Sheaf Saint

Acknowledged. But the same can be said of literally every public service in the UK (or any other country, for that matter). Some people think the NHS should have more money to protect the lives of British citizens. Others argue that the armed forces need more to do the same. We simply can't afford it all, so it's a balancing act that weighs up the amount of investment against the overall benefit to the country. Your post said: "If we need more funding and resources concentrated on rooting out Islamist extremism which takes up the majority of existing resources then that should happen immediately". What's that if not an over simplistic demand for more funding?

Every provider of public services will tell you that they don't have enough funding and resources to do everything they want to do. And the police and security services are no exception. You seemed horrified at the idea that counter-terrorism policing isn't fully funded, and insist that it absolutely should be. Well of course, in an ideal world it should be, but we don't live in an ideal world and you know that full well. And even if it was fully funded, what implications would that have for our society? Would other services need to be cut or abolished completely to pay for it? Would it mean that we live in a totalitarian state where everybody's movements are recorded and monitored in minute detail? Like I said - just demanding that it be fully funded is a ridiculous over-simplification of what is in reality a very complex problem. That's what populists like Farage and Trump offer, because they know it's exactly what people of low intelligence want to hear, and because they also know they never actually have to be held to account for failing to follow through on such promises.

How much funding does it need? A million pounds a year? A billion? A trillion? What sort of manpower and infrastructure would it need? Whose budget would that come from? How would the funding be distributed spatially? What other services would you cut even further to make it affordable? You come across generally as an intelligent bloke, but on this you seem to be falling into the populist trap of expecting overly simplistic solutions to complex problems.

To which I refer you back to my earlier point...

Turns out he was known to the police because he was out on bail for alleged rape. https://news.sky.com/story/synagogue-stabbing-latest-police-at-scene-of-reported-attack-in-manchester-13442674

And, it goes without saying, be completely prepared for the physical demands of the league they're in as well. No question.

If this guy came to the UK from Syria as a child then he was most likely a genuine refugee. We can't be 'selective' about accepting those, and we have international accords to adhere to (and contrary to what most Farage fans would have us believe, we don't take more than the rest of Europe. Not by a loooong way). As to why he didn't flag up on the radar of anti-terror units / MI5, the answer is most likely to be the same as it is for the failure of any public service - lack of funding and resources. It's all very well saying we should choose more carefully who we let in and deport people with extreme views, but in reality it isn't that simple unfortunately.

Poor, unlucky bloke. Seems to end up with mentally weak players wherever he goes. If only he had the power / responsibility to influence that and improve the players' mentality.

I'm not sure Arma will be particularly effective in a central role, given that he never has been in all the years he's been with us. What's happened to Matsuki? He looked pretty good in that AM role early in the season but seems to have fallen completely out of favour.

Why don't the Met go one step further and ask all the London football clubs to cancel their matches this weekend as well if they are that concerned about resources? We're at a very dark point in our history when people wanting to gather peacefully to hold up some placards as part of a campaign against an unjust and, frankly, ridiculous legal ruling are being singled out by the police on Twitter and being described as 'choosing to encourage mass law breaking'. Whether you support Palestine Action or not, this is something that should concern us all.

Gonna be a bit rainy as well. That gives me flashbacks to the playoff semi final there in 2007, and getting thoroughly soaked walking back to the station having just seen us lose on penalties 😔

The meaning of phobia in this instance is 'aversion to' rather than 'fear of'. Semantics aside, Islamophobia is every bit as real a thing as antisemitism is, and is clearly evident in your last sentence. 'Fearing' the entirety of the Islamic diaspora because of the actions of a tiny minority of nutty extremists is no different from blaming all Jews for the actions of the Israeli government.

Cheers. Got myself one last night after missing out previously ☺️

Very impressive performances over the last week. He just looks very assured and confident, and isn't afraid of trying to get his head on everything that comes near him, unlike certain other defenders I could name. Has to be our first choice CB from now on I reckon.

For some reason I read that last sentence in Saggychops' voice in my head.

Yeah it does seem like the journo has just put two and two together and come up with £15m doesn't it.

Yeah it's so obvious on the replay. Got his arms all over Macca and backing into him with no intent to try and play the ball. The fact the ref blew up for it before Peck even made contact with the cross tells you how clear it was to him. I heard it from up the other end of the ground, so I don't understand why Peck then went and destroyed the corner flag in celebration because he must have heard it too.

Hammers News reporting that they will try and give JWP back to us in January instead of paying the £15m they still owe us for the transfer. https://www.hammers.news/transfer-news/nuno-espirito-santo-puts-west-ham-star-on-gardening-leave-as-will-still-asks-for-saints-favour/

The last really good captain and leader we had was Fonte. You could see how he was always marshalling others, shouting instructions, encouraging the younger players and helping get the defence and midfield organised. He was a natural leader and he commanded respect from the rest of the squad. We've never had anyone even close to that level since he left. For years now the on-pitch communication between the players has been piss poor.

He looked absolutely knackered when he came off last night. Maybe WS should have made the sub earlier because he ceased to be of any use to the team effort at least 10 minutes before finally being hooked. It might not have been such a nervy finish if we had some fresh legs up front to keep Utd pegged back a little more. But that said, I think he needs to be starting every game now if he's fit enough. Last night we finally got to see the player we all hoped we were getting 2 years ago and there's nobody else in the squad who can offer that kind of contribution.

The keeper had already gone the wrong way. I've no idea why he didn't just side foot it instead of trying to hit the top corner. I like Arma, but he really needs to be smarter at times. There was a moment in the 2nd half where a ball came out high towards him and a Sheff defender, who jumped and won the header. Arma didn't really challenge for the ball, or even try to just put his opponent off by being physical, and then moments later he got booked for needlessly tripping the same player from behind. Brainless really. He just makes poor decisions constantly.

What a goal that is. Deserved to be the winner.

Quarshie made some errors tonight it's true. Watching back the highlights confirmed what I thought when I saw it for their goal - he tried to put his foot in to poke the ball away but realised he had to pull out of it otherwise he'd have conceded a pen. What he should have done is just keep up and stay tight and then they don't score. But he'll learn. But that aside, what really struck me was his pace and power. He's got an immense burst of pace which allows him to snuff out danger in a way that Stephens and THB just can't. And despite his errors he also had some really good moments tonight as well.

Just so fucking boring to watch us aimlessly passing it around the back still. What's the point of playing wing backs if the one on the left is just gonna hug the touchline waiting to receive the ball from a CB only to pass it straight back again? Didn't get a good view of their goal. Should Quarshie have done better? Couldn't tell from where I was stood. And let's be clear... Utd have been shit. I mean proper shit. And we've just gifted them a 1-0 lead. Because that's all we ever do these days - allow ourselves to get schooled by very limited teams. I'm fucking sick of it now.

Stood in the concourse and Frannie just walked past me. In with the proper fans instead of a corporate box. Legend! 😎