saint1977

https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/best-in-leeds/restaurants-bars/ultimate-leeds-craft-beer-real-21309132 - Midnight Bell is good, they brew a Mild-type beer of the same name, Leeds Best also tasty. Head of Steam next to the Station a bit like the Sheffield Tap there, equally good selection as well. Adelphi has the historic interior if that’s your thing, Sam Smith’s pubs if you are watching the pennies are around as well. Although no mobiles in Smiths pubs!

Variable speed limits on motorways, with gantry cameras, where for no immediate reason the speed varies say 70-40-40-70-50-40-70. Often due to a queue off a junction or bit of debris that disappeared 30 minutes prior. Highways England are much more likely to create a pile up with the stopping, speeding up and then braking than prevent one with these tactics. Don’t even get me started on ‘smart motorways’…

It didn’t help that the club tried to use him as a holding midfielder when he was clearly a box to box midfielder, as he showed v Liverpool when used to his strengths. Similar thing happening with Ibrahima Diallo who is also a box to box player.

That’s my memories as well, so many opportunities to get out of it. Boro at home, 2-0, 90 up, total control, idiotic og and then back off Stewart Downing. Everton at home and Bent’s wonder goal, Crouch not taking it into the corner. Villa 2up and collapsed, Prutton’s miss at WBA and the 10 game ban for pushing Wiley. Crouch’s sending off at Palace hurt us in that game and unavailable for Man U, Phillips’ domestic issues left him off the boil at the end of the season. The fitness seemed to go in the last 10 minutes although we were hopeless in the last two games of Sturrock and under Wigley, don’t like Harry Redknapp but club was a mess. Having said all of that, 04/05 had a far worse ending than 2017/18 but at even with those collapses we still beat the European Champions at home (Prutton showing what he could have been), Boro away, Skates at home in the cup and league. 2017/18 I actually fell asleep at Watford home as it was warm weather and so darned dull. Trying to put 10 men behind the ball 1-0 up home to Huddersfield was another low plus Carrillo signing. The only highlights of 2017/18 were the cup run, Everton home and Swansea. I’m amazed the 04/05 side went down by comparison and that the 17/18 side got half a dozen more points. Down to a better start for the 17/18 side I guess. Harry signed some very odd players summer 2005 though. Belmadi was good, Fuller improved but never saw Tereja!

Yeah, agree with much of that. If we can get circa £20m for JB - ought to be able to as a regular for a decent Poland side - and possibly £10-15m for some others whose game time has diminished eg Redmond might be at a stage of career where he wants to start every week we can strengthen a few positions with starting quality players with a good development ceiling, of which Dael Fry or the Forest CB Worrall are good examples. Forster going eases the wage bill further, don’t know what will happen with McCarthy as seems frozen out but Dan Sheldon indicated had signed a new deal. Could be offered on a low fee and go to another PL outfit as #2 or #3 as he only cost £2m in the first place. Ely will be interesting - one year to go, having a decent season but no talk of a new contract so may be sold. Would be comfortable if he signed on longer but equally if the club shake up the 10s with him and maybe Nathan going I’m comfortable as well. Theo’s second year is a frustration but not the end of the world. Broja back to Chelsea probably and Long going/retiring means at least one new striker, possibly two if club assess AA won’t cut it. Plenty of Champ clubs especially those relegated this season would be interested. We’ve established Diallo is JWP partner/competition contingent on the system used so OR needs DM competition/cover/long term successor, more of the emerging type signing Diallo was but as an actual DM. Full backs are fine so the one area as is unless Livra is sold.

Spot on, let’s see what he picks. Even with the strongest side including the core you outline above, City probably win 8 times out of 10 but that core is unbeaten against them this season, you have to maximise the chance you have. If Ralph throws the game to Pep effectively with another random line up, I think that’s him done with the bulk of our supporters. Let’s hope Ralph has his more rational head on tomorrow and picks our strongest available. If we give it a very good go and KDB scores the winner with a 30 yard worldie, no complaints. All we ever ask is for the players and management to give their best and Dec to March they certainly were. It’s slipped badly in the last three games, time to crank the intensity and the energy levels back up.

Starmer did the right thing initially but the gloves have to come off now. Turn up the pressure to get the Russian interference report published. Even Julia Hartley-Brewer for example is calling Boris a moron for making the Brexit-Ukraine comparison, people voting in an election vs being invaded. The fact that Putin and Trump were so delighted at Brexit tells you that 52% of the British public - well, mostly England and some extent Wales to be fair to Scotland and NI - got mugged by the bots and extremist trolls rolled out of the Kremlin. Brexit emboldened Putin towards the Ukrainian invasion by thinking the liberal democratic West was in ruins as did the knuckle draggers voting Trump and far right in later that year. The fact that 6 whole fucking years after the referendum the Tories are still trying to come up at their so called spring conference today with a single reason why it was a good idea says it all. Now the world lines up democracies v autocracies and the UK has weakened itself. I think the stupid fat moron was banking on Trump getting back in.

Yeah, I thought it was a nasty challenge, ASM was full pace and Allan just takes him clean out with a sliding foul where his leading leg was clearly off the ground. Significant risk of serious injury. Was a yellow plus and I think the referee having considered all of the angles and evidence has the justification to make that a red. A munter of a game and poor quality football, plenty of drama from the fouling and spitefulness. That late win has done Burnley in though, even with Saints happy to roll over for a probable 2-0 defeat at Turf Moor.

If you’re wondering why there’s been some pro Russia media content from parts of the US far right, 13.11 on this timeline will give you a clue - https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/trump-news-live-republicans-launch-last-ditch-effort-to-stop-jan-6-committee-accessing-emails/ar-AAV763j?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=U531 The fact the Republicans have largely taken a position of condemning the invasion hopefully is the start of a long journey to sanity and kicking Trump, his entourage and co to the gutter where they belong so we can ridicule them.

Having looked like he was making serious and sustained progress and momentum, three defeats, two at home, 8 conceded and 2 scored, all to teams lower in the table. More concerning still, Gerrard, Howe and Hodgson seem to have taken Ralph to the cleaners tactically too. Not sure what Smallbone in the 10 role today was all about. AA had a decent cameo Thursday but not used today. Random Ralph is back. Telling the media we only needed a couple of additions in the summer might not have been the best idea to stave off complacency and retain squad hunger.

The SMS sheep won’t react at HT - happy clap them off probably. Slow hand claps, ironic oles and selected boos might actually fire a few of players out of their laziness and restore some work ethic through a bit of fear. Great to back the players in the main but sometimes if the managers and coaches won’t deliver a rocket, supporters have to be express some passion. Moi scores, hopefully that gets everyone going plus a HT rocket from the manager.

I’m not dismissive as such, just that the club strategy would be to buy for £15-20m for a player eg Caleta-Car with a £35-50m potential ceiling with the right development (yes, not every player works out like that). Holding is a decent player but ceiling is probably £20-25m, whereas they are looking for another Salisu. Advantage of the takeover is back to buying £12-25m again, equivalent of what we were signing 2012-17. 2017-21 was mid table Champ stuff really. Bednarek was fine for £6m at the time, sell him on now for £12-15m and re-invest.

I think Finland and Sweden will be accelerated into NATO. Bosnia will be very difficult for Putin to get arms to and even though the pathetic government in Serbia is brown nosing Putin, they won’t want to be surrounded by all of his zealots on the very boundary. That region has been fairly independent of the USSR since Tito established himself. I feel dreadfully sorry for Ukraine but if Putin touches Finland let alone any of the current Baltic NATO members, I’m fairly confident NATO will have to deploy and finish the Cold War and USSR off once and for all. Most of the Russian public want him gone and the ones who support him are too geriatric to come out and hold NATO forces up. Apart from the odd small gesture, China has stayed out of it and seems to think he’s been a bit of a loon. Nothing in it for them really, other than to see beleaguered Russia over-priced crap supplies, as we can see with the tyres. The cost of repairing Ukraine will be enormous though after regime change in Russia.

Yep, I had that sense as well. You can see why Coutinho has gone for the fees he has and Watkins was on form which hasn’t always been the case this season. Don’t understand Ings getting booed - we got £30m for a quality player turning 30 but with a very patchy injury record. But for his goals would be in a dreadful place and no Dragan. Salisu badly missed - Stephens and Bednarek are decent PL squad options that you can one of but can’t afford two. With the takeover, imperative now to be selling one of them, probably Jan for £12-15m and breaking our record to get a first choice partner for Salisu. Crossing my fingers Salisu will see he needs more development time over a couple of years to be first choice for a regular CL side as VVD became and signs a new deal, probably with a release clause. KWP coming in for Livra if fit on Thursday, another of the best players missed today. Che’s worst game for a while, not an easy ground for an ex Birmingham player to go to. Broja will have up and down days. Agree that whilst Moi improved, we lack that change of pace in the 10 areas. Like Jan, probably time for both parties to move on with Redmond. He’ll want more games than he is getting and probably raise £15m or so there as well towards rebuilding the squad. The recent great form didn’t change the urgent buys needed at first choice GK, CB, 10 and striker.

A couple of female streakers - or at least topless - at the opening match at SMS v Espanyol in 2001. Can’t recall any since then.

Unbelievable isn’t it? National security leaks, the exams fiasco and the joint worst minister with Grayling (twice). Ran Boris’s 2019 campaign against Corbyn, who was about as much an opponent as the English Test team in Australia this winter.

Seems so. Unless RH has been asked to prioritise PL place money as Poch was. It’s this unprofessionalism which is why the club has won less than clubs of a similar size and stature.

Says it all that he has picked him. Clearly not getting offered a new contract, a year left, it’ll be a loan to perm in Turkey or Greece. Smallbone needs cameos, pitching him in tonight is not good management but he may have a future here post injury much longer run. Moussa clearly doesn’t. If the manager wants to wear a hair shirt for being an oddball, at least play one of the better u19s there to try. Redmond totally out of the picture, on the bench but hardly played recently. Must be getting sold in the summer as well. Smallbone needs to go on loan next year in the Champ, beef up and trust his body post ACL. A Armstrong a bonus so far, surprisingly sharp given the limited recent game time.

I’m not even sure that’s enough really. Decent league place but not a favourite for European football, draw opening up, fancied at least a Wembley semi. Hope I’m wrong but I can’t see that lot competing with West Ham over 90 minutes with quite a few mid table Championship players featuring and just taking the game to ET against established Premier League players would be an outstanding achievement with that line up. Hopefully the players can pull off a cup upset and play a division or two above their level.

I’d like to see this happen anyway, awarding process behind last two WCs questionable and to end up with a worthless tournament would be well worth it. Russia needs to be totally isolated in all sport as SA largely was (one off and rebel rugby/cricket tours excepted). Olympics position has been appalling, look at the skating debacle in Beijing. Every time a Russian ‘athlete’ wins, you always think ‘is that a clean win?’.

https://www.motforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=42923 Looks like also that signing Perraud has been more effective than Firpo thus far. Leeds and Saints linked with both LBs before we signed Perraud and they Firpo https://www.motforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=41760&start=160

I dunno, was pretty decent for an hour but gone stale like the rest of the midfield as Norwich finally getting players forward. Ralph needs to freshen it up, some pace eg Redmond or Armstrong A. Take one of the 10s off and Diallo to shore up a bit.

With a high grade hamstring tear - as opposed to strain or pull - probably yes. Like with groin injuries, as we saw with Stu, the return if there is any before the end of the season will be 10-15 minute cameos to build up before the summer. Lyanco would need to be making very good progress between now and then to be an option and most managers would not risk him needlessly especially as relegation risk is verging on non-existent this season. I could only see him being risked as a starter if we had to win the last couple of games to get into Europe and multiple other CBS were ruled out.

After the first 20 minutes, Saints owned that game. Stu getting back to his best, Moi very good again, Romeu playing like a CL midfielder, dominated the central areas and screened the back 4 superbly whilst spraying some quality passes to set another moving going. Him and JWP have been as a good a CM combo recently as any. KWP growing further into LB, if he becomes genuinely two-footed/sided he will be very valuable indeed. Delighted for Shane, he will enjoy his evening as must be first PL goal for 3 years or so. 2-0 didn’t really do the display justice, should have been 5 nil. Pickford should have done better for Stu’s goal but otherwise saved them from a hiding.

At least it’s Newcastle first who Saints should be fresher for. Trippier out and Wilson probably still out, need to deal with ASM effectively. Watford could be the beneficiaries if Saints are tired for the Sunday. Having said, even with Trippier out medium-term, I just can’t see the other three teams getting enough points even now to overhaul them. Burnley can’t score, Dennis has dried up for Watford who just haven’t turned up at all in their recent home games when they needed fight and Norwich are not defensively tight enough.