Pedantic Pete

No Saints fans attending may be a blessing looking at the negativity on here. It's a one off game so anything could happen, that's why the cup is so good, or was before everyone gave up on it and just want survival/top 4 instead. Personally I think we will win this but we might get hammered...so just like every game in the last 40 years then!

Yeah I do get that but there's no guarantee that the next manager will be better. Personally over the last two years we have shown enough form to suggest that he can keep us up- although often teams which finish really bad do start really bad the next year so I can see the risk. Hey and if the worst happens and we get another 9-0 defeat, at least no one will ever beat that record for the same manager!

I think (hope) the board stick with Ralph. If he goes the odds are we would churn through dross over and over like we have done previously. I think some people think we should be challenging at the top end of the table because we were top for one game but in reality we are roughly where we should be.

Klopp has also gone off the boil..is there some sort of conspiracy?

👏Well done you get it at last..just signing a petition won't do anything either!

Wouldn't it actually be 135 as the first game was November?

How does not condoning it make it any better for those suffering? that's my point..Do something about it..stop getting a TV licence and tell the BBC it's because they are going to show games from Qatar. Boycott any company that does business with them. But you won't it's all hand wringing and virtue signalling. Action is too hard.

Hold on why should they be different to anyone else?..You can't have a clear conscience these days unless you are doing the latest empty gesture to prove your wokeness?

That Russia had just used a nerve agent on British soil? We still went to that world cup! 🙂

Aren't the two linked? If they aren't suitable to hold the world cup because of their human rights record then surely they aren't suitable to do business with?

Do people realise we have trade with Qatar worth billions, I think we even make fighter jet's for them? Shouldn't we be picketing outside BAE if we are so set on making a stand against this "scummy country"?

Left to our scouting team we sign players like Boufal, Lemina, Casillas etc

Lol..the countries that are bidding isn't a secret..Everyone knew Qatar were bidding for it..Each round a bid is disqualified so you even get to see who still is in the running as they count down to the final few. They are currently looking at letting China bid for 2030..There you go 9 years notice for you to get out protesting!

But isn't the issue that people are happy to sign a form, maybe go for a walk on a protest but not really ready to change anything in their own life that would make a difference? Isn't it just a bit of virtue signalling really? Make people feel good that they signed a petition but will they still watch the world cup? Probably... if England do well they will be down the pub watching the games.. Will they boycott the TV companies that show the games? No..... they will still have a TV licence and watch corrie after its over. Will they boycott any company doing business with Qatar? Probably not. Did they really care? Probably not..a bit of faux outrage is all the rage these days... then carry on as normal. Why weren't they protesting before the decision, to make the decision to give it to them impossible? Why aren't they out in the streets protesting to ensure China don't get the 2030 world cup?

You are absolutely right, Change has to start with a single person. Personally though, I don't think it that people should try to use sport or football as the medium for that change. If we do boycott countries for everything that is wrong then we will never play another international again and probably shouldn't be turning up on a Saturday either as a protest to cheap labour being used to make the kits.

The problem IMO with this sort of thing is that there are so many issues in the world so why do people feel the need to bring politics into football? The fish we eat is often caught using slave labour, the kits we buy are stitched by kids, we do multi billion pound business deals with countries violating human rights laws everyday, we let the Chinese do whatever they like to the people of Hong Kong with no consequence as we are trying to get down to carbon neutral by getting anything that is polluting made in another country (China) so we feel good for lowering carbon but can carry on consuming at the same levels...but woah..we should boycott the world cup..that will fix everything?

But that's what I mean, he should have made a decision- red or yellow- then VAR checks it and says "you got that right"- "or wrong". Not go to see what the card colour should be. If he ended up at the monitor, surely it means that Mason has said- "that's a clear and obvious error".. So perhaps he said- "you got that wrong- you should have sent him off"

I haven't read this but I thought VAR was there to check clear and obvious errors not for refs to use to make decisions? So what was his original decision?- or are we entering a new era of the ref "popping" over to the monitor before every decision he has to make?

Didn't have VAR back in the day to rule out the consolation goal!

Does it really matter that much about investment? Chelsea spent £200m, already had a squad worth xxx million and are miles off the pace. £100m into Burnley wouldn't change their position much? Bournemouth seemed a better TEAM before they bought in the superstars for loads of money who then got them relegated and the manager sacked. To challenge the top clubs you'd need probably a billion invested over a number of years. Perhaps a stable owner, a well run club and a bit of luck are better than a "bit" of investment?

What I would have given to be at that game! You were very lucky to experience that. I watched it live on TV and it was memorising, I can't even begin to imagine what it would have been like to be in the crowd. I wasn't what you would call a fan of Rossi, purely as he personally deprived the rest of the tournament of a fantastic Brazil side. Brazil only needed a draw too! However you had to admire him for what he did and it's a shame he has passed at much too young an age.

I don't think they can afford to fine the teams. For a long time it has been said that people should stand up to racism and whatever the circumstances the players felt aggrieved enough to walk off on mass. Even if the investigation completely exonerates the 4th official. I don't see how fining the teams would demonstrate support to eradicate racism. It would demonstrate a lack of empathy and pile further pressure on a player in a situation in the future which he/she felt was not appropriate.

I don't know what was said in the game but on the face of it, to me, using a characteristic at the game to identify someone, is the same as what the police have done. We either don't see the physical differences or we do, surely we can't pick and choose when it is appropriate to do so?

My local police force have just tweeted about a crime they want witnesses for..They have described the aggressor as black (as well as describing any other likely identifying features) ... Is that racist? not a trick question but I am not sure of the rules anymore?

You have just displayed your true colours..Don't you know there is only one opinion now? If you don't have that opinion you are *racist/homophobic/islamist (is that a word?/ insert any other "ist you can think of"? * delete as applicable