happy clapper

I always like to see a few players with a bit of height but it's not essential. two good away performances last season at Watford and WBA (two off the most physically imposing sides in the league) showed that keeping the ball on the deck and playing football can also work. both wins without VVD as well! but yeah, I will be happy with an imposing central defender signing.

A day ticket on the metro will take you quite a long way for very little money - for example the seaside resort of Ostia. a bit further inland Ostia Antica - is the metro stop for the excavated old roman port of Ostia, which is great if you like roman ruins. The city centre sights are walkable, but bear in mind it can get very hot in Rome if you are going in early September. I never had a problem, but Rome does have a bad reputation (especially the buses between the main station and the Vatican) for pick pocketing gangs, so be vigilant.

It seems that Donald Trump can see into the future!! last night there was actually some unrest - 10 burnt out cars/minor injuries (source: https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article162280025/So-reagieren-die-Amerikaner-auf-Unruhen-in-Schweden.html) in a largely migrant area of Stockholm in Sweden. I doubt whether the BBC or the Swedish embassy will comment.

A mandatory civil registration ceremony as a legal requirement for all regardless of sexual orientation might be a good idea (especially if the paperwork was used to prove any entitlements to benefits/child benefits). A pledge to British values could be made at the same time and both parties could be informed of their rights under UK law in the event of divorce or separation. Of course this would never happen in the UK, as it is easier to blame Europe for the lack of administration and systems that result in the tax payer being taken to the cleaners on a regular basis. I don't post very often, so I would also like to add how much I enjoy reading the threads on the EU and Trump and the various arguments.

This is so true. Having watched the game at the Etihad I remembered his booking, a few sloppy passes and 2 wild shots. Then watching the 90 minutes on the website I realized how hard he worked and that he had a solid game.

In the unlikely event of a referendum on Frexit, do you think there is a disconnect between inhabitants of Paris and the rest of the country (such as exists between the elite in London and the rest of England)?

Like those August fixtures, so hope its true. We only got 1 point from those 4 games last year so room for improvement!

not the quickest, but possibly the most under rated debut goal by Steven Davis at Manchester City in our 1st game back in the Prem.

Steven Caulker now that he plays for Liverpool, with the bonus that Roy could also play him out of position up front!

Have photo displays (or murals) of former players in the home areas (a bit like the museum idea), for old farts like myself to reflect over the 'good old days'. Give the blocks names of former players as well as a number. There could be a poll to determine the 48 names to be commemorated. Have bigger TV sets for those interested in watching the TV's. Agree with post from adriansfc about having statues.

There was a time when I dreaded seeing that Mark Clattenburg was going to be our ref. Now he seems to be one of the better ones! I'd settle for a point.

Good job that Ron Vlaar is not English otherwise Roy Hodgson would play him at right back.

It will be interesting to see who gets the LB spot against Chelsea next month! It would certainly be a baptism of fire for Matt Targett with so very little premier league experience. I suspect Clyne will switch from RB, Toby will play RB and Gardos will come in.

Poor Steven Davis! missed the Villa game that Robbie saw on TV and becomes one of the players that was replaced so well! (by Shane Long, who has a fraction of the game time enjoyed by SD this season)

You would expect Villa to be more attack minded at home, so expect Paul Lambert to start with just the one attacker!