egg

But he isn't 5 10. He's 5 8. So is KWP. If we play both, half of our back 4 will be exposed in the air. We'll be vulnerable to high balls into both full back areas. You can get away with one side, but both is risky. Add in that JWP is the same height, we will be exposed when defending corners with a lack of height in the team.

Oh come on, you can't compare BLM to the British Legion, and say that both have tenuous political associations. The British Legion is a charity supporting servicemen. It isn't trying to bring about change. BLM, as a movement, is trying to bring about societal change, thus it has a political agenda.

He's been trotting this nonsense out for ages mate, but can't say what the plan is, who's behind it, why, and what they hope to achieve. Bless him.

Speaking

Looks decent but his height could be a concern. We struggled with Cedric (same height) at right back.

Yep. Daft words from Vaughan, and a daft decision from the ECB.

I think he would have made it if it wasn't for the Mings/Maguire/TAA situation. Overall though, I'm glad we've taken the opportunity to get a better CB in the squad.

White plays for Brighton. He hasn't been picked because he plays for a bigger team.

Neither. I'd have preferred Lingard or Watkins who'd have more chances of influencing the score.

I thought the same. I was convinced it'd be Lingard or Watkins. I suspect this as much about Maguire cover/replacement as it is a TAA replacement.

Jeez. You're honestly saying JWP wasn't picked so "they" get to see him move clubs?

If this was American football where you can bring a kicker on I'd see your point, but JWP was never going to start so those set pieces would never have got used.

Yep, that's the one. Maguire needs to tweak something in training or whatever to be binned off, otherwise we go in with a squad a man light. Crazy.

I'm not convinced we needed another defender, but with Maguire still crocked and unable to be replaced, this is probably the best pick.

That's correct. Racists are out there, it's a sad part of society. Taking the knee won't end it though, and black players will unfortunately continue to cop it from the minority element. I don't pretend to know the answer, but it seems to me that the more the racists are hearing and reading in the media that their words are having a negative impact, the more they're doing it. I'm not saying that ignoring it will make it go away because it won't, but highlighting appears to be making it worse.

What's socialism got to do with it? BLM is a stand alone political organisation that stands for its own beliefs.

Simple yes or no questions for you: 1. do you acknowledge that the knee is symbolic of BLM? 2.do you acknowledge that BLM is a political movement that stands for something other than racial equality? When you've answered yes to both, we'll address the other points you raise.

Thank you, I'll take a look.

Yep, exactly that. The thing on this thread and others like it as that people support an anti racism stance, but have the ability to see that this method has done more harm than good.

Ha!! In all seriousness, stuff like this is divisive. It gives those that need no excuse to demonstrate their racist leanings to boo. It also brings in boos from people who support equality and anti-racism, but who feel that this particular method has no place in football. That gives an illusion of a wider race issue, thus a stronger wish to take an anti race stance, and the cycle goes in. It may just be me, but I think a good and necessary message has chosen to ride the wrong horse.

I think they'll carry on, and all there'll do is widen divisions. A slogan, a statement, anything to say that equality is supported would be fine. They have to understand that doing something that is affiliated with an aggressive political movement is not cool, and that saying that they aren't doing in the name of those politics doesn't alter that there's a link. That's all aside of any virtue signalling, no place for politics of any sort in football, etc, arguments.

We need to see the data, and you have to wander why we're not. I'd imagine it could only give reassurances about the vaccine, or otherwise.

Cheers. What we don't know is how many of those tested have been vaccinated - that for me is the acid test. If the positive tests are truly amongst the unvaccinated then that's understandable and an easy problem to solve, although it seems to render the herd immunity argument a weak one.

Regardless of why we're told the players are taking the knee, it's a fact that it's a symbol of an unpleasant political movement. The message doesn't alter that. Football has made the point that it stands for equality. I don't understand why it needs to do it before every game, and using something controversial to do it. It's gone too far and is becoming divisive. End it now.

What are are we to take from that? The variant is getting past the vaccine? Genuine question as I don't know.