angelman

Same as last season, save for the ice cream I got. The nipper wanted a slash so I trundled down from the top of the stand, saw the ice cream seller (with no queue - I'm not a great queuer) so carried on while the nipper went his way. As the ice cream might possibly have been the best part of the day, I would have to score it 10 out of 10, but maybe take it down to 9 as £2.50 for a Magnum Classic is a bit pricey. My local shop, which isn't exactly cheap, knocks them out for £1.85. Oh and let's knock it down to 8 for having a ridiculous queue. As I had lunch at home, I didn't feel the need to go for sausages or hog roasts (and who eats those at that time of the day? But come an evening kick off I might well get one) But seriously, I go to SMS to watch the football, and I have an uninterrupted view from a decent, if a few rows too high, of the whole pitch. So my match day experience is exactly what I want it to be (ie to watch football and food & drink doesn't come into it) so can't complain.

Queue at the stall was too long so while I fully intended to buy a programme as I usually do when I have the nipper with me (as he likes collecting them), I couldn't be bothered to queue for 5 minutes. Seems somewhat of a retrograde step as last season the sellers were more numerous.

Welbeck on £80k per week. No need to even discuss linking to us if that remains as is.

JRod scored for the first time in his 8th game (the 9th of the season) and his second 8 games later (19th of the season). Might just take a wee bit of time to adjust and then I am sure he'll bang them in.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2732861/Artur-Boruc-eyes-Cagliari-losing-Southampton-No-1-spot-Fraser-Forster.html Love it. A story about Boruc maybe moving to Cagliari and then they have to go and put this at the end..... Meanwhile, former Saints striker Rickie Lambert has slammed the ambition of Southampton’s owners for allowing ex-Saints manager Mauricio Pochettino to leave for Premier League rivals Tottenham. ‘There’s obviously a reason why the gaffa went and that was the moment it became clear to the players what the ambition of the club was going to be,' Lambert told Fox Sports. Why? What is the Mail's problem that they have to go on and on and on and on about this sort of ****?

I had a Magnum Classic for £2.50.

I thought the joke were those in the crowd doing ironic cheers when Pelle won a ball.

That is, he's not off at £9m. Reckon £12m won't be enough but £15m might test their resolve but do Hull have that. People are critical of the fee paid for Long, but I guess we were prepared to pay a little over the odds, as there is not a great pool of players to choose from. I also said the fee should be judged by who Hull get as a replacement.

People saying Forster has only played in a mickey mouse league (bit disrespectful of SPL) and will struggle may or may not be right. But looking at the respective keepers' time at Celtic AB played 189 conceded 172 clean sheets 74 = 0.91 goals per game and 39% clean sheets FF played 197 conceded 159 clean sheets 100 = 0.81 goals per game and 51% clean sheets Time will tell whether the right decision has been made.

+1.

Not sure you can stipulate to a mid table club only can you? It surely must be verging on restriction of trade. If Spurs take him, then they prob won't want JRod.

Absolutely both here and abroad. The last time I was on a terrace I rather enjoyed the novelty (although I did want to sit at half time) and that was at Yeovil for a night game. I can't see any problems with terraces especially as the lessons should have been learnt.

This, hence why I asked how he had done in U21. Find it strange though, that KD was on the bench at Anfield.

I have got to an age where I am more than happy sitting.

So will he ignore the interest from Italy (where was it - Cagliari?) to stay in EPL? And as Batman alludes to, it will be interesting to see which EPL side will want to replace their Nº1 keeper with AB. Can't see the top 7 doing it. So that leaves Hull - McGregor Palace - Spironi West Ham - Adrian Newcastle - Krul Stoke - Begovic Swansea - Fabianksi Villa - Guzan QPR - Green Sunderland - Mannone/Pantilimon WBA - Foster Leicester - Schmeichel Burnley - Heaton/Gilks Not sure about Hull or Burnley, but can't see AB being 1st choice anywhere else.

Does anyone know why Boruc was unemployed when we picked him up?

I find the wording that Koeman has used to be interesting. This is from the Echo where it says "if" rather than "when". until the deadline he will not be on the team. If he stays, ok, then it will be a new situation and we will think about it. Why would that be, why won't he be part of the team? That seems a very strange thing to say unless AB has had a major strop and told the Club to go and do one. I don't think that I have ever seen a manager take this stance over a player who wants to leave, that is, if all parties have remained professional. The "we will think about it" bit isn't great. To me there are two scenarios: either that he has burnt too many bridges or Dave Watson has seen something and really doesn't rate him (and possibly doesn't want him to get in the way of Gazza's development). I am still hoping that he will stay, sign a contract extension, which will give him, his new wife and kid security (although no doubt they are already financially secure). No doubt he would get both cup games as well as league games. EDIT - the Echo article then goes on to quote "“When he moves, I think that is the best for Artur and the best for the club.”"

Spurs. Lloris and Vorm

For 2013/14 Chelsea - Cech 34 games, Scwarzer 4 games Man City - Hart 31 games, Pantilimon 7 games Arsenal - Szczesny 37 games, Fabianksi 1 game Man Utd - De Gea 37 games, Lindegaard 1 game Liverpool - Mignolet 38 games Spurs - Lloris 37 games, Friedel 1 game Everton - Howard 37 games, Robles 1 game Newcaste - Krul 36 games, Elliot 2 games Stoke - Begovic 32 games, Butland 3 games, Sorensen 4 games Swansea - Vorm 26 games, Tremmel 12 games etc etc Spurs have managed to get Vorm to be 2nd choice this season.

I seem to recall at some stage, that statistically Gazza was the best of the 3. I presume that that was in 12/13. FF and AB are probably quite similar except FF is hopefully less prone to mistakes such as at Arsenal and Stoke, and various short passes.

Are we not putting any faith in Koeman/Watson to be able to prepare for this? OK, it's not ideal, but maybe, just maybe, they know what they are doing. Then again they may not.

2012/3 Gazza Played 9 Goals conceded 12 Clean sheets 1 Goals per game 1.3 Kelvin Played 10 Goals conceded 20 Clean sheets 0 Goals per game 2.0 Artur Played 20 Goals conceded 28 Clean sheets 5 Goals per game 1.4 but then things change somewhat in 2013/4 Gazza Played 8 Goals conceded 15 Clean sheets 1 Goals per game 1.875 Kelvin Played 2 Goals conceded 5 Clean sheets 0 Goals per game 2.5 Artur Played 29 Goals conceded 26 Clean sheets 14 Goals per game 0.897 I guess Gazza might be the one to be back up rather than Kelvin.

Have you seen Gazza play recently? Is he doing OK in the U21s? Johns and Cropper seem to have between them let in 12 goals in 3 games, while Gazza has been between the sticks for the last 2 games and let in 2.

wrong century

Excellent.....do the mobile sellers make it up to row JJ?