Shroppie

I'd say poor and shaky first 10 minutes. After that, apart from the odd moment, totally in control and by far the better team. Really good performance in the end Will be interesting to see how we can improve now we're virtually safe.

I've heard a rumour that our capacity may be reduced to about 10000 initially. ST holders will get priority for seats, but obviously some will have to move. If STs exceed capacity, I believe some sort of rota/ballot will determine who goes to each game.

Working fine on my Android phone once I realised no Tapatalk, which I'm delighted to uninstall. Good work, Steve. Thanks.

And it seems his standard tactic of flooding Twitter etc with bot-created support isn't working so well. Maybe slowly, thanks to articles like below, people are grasping how he works. https://truepublica.org.uk/united-kingdom/dominic-cummings-a-cover-story-obscuring-something-far-darker/?fbclid=IwAR2GsVcqnHr2F8brVaNj89VQ9dSiqfuezfR-DBp_QVCa9zQKywGhnaTpMw4 Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

Not going as well as Cummings hoped today. Firstly, the consistent "make up your own mind, I think he acted reasonably, move on" message suddenly appearing from the Tory Hierarchy was too obvious and has been greeted with cynicism, as has the familiar blitzing of social media and TV with bot-created supportive tweets and comments. Gove made an idiot of himself (not hard) trying to defend driving with your family onboard to test your eyesight. More and more Tory anger that a Spad is dominating the agenda. There's a strong contingent that doesn't like the idea that Cummings is so vital to protect. And now Cummings has been caught out doctoring his own blog to make it appear he predicted and warned about Coronavirus, which he didn't. Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

Just demonstrating how right I was. And still am. Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

It's amusing to see Cummings complaining about the media saying things that weren't true (even though they probably we're) when getting the media to report fals news was the main way he won the referendum and an election. Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

Getting interesting. The witness in Barnard Castle is cross and has made an official complaint under the Coronavirus Act, supplying the police with Cummings's number plate. The police are obliged to investigate that. Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

If your name is Cummings, yes, otherwise certainly not. Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

An appallingly bad performance. As soon as he was asked direct questions he resorted to parroting the same response which is not consistent with official advice, blustering and shutting questioners down to move on. Specifically he did not deny Cummings went out to Barnard Castle and asserted that Cummings had no alternative, despite the fact his wife has family in London. He also dodged answering when he knew about the Durham trip. He's now added bad judgement to lying, inconsistency and lack of integrity to his already impressive portfolio of weaknesses. Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

The idea that introducing quarantine now will be effective has been disputed. It's in the early stages that it should have been introduced. And I haven't picked up anything about Ferries. What about by road through the tunnel? And does it apply to lorry drivers? And isn't France excluded? Or is it included now but Ireland isn't? I appreciate the need to set out a broad policy for easing lockdown, but it's sheer incompetence not to have detailed rules on specific issues sorted out first. This smacks of a split government wanting it both ways and so ending up with confusion, no clarity whatsoever and irrational rules/guidance. Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

I think they are well prepared, but I wouldn't be surprised if their private thinking is changing. They've followed the "must finish the season" line but at what point does finishing the season become unrealistic? League 1 and 2 are now abondoned as they can't afford to play now but they'll be in desperate trouble if they can't start next season. I've heard May 25 I'd the deadline for a decision on finishing or not, and that's approaching fast. In any case, you can't have the PL waiting to finish this season whilst L1/2 are starting another. All logic says give it up now, but money screams do anything to try to keep the gravy train on the rails. And as for Ralph, he can come to Southampton by train or car with no quarantine. Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

Oh dear. Mike Pence's press secretary has got it. Not only has she had close contact with the VP, her husband is a close senior adviser of Trump. We just have to keep our fingers crossed. Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

But I'm very doubtful all clubs will agree. Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

I think any course of action is open to legal challenge, but my suggestion gives the least grounds. If the season is null and void because of force majeur (except for outcomes already determined) it's not the PL's fault. If there is any contrived method of determining final positions it will be open to challenge from those disadvantaged, eg by losing home advantage, losing home atmosphere, losing players out of contract on June 30. In fact, anything that is not normal. Using current positions is equally flawed. Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

I don't think it's cynical at all. It would solve the problem of Liverpool being legitimate champions and avoid that backlash. And it would show a "serious" attempt to finish the season which would go some way to protect the PL against claims from the TV companies. The issues would be relegation and promotion, and Euro places. IMO, although it would be tough on likely promotees and lucky for those fighting relegation, as the lower leagues have been abandoned, it's impossible to decide how any promotion/relegation could work without being artificial, destroying the integrity of the competitions or being a stitch-up to get the preferred teams into the PL. So, no promotion or relegation. And same teams as last year in Europe. Leicester to replace Man City if banned. Sorted. Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

That's not true at all. There's an inevitability that after this desperation of trying to manipulate ridiculous scenarios to get matches started again, the season will be abandoned. Every other option is too artificial, too dangerous and destroys the integrity of the leagues. I simply don't believe the average fan gives a toss about Project Restart: I certainly don't and think it's stupid. Much better to abandon then start again when we can. But, of course, the only factor that is driving this is money. There's real panic that the cash cow could dry up. Below the PL, there's a growing hope that this episode will cause the collapse of the hugely biased current funding and I agree. This is going to go one of two ways. Either a complete breakaway of the "elite", maybe into a Euro league but more likely a protected smaller PL with no relegation or promotion. Or a rational reassessment and redistribution of money across the leagues to sustain football as a whole. But I doubt that as there's far too much greed around. Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

Would that make all players free agents available with no transfer fees? That might upset agents. Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

More and more artificial ideas are being thrown out in a desperate attempt to artificially "finish" the season, each of which undermines the integrity of the game and the PL. All to preserve integrity? Make that preserve income for the elite. Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

The point is there aren't any detailed proposed plans. As soon as they get into detail, this will all fall apart. Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

Small problems are that the tests aren't 100% reliable, players are rebelling at the thought of lockdown between games, other people will be involved and it will be pretty-well impossible to keep them isolated, all kit and equipment will need total sanitisation before and after games and every time anyone involved in any game is in contact with anyone or anything from the outside world, everyone will need retesting, at least twice. And one positive test blows the whole thing apart. Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

You really don't seem to be in the real world. No way will half the PL clubs go bust. I assume you're working on the model that they have to continue paying ridiculous wages in an unsustainable model. At some point there will be a challenge to the absolute power of players to demand whatever they want. Faced with big wage cuts or no wage, because there are no clubs to pay them, things will change, and not before time. The players' God-given right to be paid in full whatever happens has to collapse at some point: it's not sustainable. And now is as likely a time as any for reality to kick in. It also appears that you feel you're at minimal risk so you're not worried, even though you might be asymptomatic but infect and possibly kill others. And you're clearly not going to worry about others if protecting them deprives you of football. Perspective is needed. Football doesn't really matter at the moment. Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

I'm with you, Lighthouse. The more you think about the logistics of neutral ground, locked door matches with all players, officials, medical, security, media and other backroom staff tested at least twice and kept in total isolation before, after and between matches, the more obvious it is that this is ridiculous. And that's before you add in the reports of players refusing to do it for fear of carrying infection back to families and injuring their own health. It's just desperation over money that's making them talk about it. I still think they know it can't happen, but have to demonstrate that they've tried. My guess is the number of clubs opposing it will steadily grow until the idea is abandoned. Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

You're welcome. [emoji23][emoji23] Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

What I find particularly stupid and hypocritical is the repeated claim that this is being done to "maintain the integrity of the league". Rubbish. It's being done in a desperate attempt to keep the TV money flowing in. Nothing else matters. And isn't it obvious that arrangements necessary for resumption - closed doors, maybe face masks but especially playing at neutral grounds - makes the game a pastiche of what it should be and destroys integrity. Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk