Holmes_and_Watson

Boruc in for Davis/Gazzaniga? Like Baz, I was very late in seeing that Davis really wasn't up to it in the PL.

Interesting. There might be mileage in having a poster seeing both sides of things, on an ongoing basis. 🙂 I think Baz did make a significant difference to our fortunes. He was a key part in Russball. It played perfectly to Baz's strengths and made Martin's tactic much more effective. We still see the benefits of it, playing out from the back. I was in the pack of "could he have done better?" for quite a while, before the penny dropped that he very rarely did. Low and to the left. Low and to the left. I agree there are always other factors. But the moment McCarthy and Peretz came in, you could see the defence look a lot more comfortable as a unit. As much as I wanted Baz to do well, it's been a significant improvement.

There goes my theory that age difference criticism, from her dad Jude, was the reason for Bellingham's selection problems. 🙂

Noise

Microphone

Next season's strike force of Downs and BBD will take everyone by surprise.

Job done with two lovely, early goals. Charles' strike was fantastic. But the first was such a good goal under our formation. A great through ball by the ever improving THB, an assist from a wide player to an actual presence in the box. Just what we've needed for such a long time. Apart from a defensive comedy moment, that in fairness, we've not seen anywhere near as much of, we were comfortable. We keep our 6th spot going into the break, which once seemed so far away.

Faith

It could be like Somalia, where the press crews get to the landing site first.

I was saying much the same to a friend, on another Trump subject, last week. Start with the caveat of what he is as a person. But then talk about the broader US goals being targeted, historic ones from before his time. Part of that is absolutely Trumps "weaving" where he drifts back and forth across subjects, often contradicting whatever went before. But knowing full well the news cycle and other politicians react every time. Following my own logic, there are objectives such as aiding Israel to take out Iranian leadership; further degradation of Iranian nuclear capability (even though they were destroyed completely last time) moving against another long term sanctioned country; destabilise regime; impact on proxies; impact on Iranian allies, also subject to other US actions; get some control or renegotiations on their oil. Not forgetting Trump knows he has until the mid-terms to really get things done. So, he's got a lot of things he can get drawn into. And those advising him, know that too. However, US strategic planning rarely seems to go past the shock and awe stage. No uprising; no long term planning and even his own side and allies are looking at this as a disjointed mess.

trousers on English dictionary manoeuvres again. 🙂

Bottle

A quick glance at the headlines shows that we're allowing the US to use our bases to attack things to protect the strait. But wait, another headline says that Trump wants to be asked to help protect the strait, as he's considering pulling out, as he's met his objectives. But wait, yet another headline is talking about US troops very possibly going in. Shambles.

Force

Death was just a taxi driver to Chuck's next adventure, and asked for an autograph from his idol on the way.

VA will take those points and run back home, knowing their good fortune. I caught the back end of the first, and the second half. 2 VA attempts anywhere near the net, and two goals to show for it. The first of those was bundled in by Leandre, although Our Rento was also claiming it. That one, and the second, were products of finally having half the side as forwards. The second was a nice shot from Appuah. But the original delivery missed everyone else in the middle by a mile. Concarneau will be kicking themselves. They got in behind the VA defence on 3 or 4 occasions, but couldn't finish. VA too high again, for the limited pace they have. They got one from a corner that wasn't cleared. They should have had a second. But the ref deemed Louchet being impeded by his own defender was a foul to VA. He blew just before the resulting shot hit the net. It really took until the second set of subs for VA to do much of a thing. The first XI had no focal point, lots of errors and looked tired. It's a win though. They'll be happy to take that away from home.

A pioneer of not only the paperless office, but the e-free office too. Albeit due to shredding, removing and dumping all paper (even some the police had already found) and wiping (repeatedly) all e-mails and hiding and destroying hard drives. Except for the stuff in her underfloor safe and a couple of encrypted devices that, may or may not be hers.

pedantry 🙂

What do you mean politically homeless? What's that direct debit I've been paying to the "Get egg a new shell fund" about?

Conservative Christian, author and action hero Chuck Norris has died. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cwynpwydp0xt Our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans. While he may not have liked the memes, we can look forward to Satan giving up, and an age of peace on Earth, now Chuck is with his god.

He must know that our paper tiger will get all soggy in the strait of Hormuz. Besides, we're all off to the doctor's to check on our bone spurs, between seminars on how to correctly plan warfare. It's the lesson on how not to wreck the world economy today.

Link to Norwegian royalty interview about Epstein links. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cde5y63y3n7o Another person deceived an manipulated by a man apparently so devious, he would give Moriarty a run for his money. And all by himself, as no one admits to having helped, arranged or facilitating anything. Setting up finance, while trafficking, abusing, piloting and maintaining Epstein island. It must be that. As the alternative is that none of these greedy, selfish people gave a stuff about the victims or what Epstein was up to, compared to what they could get out of ignoring it. I'm sure she will be great, continuing her royal "project." Once she's checked in on her kid's rape trial, that is.

C'mon. If he went on to apply that to Robinson, Hopkins, Farage and Trump, he'd have so much time on his hands he'd have go out, blinking and startled, into the sunlight of the real world. Real brunches with real people. Mind you, there's always LBC and the Guardian website. Back inside to safety! 🙂

Why would they tell him? He wasn't born until '46 and even the not yet a glint in the milkman's eye had bone spur issues, keeping him well away from conflict.

I've been surprised at just how poorly they've been received. I'm no fan. It was disappointing seeing them continuing their freebies trough. No surprise when a union got a deal, and immediately came straight out saying that was just for starters. Starmer, having made a career on not having a stance except on whatever McSweeney felt would get them into power has been caught out with everything from Lord Ali access to judgement and weaseling on Mandelson (and others). Do his eyes swivel while trying hypnotise your boobs, like Polanski? Is he a fellow traveller, and security threat, like Corbyn? Is he a habitual liar, grifter and scumbag like Johnson? Is he spineless while showing an incompetent level of professional curiosity and action, like Davey? Is he utterly anonymous, while up against a trainwreck of indoctrinated, gravy train grifting idiots, like Sarwar? Is he a walking ego of self interest, playing to the worst of instincts like Farage, with his dreadful prior comments on race? Is he part of active cover ups and fraud investigation into his predecessors, like Swinney (not using a party mobile home battle bus in the upcoming elections, as it got seized by police)? Has he tried to second guess all the markets and world financial structures, leading to disaster, like Truss (now wandering around with a tin foil hat on)? Boots on the ground based on made up intelligence, like Blair? Flogged off half our gold reserves, like Brown? None of the above. He's dragged his party back to an electable center. It's a broad church, and those tensions are the things that will undo him, after May (useless on immigration as Home secretary, incidentally) elections (or when Rayner's tax dodge gets sorted). I disagree with a lot of where he stands (u-turns pending). But, as a person, compared to that lot?