Whitey Grandad

Yet somehow I think we were less effective once we had made the change.

I think most would agree with you but we have to get there first.

Very minor, if anything. The ball was hit down into the ground very hard.

The future's not ours to see.

That's about the sum of it.

You've created a new psychological condition: alpine complex.

The last of Guly for doing as he was instructed, or the last of NA?

A ruler is that wooden thing you used to use at school. A rule is that metal thing that you use in an engineering workshop. And it's pronounced 'controversy'.

Agreed. Football's not just about passing the ball around with slick moves, great though it is to watch, defending is also an art and so is finishing.

I woke up this morning and for a couple of minutes had forgotten about last night. Having had time to think about it, I've decided that their second goal was the key to last night's mugging. I've watched the recording and our defending was woeful. Hammond and especially Cork were spectators as that ball was cut back to ALF. He should never have had that much space inside our area. You can even see Cork glance across at him, he should have been standing on his toes!

I thought we overplayed the ball, certainly compared to Reading who were quick and incisive when it mattered. It looked to me like a cup game where and ordinary Premiership team visits a very good Championship one, gets battered, weathers the storm and snatches a few goals.

That's what I thought? The situation looked retrievable but somehow we buggered it up.

I have only one thing to say: bugger!

Yes, that was the turning point.

You can't blame him today.

I'm just leaving now from Hamble. Might get there a few minutes earlier than usual to soak up the excitement, if there is any. Might even have a cheeseburger.

I think so, but I might have been talking balls.

But they haven't lost yet???

I don't think I've noticed before that Reading and reading are homographs, technically heteronyms. Anyone else?

Can't they cut off a limb and count the rings?

Only that 'pounds' is a plural or a verb, not a noun.

More likely to be 'chits'? But I don't know of any animals that make that sound.

When you say 'good book', are you talking about 'The Good Book'? Do your neighbours edge nervously away from you as halftime approaches?

I was like that in one of our relegation-threatening end-of-season games up at Roker Park. Then we scored and I was a bag of nerves. All of a sudden I thought 'we're one-nil up away from home against one of our rivals. Relax, lie back and enjoy the situation' so I spent the rest of the evening just enjoying being in that position. Chill out man, we're good enough to do this.

Hmm, not very convincing.