusing. I didn't mean you specifically by the way. I meant anyone. I basically tried to say that there are some really encouraging signs that have come from Smith's time as coach. However if expectations and success rest solely on requiring results in order to gain promotion, then it will be some months before those dreams are realised. Any clearer?

There is, to some degree. We have owners who have verified wealth. They did not inherit it, they did not misrepresent it in order to gamble on our success as a club. Although limited in what they can invest (perhaps, I'm not familiar with the ins and outs of FFP), they have obviously been astute in their dealings and ventures in acquiring wealth. As far as I'm aware, Wes Edens likes to get involved. 'Standards' is a word he often uses in interviews. FWIW, he has done an outstanding job at the Milwaukee Bucks. Imagine if we kept Grealish and went from our current position to European placing by next year. Then within the next 5 years we won the Premier League. That's the kind of success Milwaukee are on track to achieve if all goes right for them this year. They might finish with the best record in regular season. NBA champions calls. Also, I would argue, that the coaching setup is superior. I have explained extensively why in other posts. My posts are long enough without making the forum re-read them. Depends on how you look at it. If everything you see in the team rests on getting promoted, then sh** is going to be frustrating for you for some months to come.

1. Undoubtedly. We are promotion material, through and through, with our efforts on the ball. Numbers don't lie. In possession we are league leaders. 2. Whatever the case may be. We are relegation material from a defensive standpoint. As I have stated elsewhere, it's not just conceding goals we lack in. I think it's a misconception to think that players only turn it on when it suits them. We have the best record for recovering points from a losing position. That's tough. Literally defying the odds. If you missed my earlier post, teams who go ahead first went on to win 70% of the time between 2009-2016 in the Premier League. Now, the championship is a slightly different competition, where the team likely to go ahead first is harder to foresee, but we're still talking the same ball park. My point here is that to be the best team in the division for recovering points from a losing position shows a determination to apply their abilities, which we do with success. Our issue, is that when we face the inevitable (or highly probable) period in which our opponent takes the game to us, whether it lasts 5 minutes or 90, as it is, we'll concede. When you are conceding 1.56 goals per game it is no wonder you are 4th worst in the division for it. On top of a game or not, we lose when we concede more than we score. I thought we were clearly the better team against WBA in both fixtures, yet they walk away with 4 points. Stoke, a 5-10 minute lackluster start cost us 2 points. Tackles, interceptions, blocked shots, blocked passes we are relegation material if the numbers that represent our efforts are anything to go by. The only complementary numbers I could find in relation to our efforts off the ball is that we don't allow teams a high passing accuracy. Obviously that doesn't mean much when the opposition still goes on to take points from us.

"Longy, mate, you're working too hard, you're gonna get the job done too quickly at this rate, they're not paying you enough to work this hard. Slow down, spread it out 'til next week" I assumed it would be something like they quoted a schedule and the costs for labour for that period of time. So finishing up early would look like they overcharged because the job was easier than what was quoted. If that makes sense? But I don't know and I don't really care. I'm not paying the bill, we live in a housing co-op. We just wait a few years for maintenance issues to be resolved. There has been days where they've come in and done a few measurements then spent half the day on smoko shooting the breeze. The rent is cheap, so no doubt maintenance expenditure is too.

Been good last two fixtures. Him and Mings both contribute significantly to build up play and have the physicality to compete.

Very impressive player. If we can, I'd sign him for sure.

Nah-ugh. You let that beard grow wild and free. You worry about the accusations of being a terrorist later..

Has anyone seen The Count of Monte Cristo (1934)? If so, what were your thoughts? Any knowledge of how I might be able to view it?

Pleased with the performance from the highlights. Superior chances fell to us. Assured on and off the ball. We allowed them those first few minutes which has been costly. People on here bemoan the quality of the division we're in. Stoke have a side, midfield in particular, that has Premier League quality and they can't crack the top half of the table. I'm looking forward to the Derby match. I'm not going to let the disappointment of spending another season down here stop me from enjoying a game. I reckon we might just get the win. And gee willikers are we due one!

Got a team of builders working on the outer wall of my bedroom at the moment. Here at 7am sharp daily. No big deal, I'm up by that time most days anyway. But the incessant drilling at that time of morning I could do without. If it's not drilling then it's overhearing the carpenters talk about prolonging the jobs duration on account of being underpaid. That's their business, but the build has taken nearly two weeks, time to take your worksite radio and drilling on to the next site!

I like the company of people who I can share some silence with just as much as I do the 'life of the party' or extroverted types. But sorry to hear times have been tough. Great to read that you are trying to work through your differences together. I am a huge fan of couples trying anything and everything under the sun before calling it quits. Iron sharpens iron. However the friction and heat that come with that can be too intense and people give up on sharpening each other. I have been in a few scraps but only twice have I been hit by a loved one. My step father once, and my best friend the other time. To this day I hold both in high esteem. So while hitting someone is not in any way a healthy way of expressing yourself, and can easily escalate or cause feeling of resentment. But it can be forgiven. I've been in some nasty fist fights and situations, but without doubt the most emotionally charged experiences I've had are always with those closest to the heart. I don't see the point in holding grudges if things can be reconciled and amends made. Life's too precious to be condemning people to purgatory for a lifetime.

Is it to assess the 42 players they have out on loan currently in order to see who bests suits our criteria for a transfer? Seriously though, while I will take your ITK with a grain of salt, it wouldn't surprise me. Chelsea have dropped to 6th in the Premier League, correct? There's no doubt he would be in the discussion to bring some leadership and guidance to the club should they need to look outside the current personnel.

@LakotaDakota I really can't fathom your angle here. Firstly, I will concede, Grealish is not on the same level as David Silva, Coutinho or Modric were at his age. His potential is still unknown though. But back to my reason for posting, do you simply not rate Grealish's contribution on the pitch when you watch us play? If so, I am dumbfounded. Or is your gripe purely on a statistical basis? Even still, I don't get it.. A pass accuracy of just under 90%, 50 passes per game, 48 are short passes. the 3rd highest key passes per game in the division fouled an average of 5 times per game (often in final third) 2 successful dribbles per game (65% success) 9 duels won per game (over 60%) Over 2 shots per game, 1 from outside the box, 1 from penalty area. Shooting accuracy is 30% on target, 40% blocked, 30% misses. Involved in a goal for 1 in every 3 matches played 1.4 bad touches per game, dispossessed twice per game.

I am eager to see how this guy goes. He seems lightweight which is a concern. We are already league leaders on the ball, we need to improve off it. Wikipedia has his style of play as similar to his former teammate Modric. If he reads the game half as good as what Modric does then he will make up for being slight. Seemed to have some decent opportunities to make an impression with Spurs. A squad with the midfield of Rafael Van der Vaart, Modric, Bale and Lamela in it too. That said Hutton was making their squad at a similar time. As was Tom Huddlestone. Yet they managed 5th in the Premier League. Also like that he has been a Swansea midfielder. Possession retention, weight/accuracy of pass and off the ball movement should be part of his repertoire.

Chelsea have 42 players out on loan. We should be using the Terry connection to tap into that. Might pick up a gem who faded into obscurity like Marko Marin, now at Red Star Belgrade, his transfer fee there was 700k!

@kurtsimonw @Stevo985 I don't know what happened to my memory but Rules of The Game is probably not my best piece of advice. I had no recollection of it openly telling you to lie to women and get them pissed so you can get a lay. I only seem to remember the bits which actually do encourage some genuine self development and challenging limiting beliefs. But it would seem that comes few and far between and for the most part it is shallow and not at all what I had in mind. Don't mind me.

We are league leaders in nearly every vital aspect of the game that determines the outcome of a match. Chances created, key passes, passing accuracy, possession retention, set pieces, successful dribbles, most crosses made, shots on target, goals scored, most fouled team. We're top 6 in every one of those categories. I'd say that's a vast improvement on what Bruce did in his first 5 months as our manager and also on what he left Smith with. Our problem is that we are 4th worst in the competition at conceding goals, which is turning out to be disastrous results-wise and undermines all the good we do. We are also relegation material when it comes to interceptions, tackles, shots blocked, passes blocked. So defensively we have to improve, otherwise it won't cut it. If Smith finds a way to rectify the defense and stem the flow of goals we concede (1.56 per game) then I have no doubt he will take us to the Premier League.

Did anyone see what happened to Zion Williamson's shoe? Apparently it was the catalyst for Nike to lose 2 billion on the stock market. Ha! As a Bulls fan Markannen is just about the only thing to get excited about. Arcidiacono isn't too bad on his day either. LA Lakers looking like they might not make the playoffs. I wonder if LBJ knows that at this age MJ and the UnstoppaBulls went 69-13? I nearly forgot, that bounce pass alley-oop from Curry was nuts.