adrian lord

5 Live this morning made me think I had missed a late 2-goal flourish from the Taffs.

Why do I get excited every time just to end up watching the same dross and mediocre performances by players who are performing well for their clubs week in, week out? It never changes. Southgate perfectly encapsulates the emasculated nature of 21st century football.

Long: It was predictable that his physical type of play and hence form was at risk of imminent, permanent collapse and hence why the long contract extension seemed like madness. Males lose their fast twitch fibres significantly from the age of circa 32 which is why you hear their "legs have gone" and in general you don't see explosive athletes at the top level much beyond 34/35 (unless they use anabolic drugs). Endurance athletes can go on further into older years, and technical skills can be retained. Hence Ronaldo's subtle positional changing as he enters the autumn of his career.

When they started, the footballers clearly thought it seemed like a good thing to do and I am sure, like many, they were ignorant of the associations with BLM and their radical and racist political agenda. A week of the kneeling would have got the message across in a powerful, dignified manner. But it persisted and moved through stages, including being an empty performative ritual, losing all effect through repetition, through to now where it has become decidedly gratuitous in an antagonistic manner, and seen as hectoring by many in the audience. The kneelers and their supporters are dug in to a position and don't want to be seen to blink, or "cave in" and stop. Players who don't want to do it are clearly intimidated and fear that breaking ranks with the practice will see them thrown to the lions. It will be interesting to see how and when it eventually does stop.

Interesting to observe that the abusive language, intolerance and name-calling on this thread comes almost exclusively from the #bekind, pro-BLM and kneeling types.

Never mind padded seats for prawn sandwiches and fogies, they need to reduce the prices dramatically behind the goals and if safe standing won’t be allowed then have long benches (think Dell side stands before seating proper came in) and significantly increase the fan density and capacity of those areas, attracting back the 15-25 year old fans along with some soul and atmosphere.

On the beach

Agree too, Totton

Liverpool are proper crap, mid-table outfit.

Liverpool gone up a gear. We are leaving too much space for them just outside the 18 yard box.

It’s certainly been a better performance than many of late, given that it’s lacked the total ineptness that’s become a hallmark of too many of our games since the home Liverpool win.

At the end of the day, we’ve only got one class striker, Danny Ings. When he’s out we just really don’t look like scoring.

Miss a goal. Go behind.

Oh!!!

Walcott flailing about half asleep

Oblique reference to the 9-0…

Good spell.

I like this kit.

I was 8. Vividly remember watching it on TV, mesmerised. Suddenly realised what and why my dad was so interested and a fan. Confirmed Saint from that day on.

Excellent

Is that bird on the BBC still bleating about the nasty tackle?

Tyler vocalises the names of the Leicester players with a mix of reverence, tones of admiration, and encouragement.

Commentators spring to life, not even concealing their glee.

Yaaay! brilliant ref!

Martin Tyler needs to retire.