Gloucester Saint

Saints will give you the nightmares, don’t worry about the cheese

He’s quick, pace isn’t the issue, it’s the first touch and the ability to bounce off challenges and nudges.

77% possession first half but little to show for it. Our goal came from a set piece.

Soggy’s post today was appalling and he really should edit it, acknowledge having thought better of it and apologise. No excuses. This one isn’t hitting those depths certainly, but it’s a regurgitation of the populist crap Farage came out with in Parliament. Inciting extreme violence against other races and nationalities has been a near-automatic imprisonable offence for many, many years, and not least in the context it occurred. Deservedly so. Nothing two-tier about that. Those sentenced for that offence in the summer deserve every minute of their sentences. What if some of the Holiday Inn staff had been killed by one of those fires set? No if, no buts, no whataboutery. Edwards is vile but that’s no excuse to downplay violent, highly dangerous and extremist behaviour. Looking at the Edwards case in its own context, as it legally should be, FWIW I listened to what William Hague said on Times Radio, about the sentence being reasonable, and he makes some good points, but I still think Edwards is very fortunate to avoid a custodial sentence. He is still nationally disgraced though and the rest of his days will be totally overshadowed by what he did.

Clearly that’s one of his primary indicators of whether he values people - to what extent do others want to kill them.

Even for Musk, this is pathetic https://inews.co.uk/news/world/elon-musk-assassination-tweet-trump-3279300 The article is right - America being as ungovernable as it is on the brink of becoming again will find it harder to tax billionaire oligarchs opposed to democractic systems.

What do you think of the sentence just given? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cvgxg673y8et I can relate to the judge’s comments about low risk to the public and his career and personal life he has destroyed for himself. I can imagine some people will think it should have been a few years in HMP and I could empathise.

All governments tend to frontload the most difficult decisions when it’s a more difficult inheritance. Thatcher and Howe doubled VAT (definitely a tax on working people), Cameron, Clegg and Osborne went further with austerity than had been discussed during the campaign and of course we (Lib Dems) stuffed ourselves for years on tuition fees. If they hadn’t made some of those decisions early on, they’d have been accused of tax and spend which other parts of the Tory employee network in the tabloids are moaning about at the next budget when the economic inheritance is worse than 1979 especially without the EEC membership to help recover and the North Sea oil boosts which weren’t used well (see Norway). Working railways and potential to get NHS waiting lists down are a help and people will benefit. Private Eye has been reporting for some time about Starmer’s liking football freebies and he needs to be more careful there. What is ok in opposition is less so in power. Although that point is wiped out totally if Jenrick wins Tory leader with his dreadful corruption record. The Tory conference is struggling to sell any business tickets and stands, and Farage has had notably worse polling since the riots. SNP seems to be in a right mess still.

You can’t force an out of contract player, or any employee, to stay if they don’t want to do so. But I do agree that the combined purchases of Archer and BBD are strange when there’s not a McBurnie taller striker to play off. Individually you can see rationale for each player but they didn’t work together together at the Blades much, in fact I think BBD put Archer out of the side. Classic SR - good intentions but stats and data over the practicalities of building a functioning and effective XI on the pitch at a higher level. Buying one striker for £25m with some pace and height would have been more sensible, especially as Cornet can play up top as well.

So what?

Like Guinness, it’s a reliable back up if I go somewhere where the alternative is Carling, Carlsberg or some other brewed under licence bilge. But I wouldn’t seek it out especially as an ale. I also like a well made lager, St Austell does one with Korev which can pop up here, although Jever Pilsner is my all time best lager. Most local pub offers Doom Bar, London Pride, 6X and Butty Bach, with Neck Oil on keg. I usually order one of the last two, sometimes 6X but so many Waddies pubs growing up in Soton and hence had hundreds of pints of 6X that I like to vary it up. Pride has IMHO lost its hop profile somewhat. The other pubs offer Wye Valley HPA (v good), Goffs Cheltenham Gold (yum), Sharp’s coastal pale (not bad) and Butcombe range (decent). Sometimes Bristol Beer Factory guests appear for some excitement. Cheltenham and Gloucester have some fine establishments. I’m going to Cheltenham v Swindon on 12 October and intend to pop into some of them.

We’ll see. Harris doesn’t need to be lots ahead in the popular vote, nor does Trump. It’s half a dozen swing states as per 2020. Harris is ahead in most if those at the moment but not by lots. It depends if her forward momentum carries on. Trump will carry on being Trump which will retain his base, evangelicals and those who lean his way on the lowest incomes who think they had slightly more money with him. But that won’t be quite enough to get over the line, plus Harris is appealing to fringe Democrats who weren’t sure about Biden last time. Look at the growth of high volume small campaign donations for that, allied to an existing advantage on larger donations. The position has worsened for Trump since this article https://www.reuters.com/world/us/swing-state-republicans-bleed-donors-cash-over-trumps-false-election-claims-2023-07-05/

Biden confused Zelenskyy with Putin, and also Ukraine with Russia. Not difficult to understand https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-confuses-ukraine-russia-zelenskyy-putin-gaffe-filled-trip-lithuania Trump just confused Haiti and Venezuela

If Majorie Taylor Greene thinks a member of your entourage is significantly far right and very dangerous, then they really must be as it takes one to know one. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-laura-loomer-far-right-activist-republican-concerns-b2612574.html

I agree with nearly all of that bar the last sentence. Biden got a clear win in 2020, not a big win, but plenty clear enough, whatever conspiracy rubbish Trump et al spew out. Popular vote Trump will significantly lose again, Electoral College will be far tighter but 5-10k headroom to Harris in enough of the swing states.

There are some valid points there but also there’s some key differences to 2012/13. We did have to adjust then too but the start Nigel had was brutal fixtures-wise. Also, the side had a focal point with Rickie, penalties meant goals with him, and he was superb on set pieces. A younger Lallana also added an unpredictability we don’t have now, and Morgan/Davis was a dynamic central midfield. The likes of J Rod took until the second half of the season to contribute but we always had goal threat from midfield including Puncheon as well. We need to get in the box more, first 30 minutes yesterday we moved it far quicker and looked miles better. Fernandes/Flynn/Lesley are automatic picks if fit/available, Tyler on the way to that. Forward areas are more difficult but get BBD central, disrupting defenders and creating pockets of space for Fernandes/Dibling/Cornet to get into.

It’s terrible and makes you wonder what organisation is happening on the defensive side. I don’t think Russell’s coaching team are up to much, but as you said yesterday replacing Ralph’s and giving him Selles didn’t work out either.

This got laughed at another thread, but I’d ask Tony Pulis if he’d come in a couple of times a week to help with defensive drills on shape, triggers and offsides. He’s local, likes the club and is well past the point of wanting to manage overall again so not a threat to Russell. His sides weren’t great to watch at all but they rarely conceded any of the idiot goals we’ve conceded this season, and most of last as well.

*Brentford*

Agree with all of that. Such a shame after a positive start, Archer’s penalty was pathetic. But then BBD should have been on it, known he was on it and practising all week. That’s down to the manager. What’s happened to Calderwood? We need the defenders drilling all week on the basics of defensive lines and shape Pulis-style, they are the bread and butter of the PL. If it’s good enough for City, Arsenal and Liverpool to do it…..

I reckon BBD will do OK under whoever the new manager is, as I don’t think RM will survive much after the Ipswich game unless it’s an unlikely win. But yes, needs to play through the middle. Obvious to anyone with a football background that he isn’t a wide player.

David McGoldrick missing twice v Watford. Tadic’s at Burnley was powderpuff, as the one at Chelsea which somehow went in. I still remember the shock in the home and away end after Crossley saved MLT’s penalty, MLT was so stunned he blasted the rebound almost over the Archers.

Moreton in Marsh Beer Festival. The beer pictured is Beowulf Black & Blueberry, which I enjoyed but bit too sweet for anything more than a half. Best beers were Red Dawn from Ludlow Brewery and Stoutrageous by Gorilla in Mexborough. The others were decent but lacked some balance.

I can’t recall seeing one, but they do usually have a good choice of ales and food on. https://www.realalefinder.com/beerboard/?the-fleece-inn-bretforton If any of you are ever Evesham/Worcester/Cheltenham or Gloucester way, it’s well worth a visit https://lovetravellingblog.com/2024/06/04/the-fleece-inn-bretforton/

Yeah, that’s not great. It was red card all day long although cheering the sending off as it sounds like a few did is even more bizarre. Cheering BBD getting subbed - it’s not the player’s fault that the manager is playing him clearly out of position. Dibling is only 17. And yes, you’d be hearing similar around the country.