Ghoat

3 hours ago, Boston Toffee said:

Brainthewaite followed by DCL, Onana,  and Mykolenko 

100% agree. Not motm, but I think Patterson made the case he belongs to be first choice at rb.

16 hours ago, MikeO said:

Brilliant final episode of BCS, what a quality thing it's been; best show of its type ever in my opinion.

BB was great but BCS tops it for me.

Almost hard to separate them, IMO, so much of what made BCS great, was you knew where it was going, and when BB characters were introduced to BCS, it was so cool because we knew their future. BCS was such a slow burn. If we didn't know the BB world, the first season with the brother and the electricity stuff would have been a pretty laborious watch. But since we knew what "Jimmy" became, it made for an engrossing long slow car wreck. 

I think the true genius of BCS, that I never would have expected, was the last 3-4 or so episodes that were no longer pre-BB, but Gene/post BB all shot in black and white, as Gene had always been. They literally changed the show from Jimmy's transformation with snippets of Gene, to skipping the "end" of BCS, past BB and put the final wraps on both series in one fell swoop. That reason alone was enough to make BCS better.

So yeah, sorry, you're right!

On 15/08/2022 at 18:50, Sibdane said:

I don’t think anything will happen to him besides him basically not being able to run for President again. 

I would absolutely LOVE to see some jail time for him though. I would personally feel vindicated, because he’s gotten away with so much crooked shit.

 

That would be the worst outcome for democrats. Biden and/or Harris as the incumbent nominee would be the weakest presidential candidate/ticket that I can ever recall. I'm not sure they could beat anyone...but Trump. Trump may have a "base", but he is so polarizing that he is unelectable, IMO. The democrats would turn out to vote against Trump, but a huge amount of the right and the moderates will not vote for him, period. Trump running in 2024 is the WORST thing that could happen to the GOP, and ergo, the best outcome for the democrats - again, in my opinion.

If we have a "rematch" ticket in 20204, the best possible outcome - maybe the only decent outcome - for the GOP would be Biden/Harris winning, with the GOP controlling the House at +10 or so and Senate at +4-6.

29 minutes ago, Palfy said:

they did look confused, but I can’t help thinking he might have thought they were first team players which confused them and him

I don't think he cared either way 

On 09/08/2022 at 09:43, SpartyBlue said:

One thing I hope our supporters realize is that he’s likely to need time. New country, new team, still 20. He’s gonna be a bit raw most likely. We are paying for him at 22-23 and beyond. Let’s give him the room to make a few mistakes and not lose the fans. Look what it’s done for Iwobi, by his own reckoning.

I know it's not unheard of across the pond, but when a 20 year old kid walks in speaking 5 languages fluently, that indicates to me that adaptability is likely something he already has a pretty good grasp on. Speed and physicality of the EPL will take an adjustment, but big picture, I'm thinking he settles in pretty quickly. He carries himself in interviews (non-native language for good measure) liked a seasoned veteran - far beyond his actual age.

15 minutes ago, Cornish Steve said:

You wouldn’t have recruited Jamie Vardy then. Some just take time to be Prem-ready. 

Fair point - but Vardy improved a lot when he stopped being a full-time drunk in his later 20's

I'd rather have Lorenzo Lucca if we're going for size, but I have no problem with a towering striker if he has some technical skills.

I guess my thing is, if he is a prospect, looking to step up into the EPL, he's actually a little old at 24. If he was 20-21 (like Simms), I think I'd feel a little better about his upside. Maybe that's silly, but at 24 I'd think he's about reached his physical ceiling (not technical).

15 minutes ago, MikeO said:

Thought about that but ended up binge watching, couldn't resist.

I made that mistake with Ozark, watching the first drop, then had to go back and watch a lot of it all over again to get back on the various plot arcs!

On 11/05/2022 at 16:00, Bailey said:

That was the most disappointing thing for me. That character was the one I most wanted to pull through and if it was going to happen then it needed to be spectacular and not like that. 

*spoilers to anyone who hasn't seen the end of Ozark*

I didn't like the end because it's not the end I wanted. However, it kinda makes sense. I think most people were pulling for Marty and Ruth to make it out ok as the most likeable and often times sympathetic figures (in no small party because Wendy became so awful). But Marty was the original idiot, had to uproot his family to save his ass, and though he tried to avoid it, his whole family became embroiled in self-preservation. The unintended consequences of that led to the Snell and Langmore families being wiped off the face of the Earth, major damage to KC mob family, major hits to Wendy's family, major consequences and losses for the cartel itself, significant disruption to the local community and economy - all for the sake of Marty and his family. Kinda like Breaking Bad, you wind up hoping good things happen to bad people, and there was no way for there to remotely be a happy ending.

Fantastic series. 

On 16/06/2022 at 11:53, MikeO said:

Just finished the first batch of episodes of Better Call Saul 6, quite an ending!

I'm holding out until they all drop!

3 minutes ago, Hafnia said:

Usual scenario for him. They need the points more than us. 

Perhaps he saw our starting XI

So much "meh" in this XI for me. But I'll watch every minute...

Gordon is the only one, again, who looked like he was playing for his job. Can't fault Richy's effort and work rate tho

Russia and Ukraine have a very long, complicated history, like 1100 years worth. I am by no means a Russian expert, just someone who has been fascinated by Russian history and read a good deal of books on it's history. Both Ukrainian and Russian's lineage traces back to the Rus, and the Kievian Rus of the 900's. The Russian Orthodox Church was founded in Kiev, in the late 10th century. The Mongal invasion separated Kievian Rus and Muscovy for about 250 years. During that time Moscow and it's influence over the Slavs grew, and Kiev's fell. In the 1600 the Cossacks moved away from Poland and swore allegiance to the Tsar, which effectively brought what we know as the Ukraine into the Russian Empire until the end of WW1. 1922, Ukraine was a founding member of the USSR where it remained until 1991. The Russian have considered the Ukrainians to be ethnic Russians "Little Russians", due to language, religion, culture for a long time. Despite the close and historical ties, most Ukrainians consider themselves Ukrainian, aside from swaths along the Russian boarder - Donbass (hello Don Cossacks) etc. 

Peter the Great was obsessed with taking Azov from the Ottomans, to give Russian an ice-free port on the Sea of Azov, and thereby the Black Sea, which is dominated on the northern side by the Crimea. The Azov region is still the only ice-free port that gives Russia access to the world that doesn't require going thru the Artic, or the Pacific, and the Russian Navy has been intent on dominating the Black Sea since the early 1700's. Then there is the famine in the early 30's when Stalin starved 3+ million Ukrainians - that Ukraine recognizes as a genocide against Ukrainians at the hands of the Soviet Union. The relationship is complicated, but there is some validity to the Russia feeling Ukraine is culturally important to Russia. Not unlike Kosovo to Serbia, but that's for a different day. chy 

Now you have a Cold War era KGB spook in charge of Russia, who is nuts and still pissed about the dissolution of the USSR and hyper nationalistic. In his mind, it's part of Russia, and having it be part of NATO moves the Iron Curtain from Eastern Europe, puts it on his doorstep, as well as puts the most wide open indefensible part of the Russian territory on a NATO border. Oh, and Ukraine has enough resources, that if tapped, could rival Russia as a petrol state. 

I would agree with the Russian/Strongman leader thing, they have been "governed" by an autocrat since Ivan The Terrible in the 1500's. There was a symbiotic relationship with the Tsars and the boyars that keep each in power/rich and the people had zero say in anything. It was replaced by the Soviet General Secretary and the Party Hierarchy, and now it's Putin and the Oligarchs. It simply has never changed for the Russian people. Democracy in Russia lasted from about 1993 until Putin took office around 2000. So one thousand years of history, with less than 7 years of a democracy. It's a foreign concept by and large to the Russian conscious.  Which in no way means the "deserve" to be oppressed or brutalized - nor does Ukraine deserve to be invaded in a war of civilian annihilation.

14 hours ago, Cornish Steve said:

On the assumption that Duncan Ferguson will be in charge, supported by Leighton Baines, how do you think we'll set up? I could see the following - assuming all players are available.

                 Pickford

Coleman Mina Keane Godfrey

Gray Allan Doucoure Richarlison

              Dobbin DC-L

Maybe Branthwaite would play instead of Keane or Mina, but I doubt they'd want to change things too much for the moment. What's needed is a change in attitude, not a dramatic change in starting lineup. An obvious game plan would help, too.

That or Richy up top with Gordon and Gray out wide. Feel pretty sure it will be a 4-4-2 regardless 

May watch Vigil again now that it's on Paramount. Managed to keep VPN hooked up long enough to stream it on ITV.

Basically anything with Suranne Jones in gold for me. She has about become my favorite actress, bar none.

On 03/01/2022 at 15:05, Zoo 2.0 said:

The wife loves The Witcher, but it's a series that I've watched twice and haven't got a real clue what's going on. I get the basics of Geralt, but just got totally lost trying to follow it. 

A lot of people I know love it, so think that it's just one of those things that goes over my head .

I had never heard of it, until I got bored a couple months ago, looking for a new game and downloaded Witcher 3. So when I noticed it on Netflix (right before season 2 dropped) I binged thru, and watched season 2 the day it dropped. Very true to the game at least, and enjoyed it

5 minutes ago, BedfordBlue said:

Not the right time to go with a manager with zero experience so definitely not Ferguson, to early for Rooney even if he is doing a good for Derby but would rather him than Ferguson. I would like Graham Potter 

Don't disagree in theory, but... we have gone through what, 5 managers in the last 6-7 years. You have to wonder how attractive the job is to a manager who may be at a smaller club, but with more stability. All of those recent managers have been experienced EPL managers, and they collectively got us...what? One backdoor qualification to Europe from 7th place? I think just about anyone on this board could manage us the rest of the way and keep us between 17th-12th. 

Ferguson does have a little experience, so I'd have no problem whatsoever for him to have the job the next 4 months. If he impresses, great. If he doesn't, there should be a list of 3-5 manager ready to start working on come late May. Just seems to me that it would be the most stabilizing choice for the fanbase and maybe the club as well, and has almost zero risk. The last thing I'd wanna see is another fiasco like when we were trying to hire Silva during the season.

At this point, I wanna see Big Dunc have a 20 game audition for the job. Maybe he's ready, maybe he's not. but this is a great time to find out.

And he's GONE! This booze just became celebratory 

Personally I have not been in the "Rafa Out" camp, because I think the turmoil of another manager change was the greater evil. That changed today, I am firmly in the "Rafa Out Now" camp.

I am not sure if you Brits use this expression, or it's a Yank thing only, but Rafa can eat a bag of dicks.

4 minutes ago, Romey 1878 said:

Absolutely dreading seeing us line up with 5 at the back against Norwich.

Norwich needs goals and offense in the worst way. You have to think they are looking at this as good game as any to get scoring. In which case...fuck!

19 hours ago, Cornish Steve said:

Not on NBC or Peacock, so haven't been able to watch. What is the configuration in the end? 4 or 5 at the back? Where are Kenny and Coleman playing?

You know you can get every match of the FA on ESPN+ right? I think it's $5.99 or $6.99. To me it's worth it for the FA Cup, and you can cancel it either after we are out, or after it's all over. I used to get it right before we started in the Carabao Cup, and then cancel it, usually in January when we were out of both. I just keep it now. Good for times like yesterday when I wake up at 530am for no good reason on a Saturday. Games started at 630, so I flipped around between Barnsley-Barrow, Kidminster-Reading, Brentford-Port Vale, Boreham Wood-Wimbledon etc...until our match. 

Just now, dunlopp9987 said:

Would love to see more of Godfrey making those runs into the opposition third. Seems like every time he does it he catches out the opposition

Agree, but I hate that he has made the most dangerous run on the squad so far. As a centerback.