So, if I'm not mistaken, and it's hard to keep track, we wake up this morning to see:

- As per the Sunday Times, texts were shared with Sue Gray and the Met proving there was an illegal party hosted by Carrie Johnson, but went un-investigated

- No10 got an early version of the Sue Gray report and heavily redacted it, removing names, and detail

Cool.

Despite our indifferent form, I think it's a real concern if Beale leaves this summer. As far as I know Gerrard's only management experience is with Beale next to him, and when Gerrard was announced everyone who knew anything about the set up said Beale's work on the training ground was a key factor behind Rangers' and Gerrard's successes. Gerrard has even said it himself.

They clearly have a good professional partnership and Gerrard is totally untested without him by his side - and there's no guarantee a replacement would be a good "fit". Fingers crossed he stays

The Tory MPs / supporters who continue to stand by this man are debasing themselves

So turns out back in April when Johnson was 'assured' he'd only be getting one fine, he was absolutely right. Nothing to see here.

Been doing a bit of reading up about "pathocracy". Seems relevant.

Quote

 

According to Lobaczewski, the transition to pathocracy begins when a disordered individual emerges as a leader figure. While some members of the ruling class are appalled by the brutality and irresponsibility of the leader and his acolytes, his disordered personality appeals to some psychologically normal individuals. They find him charismatic. His impulsiveness is mistaken for decisiveness; his narcissism for confidence; his recklessness for fearlessness.

Soon other people with psychopathic traits emerge and attach themselves to the pathocracy, sensing the opportunity to gain power and influence. At the same time, responsible and moral people gradually leave the government, either resigning or being ruthlessly ejected. In an inevitable process, soon the entire government is filled with people with a pathological lack of empathy and conscience. It has been infiltrated by members of the minority of people with personality disorders, who assume power over the majority of psychologically normal people.

Soon the pathology of the government spreads amongst the general population. As Lobaczewski wrote, ‘If an individual in a position of political power is a psychopath, he or she can create an epidemic of psychopathology in people who are not, essentially, psychopathic’ (2006, p.25). The pathocratic government presents a compelling simplistic ideology, promoting notions of future greatness, with a need to defeat or eliminate alleged enemies who stand in the way of this great future. The government uses propaganda to stoke hatred towards enemies, and to create a cult of personality around the leader.

https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-34/november-2021/problem-pathocracy

1 hour ago, HKP90 said:

How can you make any strategic decisions when you literally cannot rely on anything any of your advisers are telling you.

I re-watched Chernobyl a few months before this invasion. Assuming it's fairly reliable in its depiction of events, one of the major themes (and problems) is that everyone in the upper echelons of power is too terrified to say anything out loud which undermines the "wisdom" and "strength" of the Soviet Union / Russia. I imagine there's a lot of that going on right now 

For me, regardless of cost, this would smack of failing to learn from the previous two windows.

We already have too many attacking players with no clear system of where they ought to fit in. I don't think the "dual 10s" works with Coutinho and Buendia both playing as they'd both be trying to find Watkins who, as good as he is at running behind, is only one man. That's before you worry about leaving Ings, Bailey, etc on the bench. 

Buendia and Ramsey are two very talented young players who are effectively competing for the Coutinho spot, I'd be happy to trust them going into next season and focus all our recruitment energies on a DM and CB. That said, he's obviously a class player, and the price quoted makes this a tough one.

Sky News has now presented its overall assessment of the results. Like the BBC, it tries to assess what would have happened if there had been elections in all of Britain, instead of just in certain areas. But it focuses on trying to assess what that would mean if people had voted in a general election in the same way, and it says the Conservatives would be the largest party - but almost 50 seats short of a majority.

Here are the projections.

Conservatives: 278 seats (down 87 on 2019)

Labour: 271 (up 68)

SNP: 50 (up 2)

Lib Dems: 23 (up 12)

A general election outcome like this would almost certain lead to Keir Starmer becoming prime minister. The SNP and the Lib Dems would definitely vote down a Johnson government, but might consider supporting a minority Labour government in some form or another (or at least not voting it out immediately.)

What do the Tories have to do for people to stop voting for them?

11 hours ago, Awol said:

Sign (but also go back to 4-2-3-1 and play Phil as the 10). Ramsey, Coutinho, Buendia, with two holders behind them.

I think the issue with this is not enough pace / runners in behind - too reliant on an isolated Watkins

13 hours ago, Davkaus said:

As if this is going to do anything but encourage people to stay away in case they have to meet this word removed

 

Creepiness aside, as my mate who works in the CS has pointed out, pretty much all CS departments have a hot desk policy, so this doesn't even make sense.

56 minutes ago, Ingram85 said:

Again, what do the resident VT Tory voters think about everything going on at the moment? 

Gordon Brown sold our Gold

35 minutes ago, ciggiesnbeer said:

Another great game against Everton. I love to see him bomb forward.  Such a  great defender. Glad he was there to help clean up a couple of Digne's mistakes (which are understandable its a new team, system and he was returning to his old club.)

Sarcasm or were we watching different games!

7 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

The N word in question is apparently not deemed racist in Uruguay and is actually seen as affectionate. 

I would like to hear black Uruguayan's take on this claim...

7 minutes ago, The_Rev said:

 

 

I'm sceptical about this deal.

I don't see how the £100m we spent in the summer on Ings, Buendia and Bailey gets on the pitch if Coutinho is in the squad.  

As exciting as the deal is from a stature POV, these are my thoughts. We have a very unbalanced squad. Recruitment is Man United esque. At least with the option to buy it's a low risk move but there doesn't seem to be a great deal of planning going on.

21 minutes ago, sparrow1988 said:

Well he was arrested on suspiscion of sexual assault. Investigation ongoing.

Maybe not as bad as a rapist / nonce but not good either.

Did not know this! 

Can we get Bissouma please

Scary potential. Brave on the ball, excellent control, pacey, and an eye for a progressive pass. Excited to see how he flourishes under the new manager.

5 minutes ago, Rodders said:

there's a lot of pages to go back, where's the link with Gerrard? Would be **** woeful to go for him. Scottish league is a useless indicator of capabilities, especially at either Rangers / Celtic

Alex Ferguson says hello...

Didn't watch on Saturday, but looking ahead I'd have thought Buendia either plays here:

--Watkins--Ings--Buendia

--McGinn----Ramsay/Sanson---

--------Nakamba----------

...In which case Bailey/Watkins/Ings misses out. Or here as more box-to-box:

--Watkins--Ings--Bailey

--McGinn--------Buendia---

--------Nakamba----------

...but it seems he's relatively unproven in that role and I'd have major concerns about that midfield.

I agree with other posters that there doesn't seem to be much of a plan with the personnel we've brought in, they don't all fit into a balanced side at the same time. Which for me, is a bit of a concern.

19 minutes ago, tomav84 said:

this for me is how we will line up when everyone is fit...442 (not bothering with the back 5 as that picks itself)

        Ings           Watkins

Buendia                           Bailey

       McGinn      Sanson/Luiz/Marv

Apart from Buendia being out of position and McGinn not being able to play in a two, this is... still not going to work

24 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

Every world class footballer worth their salt negotiates release clauses these days. he could easily have insisted on an 80m release clause. Or a 70m release clause.

He could have not signed a new contract at all and he'd be going for far less.

Signing that contract has probably made us 20-30m.

Why shouldn't the club be threatened with Legal action if they were refusing to accept a bid that met a contractual release clause?!

 

I agree that we'd be far better with grealish and we'd have a chance of the top 6. But he's been offered essentially a premier league title, probably a cup and very possibly a champions league win. Not in 5 or 10 years IF everything goes absolutely perfectly for us. He's been offered it now. At the best club in Europe. Playing with some of the best players in Europe. For the best manager. Playing alongside his idol.

Even if everything goes amazingly for Villa, we wouldn't be able to offer him what he's being offered now for 10 years. And the chances of even that are minute.

It's not like he's **** us off for 50m to go to a club who have scraped into the champions league like Spurs or Leicester

Not sure about that. There wasn't a clause in his old one, he had 4 years left, and we didn't want or need to sell. He'd have probably had to hand in a transfer request