Sheaf Saint

I'm sure he will try and use that defence, but it wouldn't stand up in court when you look at the dictionary definition: No way you could argue it doesn't fit with #1.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin: Everton striker says talking about mental struggles 'saved my life' - https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/61559088 Very interesting, and powerful. It's all too easy to criticise footballers for not having the right mindset, but they are still only human after all. Many dismissed DCL this season as not being focused and eyeing up his next move, but this puts his season in a completely different perspective.

He's a very high ranking officer in the Met, but it's not certain whether he was involved in the investigation or not.

Absolute carve up.

So he allowed someone to take photographs and didn't even think to make sure they were deleted. This leads to one of two possibilities: 1. He genuinely didn't believe they were breaking any rules, or... 2. He knew, but he didn't consider or care about the consequences because he thinks he's untouchable. I know which one my money is on.

I watched that game and I can see why it wasn't given. The ball span a bit as it bounced up off a bobble and changed the trajectory of it at the last moment. There was no deliberate movement of the arm towards the ball so that's why they said no penalty. It's not like it was going in and he stopped a certain goal though, and there's no guarantee Everton would have scored the penalty or City wouldn't have scored again if they did. And although I can't bring any to mind immediately, I'm sure there were numerous occasions when Liverpool benefited from some suspect refereeing decisions (probably involving Salah going down far too easily).

Did he really want them all or were they just the most affordable options at the time? I seriously doubt any of those players would have been his first choice if he had more funds and thus better options available.

This. We can moan all we like about his starting lineups and his substitutions, but whatever he does is just like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Every week he is forced to start games with 5 or 6 players who wouldn't get into any other PL team, because the alternatives are even worse. I just don't see what difference sacking him would make. Not even Pep could make Ely, Redmond and Djenepo into better attackers, or Bednarek and Stephens into better defenders, or McCarthy into a competent keeper.

City 2-2 now!

Cool. Where is it and when can I collect the keys?

Meh. Game over. As if it wasn't already. This season can just fuck the fuck off now.

When he was hung out to dry by being given his debut in a completely second string back four you mean? I do find it baffling that Redmond would be chosen to play LWB ahead of him.

I reckon that would be best all round (except the burning down bit). The Palace of Westminster may be a grand old piece of magnificent architecture steeped in history, but is it really fit for purpose in this day and age? The HoC doesn't even have enough seats to accommodate all 650 MPs FFS, let alone allow for other modern things like electronic voting (that pretty much all other countries use). The desire of many to stay there stems purely from tradition and sentiment rather than practicality. It's just another representation of how our entire political system is stuck in the past. Build a new parliament building that's fit for purpose and open it up as a tourist attraction to recoup the costs. Seems the obvious course of action to me.

I have it on very good authority the entire squad was out getting smashed at a club in Manchester til the early hours after the game on Thursday. I seriously doubt they will be getting any change out of Arsenal who still need a win to have any chance of securing a CL spot.

"What you don't want to do is concede another 9 goals". That'll fire them up I reckon.

Kit Cunthouse showing himself to be an even bigger bellend than even I thought possible... https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/may/19/dont-let-people-off-if-they-steal-food-in-desperation-minister-tells-police-kit-malthouse According to him, criminal behaviour leads to poverty, not the other way round.

Yeah fair enough. They left it a bit late in the season to start showing it though. That run they went on from October was worse than anything we have managed in recent years. But let's be honest, even in the games they have won recently they have looked mostly terrible and ridden their luck a bit, like beating Utd with their only shot on goal that took a wicked deflection. They've got a big transfer window coming up now. They are very limited in what they can spend due to FFP, and Richarlison (who has probably kept them up single-handedly) will be off this summer guaranteed, as will DCL most likely as well. They will need to spend whatever they get for those two very wisely.

I've not looked at the bookies' odds but I would say Leeds have more chance of getting a win against Brentford than Everton do away at Arsenal.

0-2 now! Just need Burnley and Leeds to do their bit now.

Jesus - that clearance from Macca 😬

I guess we're just trying to avoid a repeat of the Chelsea game. We tried to take the game to them and got slaughtered.

Well at least our goals to shots ratio is decent for a change.

Why no FK for a high boot there?

They all do sometimes, and sometimes they will save them as well. Macca lets them in every single time, without exception.

McCarthy beaten at his near post from a very tight angle. Never saw that coming.