rjenkins

I think it's really hit stride now to be honest. Everything from Episode 6 onwards has been brilliant, although I didn't really appreciate Ep. 8 until a second viewing. To quote Dale Cooper; "I have no idea where this will lead us, but I have a definite feeling it will be a place both wonderful and strange"

I don't tend to get involved with 'politics' threads on VT, although generally the standard of discussion is a lot higher than on other forums or Twitter, for example. I've really enjoyed reading everyone's posts. Ahead of voting today, I've been going back over the campaign in my head and struggling to find a reason to vote for any of the candidates/parties. Maybe it's nostalgia, but when I look at the Tory cabinet / Labour shadow-cabinet, I just don't see a great deal of talent and charisma. I don't get the sense that anyone has the capability or momentum to make a positive difference, especially compared with previous elections. No-one is winning me over enough to have faith in them. Based on the manifestos I would be inclined to vote Labour, but I think Jeremy Corbyn attracts and repels support in equal measure, and I'm not sure how competent he really is. I read Stefan's post above about holding Labour parties to higher standards, and I do agree to an extent. I think left-wing parties do have more to overcome in our society due to the way our media operates amongst many other factors, but I don't read The Sun or Daily Mail, and I still don't find Corbyn to be a particularly impressive leader. It's not all just a witch-hunt. On the other hand, I think Theresa May's honeymoon period in office is well and truly over after a really cynical campaign, and I worry about the consequences of having her in power backed by a huge majority in Parliament. Even after their manifesto I still don't feel like I know what they'll do in office (except that it's bad news for foxes). It just feels like whatever they do, much of it will be bad for a lot of people or they wouldn't be so vague and non-committal (and I know that's terrible reasoning). The FPTP system makes it harder too, although I do see more variety in the posters and placards around than I used to. In 2015 I voted Labour because I was worried about the UKIP vote locally, and I'll probably do the same again to counteract wherever that vote migrates to this time around. It's hardly stirring stuff though. I expect a Tory majority of around 90.

I think the only kit I have properly liked on this thread so far has been the Southampton away kit. I think the Man City kit is better than the current one, however.

I can't say I'm particularly sold on either at the moment. The away kit looks like a training kit to me. Edit - I agree with the post above that it could easily be a photoshop effort after the home shirt leak.

For me it's typical Lynch so far. A real mix of sublime and ridiculous.

I feel relatively happy with the Browns draft. Myles Garrett and Jabrill Peppers will both have big roles to play for us immediately and apparently they were the two players Gregg Williams wanted from the draft, so it's good that we could get them both. We've released Barnidge, so Njoku will probably see a lot of the field early too. I'm not sure how necessary it was for us to trade back into the first round to get him, but after O.J. Howard he was apparently the next best ranked TE in the draft and he's only 20, so that fifth-year option could come in handy down the line. I wanted Chidobe Awuzie and/or Obi Melifonwu from this draft in an ideal world, and I still feel like we have needs in the secondary. DeShone Kizer was my favourite QB in this draft, however, so I can't complain really. Time will tell if Trubisky was worth what the Bears gave up to get him. Even if they didn't need the trade up they won't care if he starts for them for the next 10 years I suppose. 49ers had an incredible draft really.

I'm a Browns fan, so I'll be answering this based on the silly amounts of picks we have in the first two rounds this year. 1. Who do you realistically want to take? There are a few guys at the top of this draft who would all be solid selections at No. 1 and 12 if it weren't for Myles Garratt's athleticism. However, I don't like hearing that he's maybe not as motivated or nasty as some scouts would ideally like so with that in mind I would love it if the Browns went: 1. Jamal Adams 12. Derek Barnett 33. DeShone Kizer 52. Chidobe Awuzie 2. Who do you think you will ACTUALLY take? 1. Myles Garratt 12. Mitch Trubisky 33. Sidney Jones 52. Adam Sheehan 3. Who do you think might fall to your spot who you would take instead? With Isaiah Crowell's contract situation, I can see an interesting conversation being had about running backs if either Fournette or Cook are still on the board at 12, or even if McCaffrey is still there at 33. 4. Who do you want to completely avoid? Reuben Foster or Joe Mixon - Ultimately NFL teams will draft on talent, but there seems to be a good buzz around Hue Jackson and the team spirit in the Browns camp right now and I'm worried about that being disturbed.

I heard that the trade cost was multiple second round picks? 1st overall would be madness when Myles Garrett is such a crazy prospect at the top of the draft. I hope this is not the case.

Add in all the craziness regarding Garoppolo's Instagram 'hack' this morning and that scenario is looking more likely. The Browns have certainly built a cockpit to help a young QB though with all this QL spending, whether it's Garoppolo , Kessler, Trubisky, whoever.

Jack Grealish is one of the players in this current Villa squad that I would not want us to sell under any circumstances. I feel he has improved this season and he's the player that opposition teams worry about most when they play us in my opinion. A midfield of Hourihane and Lansbury behind him will do wonders for his game as we won't be so static in midfield and he'll have more options when on the ball. I see he is attracting criticism for winning so many free kicks but surely set pieces are an opportunity?

I've been following the Cleveland Browns from when Randy Lerner bought us. Can't give up on them now. It's been even more miserable than the Villa though most of the time! It's only been the last three/four years I've got into NFL properly though, I just checked up on scores and watched highlights before that.

Was at the game today, and that is as bad as I've seen us play under Bruce. Cardiff are not a particularly good side, but they are organised and every player knew what they were supposed to be doing. I don't know whether our players got bullied into not being able to execute our gameplan, or whether hopeful balls over the top to McCormack (who was useless again) really was an intended tactical move? A few things about Steve Bruce's selections are starting to worry me, not least dropping Gollini in place of Bunn, and when I saw the team this afternoon I just couldn't see goals in our team. I fear this could be a long January for us.

I read that he's going to China for silly money? Can't say I remember him from Blackburn?

I think Gollini has done reasonably well since coming here, and I'd always rather have him between the sticks than Mark Bunn, but if he wants to leave or Steve Bruce doesn't rate him then so be it. I don't believe his departure would be an Amavi/Ayew/Grealish sized disaster. I think it would be short-sighted to let him go permanently unless we received a very good offer based on the performances I've seen, but I don't see him in training or know how happy he is here.

Ashley Westwood is a hard-working midfielder with a decent passing range. During his time here he's had some good seasons, although for what I'm sure are various reasons he does not look to me as though he has improved greatly over that timeframe. There's no getting away from the fact that he is limited in terms of physicality, and he does have a tendency to tackle poorly or duck out of challenges altogether. We don't have anyone better at the moment, but I think we need to massively improve in central midfield over the next transfer windows.

I couldn't get to the game tonight so can't comment on this particular performance, but I haven't liked the 4-4-2 since pre-season and I hope it changes soon. We don't have proper wingers and despite all the signings I still feel as though we are still set up to play in the 4-3-3 Lambert utilised. We've signed some good players until RDM but the squad is still unbalanced.

I would have wanted Jedinak a few years ago when we signed Carlos Sanchez, but selling a 30 year old anchor man midfielder at a substantial loss just to sign a 32 year old anchor man midfielder doesn't make much sense to me. Surely there's a younger midfielder with Championship experience we could sign? We may as well get Jonathan Hogg back. (Part joking) I would be very happy if we signed Ravel Morrison mind. I was impressed with Tom Cairney from Fulham at the weekend and I feel that, more than anything this is what we need, a midfielder who can win the ball but can also bring it forward himself and create space and chances for others. We need to properly replace Delph in my view. Not getting linked to any right-backs either, are we?

Despite everything that happened last season, I don't think I'll ever be able to bring myself to hate Gabby, and I would love nothing more than to see him score 15 goals in the Championship this season as a major contributor to our glorious promotion. I can accept that he is limited as a footballer, and often excused his dwindling goal tallies as a consequence of being played increasingly as a left winger. I know full well they are excuses, but football is about experiences and memories for me, and for so many years Agbonlahor has featured in the best of those. Getting out of shape was the most disappointing thing from my perspective as a fan, knowing what many of us would go through to ever have a chance of having Gabby's job. Obviously it's much easier to point fingers at those like Lescott and Richards whose Villa careers started much more recently (and aren't our leading Premier League goalscorer) but like them I feel like the fanbase has turned on Gabby in a way which cannot be recovered. Maybe for that reason alone we would all be better off were he find pastures new.

Asked a Cardiff-supporting friend of mine about McCormack today and he said: 'He's goals, goals, goals mate. About time he was at a higher-end club.' That'll do me.

I haven't kept track of Mo Diame's time at Hull, but when he was at Wigan I wanted us to sign him. If his release clause is only £4.5million then I think he's worth pursuing, but I thought he had all but signed for Newcastle?

There's a long way to go in this Transfer window, and I expect us to still make at least two signings especially now that we are starting to sell. There are some very good teams in the Championship but there are some incredibly average ones too, and I would be very disappointed if we were below 12th in the table come May. As it stands I don't think we have quite enough for automatic promotion, but an outside chance of a play-off place. There's nothing special about teams like Ipswich and Cardiff who have managed to compete for play-off positions in recent years so I see no reason why it is beyond us.

The post was hilarious for all of 10 seconds, but I don't understand why a prediction from a half-arsed manager who used to be famous would illicit such a response. It's for the best it was deleted, but as a general rule I don't mind Dr. Xia getting emotionally involved in Aston Villa matters. I like to think the club is more than just 'another investment'.

I like the look of both of those kits. I'm probably leaning more to buying the away because of the retro appeal, but both look to be really good efforts. I didn't have a major problem with Macron but I am excited to buy a kit again without Macron men on it! Yay!

I know everyone is a tactical expert after the match, but to take Leicester's Premier League win as an example, solid defensive coaching and a clinical counter attack can make a limited team greater than the sum of their parts. As a Welshman I have seen it in action over the last couple of years and, although everyone points to Bale's quality, we're still a team with Wayne Hennessey in goal and Sam Vokes up front. Northern Ireland did the same and their 'Bale' and 'Ramsey' are Lafferty and Davis at the end of the day. A better coaching set-up will take England a long way, because the players are there. Your centre-backs aren't great, but are no worse surely than MacAuley, Jonny Evans, Ben Davies or James Chester? It seems to me from the outside looking in though that a culure change will be needed in England's style of play. Whoever the next manager is needs to pick a team and develop it, bringing 'flavour of the month' players in steadily. It seems like Roy Hodgson tried to do this, and then s**t the bed over the season Spurs and Leicester had changing everything at the last minute, as well as bringing Rashford which was daft if you're not going to play him and Wilshere who was garden-gate rusty. I've seen the England set-up go through numerous rinse and repeat actions at the top now without much difference being made on the pitch. Maybe it's time to drop the hype and start with the system rather than the big names.

Really enjoying A Moon Shaped Pool so far. Superb.