Whitey Grandad

Start looking around now but don’t make it obvious.

Did it? That was in a lower division. This league is unforgiving. Has it occurred to you that we got promoted despite our playing system?

Eh? If playing five at the back means that we have to play Stephens then it’s de facto a wrong decision.

He was poor last season too. And the seasons before that. He’s just not good enough.

Stephens was poor last week. Offered nothing positive. THB had an off day. Stephens should have been dropped ages ago.

Worst in what sense? He’s just too slow. His dallying kills our game of any pace or urgency that it might have had. He gets skinned regularly by any competent opposition forward. He’s just not a very good defender and certainly not good enough for the Premier League. Has he been better than Bednarek, for example? THB had a disappointing game last week but in view of his previous performances I will cut him some slack.

That was last year though.

Please, please, please. No Stephens. Please.

But the opposition doesn’t have to run about chasing shadows. Apart from leaving a couple up front the rest of them can relax knowing that they’re not going to be overwhelmed. With five substitutes the front players can be swapped for fresh ones after thirty minutes.

Really? His style of football is as soporific as any that we’ve ever had to suffer. You must have a strange idea of what counts for ‘fun’.

Sadly not. Number #1 from Winchester to Southampton. I saw the police cars from the bridge over the M3 at Compton. I had intended to walk the first part of the Itchen Way starting from Cheriton but another bus didn't turn up so I missed the number 67. Which was annoying. I ended up going to King's Worthy and and walking to Winchester for lunch then on to Garnier Road and across to St Cross. My legs ache now but I need to do more of it.

Yeah, I saw that too. I was on a bus though.

Good news! Next!

And so modest…

I’m mega furious.

Which hotel was that? Might be worth making a note for the future. I suppose having a walking stick meant that I wasn’t even considered.

I wonder if THB had something wrong with him. Sleepless nights perhaps.

Idiocy

Yep. Confirmed to me by a steward. The BBC has the total attendance at 7225 but there can’t have been nearly 5000 home supporters.

Troo dat.

I think it must be fixture congestion of live TV games. From the point of view as a football competition it socks big time.

Because he's not very good. Worse than that, he's a liability who slows everything down, is too slow in body and mind and often gets caught ball watching.

Pull the other one.

What's a bus? We haven't seen one for years up near us.

Yeah, very poor but why were three defenders crowding so closely round him?