Elston Gunnn

Wanted to make an observation about the bball coach Steve Kerr video linked in above posts by MikeO and StevO. That strong statement is among the few that gun “advocates” might actually view, as they’re more likely to have been watching the NBA playoffs than any news program. The evening Fox “news” programs don’t count as news.

Yours is a perfectly reasonable question. Further, public opinion polls repeatedly show that the vast majority of Americans favor some forms of gun control. So Democrats, admittedly in need of issues to campaign on the Fall, have an opportunity. Republicans are, alas, probably only temporarily, on the defensive. Two factors perhaps answer your question. First, all that money from the NRA. Are Republicans on this issue “selling their souls”? Yes. Second, Republicans can logically expect that their own children are statistically highly, highly unlikely to be murdered at school. So mostly they can avert their eyes.

The cowardice of Republican officeholders is disgusting. A meaningful number of them bitterly criticize Trump and Trumpism in private but will not risk being “primaried” by loony right-wingers, and so do not say publicly what they know to be true. But I want to second dunlopp9987’s important point about “the people,” Trump’s base, those who think they are the “real Americans.” The fundamental problem is the devastating symbiosis between “the people” — tens and tens of millions of Trump voters — and the no-longer-conservative Republican Senators and Representatives. When Trump was elected President, legitimately, in 2016, appalled opponents desperately hoped he might “grow into the Presidency.” When from his first weeks in office this was shown to be illusory, Democrats began to point out his many flaws. Republicans, in turn, chortled that Democrats had succumbed to “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” that Trump “just drove ‘em crazy.” In fact, Trump Derangement Syndrome does exist, affecting tens of millions of Americans: not his outraged opponents, but his own outraged supporters, for whom Trumpism is a fulminating scream at changes over a half-century in American life and culture. Trump’s supporters are deranged. The most extreme, the QAnon crowd, are the most obviously deranged. But tens of millions of otherwise sane citizens — “real Americans, the people” — have lost their moral moorings, justifying all manner of ugliness, sometimes enthusiastically, more often simply by looking the other way, by averting their eyes and their consciences from things they would previously have denounced. They are deranged. They support a fascist movement. The Trump plan is to win if possible, but more important steal if necessary, key positions at the local and state level in 6-8 key “swing states” in ‘22. These positions, election officials responsible for counting and/or certifying the vote, if won by Trumpists, will be used, if necessary, literally to steal future elections. Trump and his (repeat: tens of millions) supporters fully believe this is justifiable, as they are committed to the Big Lie, that the 2020 Presidential election was stolen from Trump. So, going forward, we will find out how far the key 5% of so-called “moderate undecideds” will go to avert their eyes, to avoid seeing and recoiling from the elements of fascism that Trumpism is based on: fear of the dark-skinned Other, white supremacy, Christian white nationalism, racial purity, the legitimization of force, including murder. Because Biden and the Democratic Party are not doing well in the polls, Democrats are desperate. The looming Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade will perhaps energize a sufficient number of women to vote for Democrats this Fall. This seems especially likely if some Trump states pass laws outlawing all abortions, period. Or go further, and restrict access to contraception. (Sounds crazy, I know. They are deranged.) And Democrats may — now — also run on the issues of gun safety, limiting access to weapons of mass murder, background checks, etc. One essential question seems to be: will “undecided” women worry more about inflation and the (bogus) threat of Critical Race Theory than about democracy, fascism, the right to choose, and the murder of children?

Dele was very good, yes?

Both English commentators on US tv say obvious red.

To repeat the now bloody obvious: our very best chance is straightforward — Leeds do no better than draw at Brentford. Not literally our only chance, as Burnley could take only a single point from their final 2 matches. We could beat Arsenal. Sure. But clearly our best hope now is Brentford at least holding Leeds to a draw.

Our best chance is simply that Leeds do no better than draw at Brentford. We hold massive GD over Leeds.

Screwed twice now out of corners.

American tv showing 3-4-2-1. Have to play through Gomes. Doucouré surely told to stay back. Good news, I think, is that Iwobi and Mykolenko will willingly run the touchline all match long. And Gordon and Richarlison will help defend, too. Surely we will press from the beginning, not sit back, planning for 1-0 from the opening whistle.

Yeah, puzzling that neither starts. Any chance Doucouré actually stays back? Not his usual way, which is attacking, with mixed results.

3-4-2-1?

No, you’re good, forget the wooden box. Score of 3-2 means we won! You woke up a couple seconds too soon, or in your dream-fog just missed the slight pause. Dream said, “3-2, Palace see us safe.” Wait, you were in dunlopp9987’s dream? No wonder you got it all messed up. Your own dreams are strange enough.

What you say makes sense. But somebody’s gotta play CM alongside Doucouré, whether DCM or ACM. For some (to me) mysterious reason, Lampard has played Allan very little in recent matches. So that would leave Gomes, who is a good playmaker but poor defensively, and VdB, who, if actually healthy/fit, is much better all-around than Gomes. It is must-win, and Lampard has few good options at CM, and no strong options. So I’m guessing he’ll go with VdB, hoping he can play 60 minutes. Only guessing, given no clear options.

Van de Beek available, so 2 scenarios. First, if Lampard has not totally lost faith in Allan........ Pickford Coleman Holgate Keane Mykolenko Allan Iwobi Doucouré VdB Richarlison DCL Allan stay back, period, period. Let VdB and Doucouré go forward. Play through VdB. Bench: Gray and Gordon available subs 2d half, if Iwobi not playing well. Doubt that VdB can be effective more than 60-70 minutes, so I guess Dele or Gomes would replace him. But 2d scenario, if Lampard refuses to play Allan......... Coleman Holgate Keane Mykolenko Doucouré Gray Iwobi VdB Richarlison DCL Doucouré has to stay back. Can he do that? Play through VdB. Bench: Gordon on for Gray or Iwobi, Gomes or Dele on for tiring VdB.

Well, now that I’ve become a convert to “Hafnia-thinking” — a development that will not go over well with, say, absolutely everyone on TT — I begin to see all sorts of optimistic scenarios. Maybe Burnley will lose away to Villa, and this Newcastle bunch will take a point at Burnley. Maybe we’ll smash Palace 4-1. Or, as you say, if needs must, sell ‘em DCL for, heck, £10m. Give away any single player, or any almost any 4 or 5, 7 or 8 for that matter, to stay up.

I’m going with your thinking, especially now that Arsenal have dropped all 3 points at Newcastle, 2-0! Stunning loss, I must say. Perhaps others saw it coming, I don’t know. Here’s to hoping we are safe after the Palace match, but if not, perhaps Arsenal are now totally deflated. And if on Sunday afternoon they are somehow hallucinating that Norwich might win, let’s hope Spurs are leading Norwich 0-3 after 15 minutes.

I’m confused by your thinking here, as I can’t see any chance Arsenal will want to do anything other than smash us. Arsenal and Spurs are fighting for 4th and Champions League. Arsenal have their fate in their own hands, as they can finish on 72 points to Spurs’ max of 71, but only if the Gunners take 3 points today away to Newcastle and then all 3 from us. Whether Arsenal take 3, 1, or 0 points tonight at Newcastle, they will surely think they absolutely must take 3 from our match. Spurs are now on 68, with a massive GD lead over Arsenal, in case of a tie. Arsenal are at 66. So, if Arsenal win tonight, they move ahead of Spurs, 69-68, and will take 4th by beating Everton, no matter the result of Norwich-Spurs. If Arsenal draw at Newcastle tonight, they stay below Spurs, 67-68, and thus must beat Everton and hope that Spurs stumble and either draw or lose at Norwich. If Arsenal lose tonight, they stay 2 points behind Spurs at 66-68. Then their only hope is to beat Everton and hope Spurs lose to Norwich. But in every scenario, Arsenal will want to beat us, even badly. I do agree that Arsenal will want us safe before Sunday’s match, but not so much because they can then feel fine about smashing us, but because if we’re safe, they’re all the more likely to be able to smash our flip-flop-wearing lads. Edit — Ha, it’s just possible I missed some sarcasm in your post. If so, good for you, not so good for me......

Been having this same discussion over on Brentford matchday thread. Our problem, among several (including injuries, exhaustion, nerves), is that Leeds will know our result before Sunday. A third consecutive failure on our part (with the near-certainty of a 4th v. Arsenal) will open the door for both Leeds and Burnley. If we lose to Palace, we’ll have to hope for luck on Sunday. We’ve had nothing but bad luck all season — today being a prime example — on top of bad play.

You’re right, though that seems to me a big “if.” My view is that a draw v. Palace will have both Leeds and Burnley smelling blood next Sunday. I’d think Burnley would gladly take a draw at Villa, knowing they are home to Newcastle on the final matchday. If we draw and are on 37 after the Palace match, and even if Burnley lose at Villa, both Burnley and Leeds will smell blood, knowing if they win on Sunday, we’d need a point at Arsenal. Which we are very unlikely to get. Several ifs, for sure. I don’t think the ifs lean in our direction. We need 3 points Thursday night. Desperately.

Fortunately the Palace match is at Goodison. Unfortunately, our injuries continue to pile up, and however talented we are, theoretically, our players have played utterly mediocre football most of the time. Missed free headers, godawful passing, finishing, and crossing, botched defending. If we do not take all 3 points Thursday at home, Leeds will smell (our) blood, and have a solid chance of winning at Brentford. So although the maths say we have several ways to stay up, emotionally it probably comes down to winning — not merely drawing — Thursday night in Goodison.

Don’t think a draw on Thursday will do us any good at all, as we’ve very little chance of taking another point at Arsenal. We don’t need a draw if Leeds lose or draw at Brentford. But one more point won’t keep us up if Leeds win.

If we don’t win Thursday, I’d guess Leeds will be focused enough to take 3 points away next Sunday. So although a few days ago I though our best hope was for Brentford to beat Leeds, I’d now say we now have 2 hopes: take all 3 from Palace or count desperately on Brentford to hold Leeds to a draw.

We actually had 3 men in the box, but Gray couldn’t make a decent cross.

Gordon fell asleep. He’s worked hard, but too tired.

I like Gomes as playmaker, but we need Allan on. Kenny, too. Lampard doesn’t seem to trust Allan, but he’s a DM and Gomes is not.