suewhistle

I'm doing it arse about face as I've booked a flight _from_ Linate to LGW on the Friday as I need to get back. I've been in touch with a friend in Turin, so may stay there a few days before and then get the train over which is either an hour (Frecciarossa) or 2 hrs on the 'fast' regional stopper. I'm assuming I'll get a ticket, either officially or unofficially.

Of course, La Scala and it's the autumn season! I'm going to have a good time...

Saints Siro! Should be no problem getting tickets. I might go via Torino and have a few days over there. If we do get a big crowd maybe we'll need charters as regular flights will be overwhelmed.

Ryanair mush... I like the challenge of getting from the airport to the city with the same name...

What?! Beer, Mozart (and Brahms and Liszt too!) and Reggio Emiliano food? There's something good everywhere..

And don't forget to do it in privacy mode with no cookies..

12 UK time

Pamplemousse...your allocated task: airports... including low cost alternatives, and nearest major train stations. I could go to The Man in Seat 61 but you seem to have a finger on the pulse. My offer of a beer to you both still stands (terms and conditions apply, cheapest local dive, etc, etc).

You know you want to..

Bilbao Roma Nice Maybe I'll raid my savings. I'm not going to assume we'll get through, like I did last year...

Bear in mind that some of us are time rich but money tight, so a few extra days in somewhere nice make sense - an earlier, cheaper flight (or to somewhere at a Ryanair "local" airport distance away) and you lose a bit on extra hotel costs and meals. But in Spain or Italy, for example, eating out would be no hardship and not cost too much. I'm just hoping for somewhere nice - my backpacker days are over, and some places don't seem so welcoming for single, older women footballers.;-)

Genou, surely?

Rome has been added to my list of 'I definitely want to go there', and tickets should be easier to get than Arnhem et al. If the worse comes to the worse not sure I'd want a ticket in the home end, but as I went to (the English) school in Rome I can still do the odd bit of romanaccio. I shall look forward to The9's definitive pot list before the draw and hope for the best. Hopefully the other nutjob pamplemousse will have his map updated. Drink for both of you if I should ever see you on an away trip. Just seen Plzen are a possibility... now that could get messy!

You're pretending to be the real SO16 just to get ITK kudos points. Good point though, we have standards to maintain here.

Good fieldcraft dictates that we should have a handover. SO16 taking photos was a bit of a giveaway. Just hope they don't give us the slip at Micheldever.. Anyway, thanks all for an entertaining tea break!

Yep, I thought that was a given. I hardly ever fly but you'd have to be pretty obtuse to be unaware of dynamic pricing and the fact that the airlines have dedicated staff for yield management or whatever their term now is. The software will pick up on the increased demand pattern _very_ quickly. For bigger places (Milan? :-) ) it may not initially be so obvious and alternatives would be greater, but for Astana you may be stuffed! ;-) Still, only 4 days to go before we know, and I'll probably only go to one, if any, but if it's the third at least I may get a headstart on you whilst you book the first two!

Sod me! Found a pub with decent beer, finally... Nightmare journey from further north after visiting friend. Am now relaxed in the Tollgate post-Pedigree, but what an effort! Don't expect a win but pleeaase, a draw would be lovely!

Yep. What gets me is the language used. It's never 'I was a bit disappointed' or 'some of his decision making was poor' but a full on . If I were Redmond I'd have been quite pleased with my debut: new team mates, first match of the season, a goal and a disallowed one and worked hard. I'm not sure in the circumstances what he as an individual should have done a lot differently.

I don't think he is, more like it appears to be either one of your characteristic strawman arguments or lack of understanding. Back to the game, which was disappointing as I'd hoped to see a first game win for a change. I wonder if Puel had Hojbjerg on the bench so that his first experience would at least be with fresh legs and so that he could see the physicality of this league. Certainly JWP wasn't up to it yesterday, one of his more disappointing games, against a big Watford side. Some seconds before their goal I was shouting for someone to mark the 39 (ISTR) as he was unmarked on the outside edge of the box, nor was his subsequent run picked up, but I think that was the only chance they had - b*ms. Redmond looked promising, and above all willing - finished well for his goal and didn't give up, just some of his decision making could have been better as to when to pass, but that's not a problem for a young player in a new side. As to Hojbjerg I'm hoping that after the game next Friday all the media attention will be on him, he really looks good at only 20.

Portsea Island? You poor petal. Even Hayling Island would be better, if still a bit close.. Go and have a chat with The9, he'll cheer you up; Newport won away yesterday!

Play, blow it. I'm not getting paly with any of that lot!

Ok, OK, that's enough. :-) mind you, I'm disappointed Bletch hasn't contributed, or even asked me to paly 5-a-side again. I'm either too good or too bad: I'm worried..

Even worse if you play football Sunday afternoons. I'm just a competent player and not vital to the team, but I still feel guilty when I can't make it.

With more pints, probably in The Guide Dog!

Don't worry guys, we've only got 30 hours to kick off and a lot less than that to the first pre-match pint with your friends... Hold on, be strong. Mind, I will be back here later but got some baking to do - priorities and all that.