Cornish Steve

There are some similarities since Lukaku would come across as lazy, but he was a top goalscorer nonetheless. Whether it's pacing himself - choosing which opportunities to chase and not others - or something else, I'd rather a goalscorer that comes across as lazy than a busy bee whose goal stats don't warrant a second glance. What matters in the end is scoring goals. I'm confident Beto will get there once this initial famine ends.

Sorry, but I just can't let this pass. Remember when we had one of the top 30 best strikers of the past decade - better than van Persie, Robben, Torres, Giroud, and Falcao? (He's ranked #26.) https://www.givemesport.com/87988881-ronaldo-messi-neymar-zlatan-top-50-forwards-of-the-2010s-ranked/ I was disappointed with Beto as well, but we'll see a big change in him once he bags a couple of goals. It's clear he's a confidence player: that's the issue right now, not lack of ability.

McNeil's goal was very well taken, and he should've had one in the first half as well.

Once again, it's a clean sheet. It may not alway be pretty, but our defence lets in fewer goals than most.

Honestly, we don't see what happens in training, so it's not fair to pick so much on Ashley Young. Our defence this season is one of the better ones in the league, so it can't all be wrong. Branthwaite was given his chance at the right time, and I'm sure Patterson will be, too.

One or both of Beto and Chermiti to score today.

You can always contract out the work to others who live here.

Forest 1-2 Everton McNeil

Poor predictions. Unwanted result. Boston Toffee leads for the season, but Bill leads per prediction.

I remember when several of you gave me flak for claiming the Royals benefit from the assets of those in the Duchy of Cornwall who die intestate. "But it all goes to charity", you wrote. "The Royals wouldn't do anything as greedy and unconscionable as benefiting from the death of others", you wrote. Surprise! "We've been lied to. Moneys we all thought were going to charity have instead been used to improve properties owned by the duchy, increasing the income stream that flows from them into Charles's pockets." https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/nov/24/royal-greed-king-charles-profiting-dead-disgusting

I wish I could fly overnight to see this game in person. The volume in the stadium will be deafening, the intensity of players and the fans will be immense, and, even with refs working against us, Everton will be unstoppable. I've no doubt it will be a game that those present will never forget. Can't wait to read the reports of those in attendance.

And in other news, the sky is blue, water is wet, ...

You're not below average; you're below TT Average, which is different. TT Average is the average of all predictions made, which (because of the "wisdom of crowds") is usually a very good predictor of scores. It's not uncommon for TT Average to achieve the highest score in this game. By the way, if you want to win some cash, enter those competitions at local fairs where you must guess the number of marbles in a jar - but wait until the end of the day. Look at all the previous guesses and calculate the average. Chances are you might well win. The wisdom of crowds was used once to predict where a submarine sank in the Atlantic. A number of experts were asked to predict the exact location, and then they took the average of all predictions. The submarine was found 100 yards from that spot.

PLonkers.

Newcastle looking to buy him in January. Go take a running jump. The rich don’t always get their way.

What extreme arrogance from Warnock. Someone is an idiot simply because they are from Latvia? https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/67484554

Once again, this is a complete farce. Money talks. The rich and powerful get preferred treatment.

As always, hope for the best but plan for the worst.

I was thinking about this, and it's a key point. The Premier League made this up, completely, with no precedent, no explanation, and no obvious thought. That's no way to run a business. What's needed is a clear statement in advance about: 1) What constitutes a violation, with exceptions clearly defined. 2) What are the penalties for a violation. 3) How do penalties and 3-year averages interact so a club can't be charged twice for the same violation. For example: - The 3-year annual allowed loss is $100m - What is excluded (e.g., stadium expenses), specific allowances for surprises (e.g., COVID) - A loss exceeding $100m but less than $150m, fine of 10% of loss over $100m and deduction of 3 points - A loss exceeding $150m but less than $200m, fine of 20% for the loss over $150m and deduction of 6 points - A loss exceeding $200m, fine of 30% for the loss over $200m and a deduction of 9 points - Fines etc. are increased for repeat offenders, so the big clubs can't ride rough-shod over financial limits and treat fines as an occupational hazard: doubled for second violation in 10 years, tripled for a third violation in 10 years. - Any violation precludes involvement in Europe for the next season. - If a club violates the rules three times in a 10-year period, they are automatically relegated. - This would apply to all leagues, except that the limits and the fines would vary for each league. - The fines are not kept by the PL but distributed to other teams in the league, including those relegated. The amount given to other teams would be in inverse proportion to their final league position (with the three relegated teams receiving the most). - Clubs cannot file lawsuits against others. Personally, I'd rather the fine be a percentage of the club's annual income so the impact is the same for each club. This should be posted somewhere for all to see so there are no excuses, no dragging out proceedings by big clubs, and no making things up as we go along. Everyone is treated fairly. Everyone knows in advance the consequences of their actions. No surprises.

... and then you'll predict 10-0?

Given the likely ferocity of the fans and added determination of manager and players this weekend, I'm changing my prediction. Everton 5-0 United DC-L The idiots running the PL, minus 1,000.

We paid for him about the amount we're assessed to have exceeded the limit averaged over 3 years. Given the accusation made against him, his value dropped to zero - we lost the lot, plus his salary. In our submission to the league, we included this as an example of extenuating circumstances.

Looking at it from a pure numbers perspective, one incident alone could be said to have caused this situation: recruiting Gylfi Sigurdsson. Of course, we can say the same about choosing to work with Usmanov, but I think the Gylfi situation puts the whole thing into perspective. Should a club face such a punishment over the mistaken hire of one player?

It's quite extraordinary. Even ardent Liverpool supporters are lining up behind Everton and against the Premier League. Whoever would have believed that? I wouldn't mind betting that Everton will be mentioned in parliament this week, such is the intensity of public feeling around this decision.

I'd better give the correct answers. Left to right, the shoes belong to... Top row: Martinez, Koeman, Allardyce Middle row: Dyche, Lampard, Silva Bottom row: Moyes, Benitez, Ancelotti Allardyce's shoes, worn during an interview, were outrageous. Ancelotti's appear to be made of Italian leather. Martinez, Moyes, and Benitez all wore brown.