egg

That would be sensible, but to answer your question, It feels like an unhappy cocktail of ego, stubbornness, stupidity, and not knowing what else to do. The sad thing is, his philosophy isn't even the Pep model, or the Arteta version. His is more renegade with both full backs tucking in, both wingers sitting wide, virtually everyone piling forward, etc. It's a mess.

That's not what I said. I reckon we'll see Charles and Downes, with one other slightly ahead. I'd like that to be Alcaraz but I think it'll be SA.

He arrived rusty imo and has been played as the DM which he isn't. His performances at this level previously have been very good. I think he'll be very good alongside Charles and a consistent midfield pairing, playing their natural games, can only help us.

I think that's pretty close to what it'll be. I'm not sure he'll play Alcaraz or Sulemana though, and I've got a feeling that SA's name is on the dice this time.

Good news re Downes. I think he'll switch it a fair bit, and be a bit more pragmatic. At least one of the full backs at full back. Charles, Downes plus one in the middle, possibly SA to give some experience and quality on the ball. AA to play wide.

Ha! He was always going when we got relegated, regardless of what people thought of him. That said, he's had a cracking start to his time there. Fair play to him, lovely lad.

Gang

Are you my mate Dave?

Yep - that's what I meant.

I have a mate who's not dissimilar. His thinking is more like other civilisations are much more advanced than us, they paid us a visit and kindly knocked up the pyramids then buggered off back home. Interesting theory.

No, never tried it. The social side, scenery, fit female skiers, foreign travel is all good, but the actual skiing part I just don't fancy for some reason.

Skiing. People love it but sliding down a hill on 2 bits of wood is so unappealing.

Derek Adams who's at Morecambe. Looks an upgrade to be fair.

Ditto. The concept of infinity blows my mind, as does how far advanced of us (technologically and otherwise )other civilisations might be.

Possibly. Or perhaps because they're not buying into what RM is doing.

Yep, but I'm not sure this place is representative of the fanbase. Everyone I speak to in the real world are patient.

All that means on current form is that the gap between us and promotion will get wider.

Hopefully that's correct. Odd that the EFL published list still doesn't show him though. Link to the squad lists. I think we're pages 38 and 39 https://www.efl.com/news/2023/september/07/efl-squad-list--season-2023-24/

Yep...he's on not on the official squad list as published by the EFL. I'd assumed it was an error that would be rectified but I looked again yesterday and he's still not on the list.

Yep, plenty of others too. At its simplest, addiction is an illness. The problem is that people see the fall out of it and judge addicts on their actions, and usually wrongly believing that people choose to be that way. Nobody chooses any illness. Paul Walsh was another who's alcohol addiction got him while he was still playing. He's very open about it and this podcast is a decent listen. There's a summary in the link too, and it touches upon the link between sport and addiction which someone mentioned above. https://www.priorygroup.com/blog/sporting-highs-and-lows-podcast-episode-one-with-paul-walsh There's a great line where he says he "got his comeuppance and had to go to Portsmouth" 😂

Yes, I get what you want, but thankfully the club have Ballard's interests at heart and have loaned him to Reading to aid his development.

Carphone

Not sure. Drugs, booze, gambling programmes are all about abstinence and avoiding the first line/drink/bet. I can't imagine this is about avoiding the first sexual act.

I don't understand your point. You mentioned Ballard...I said that he won't develop playing a few minutes here and there. The fact that Mara doesn't learn much doing that is irrelevant. Ballard will develop at Reading.

I've got a mate who's a recovering sex addict. He would wank loads and loads. It's a proper addiction - read all about here https://saauk.info/our-addiction-our-program/