Kingsland Codger

Although Perraud was the obvious candidate for MoM, I was surprised (but delighted) by the professional and almost faultless performance from Lysnco.

But did Bazunu foul Ramsey? Bazunu got to the ball first, Ramsey arrived a split-second later and kicked Bazunu. Free kick to Saints and a possible yellow card for Ramsey.

My tickets for both matches, purchased on Monday, came fluttering through my letter-box this morning.

One year ago today (15 January) - JWP's free-kick v Wolves https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQdEplTv0_0

Back in 1994 I returned to live in the UK after a lengthy time working in the Far East and I recall a match at WHL when Le Tiss scored 2 in the second half to win the match. The answer to your question can't be as long ago as that ... can it?

Flowers in the rain. The Move.

Why isn’t the stud-poke in the second half from Alvarez counted as a shot on target? Bazunu had to dive on the ball smartly as it was slowly making its way towards (and over) the line.

Maybe we had some luck with some of the referring decisions, with poor finishing from Palace and with bad judgement from their goalkeeper for the first goal but AA's goal was due to hard work. Throughout the season all of our strikers have chased down the opposing keepers in order to make them miss-pass under pressure and this time AA was quick enough to get a tackle/block in, keep control and score. Huge effort rather than luck.

Trolling? Far from it. I am merely considering a way to avoid the curse of knock-out football tournaments - the drawn game and subsequent penalty shoot-out. Too many sides play for the shoot-out rather than risk a counter-attack should their own attempt at positive play backfire. I take your point about disciplinary cards encouraging yet more fake fouls but this cuts both ways - I was also thinking of the effect such a move might have on the cynical foul - Chiellini grabbing Saka's shirt collar at the Euro final is but one recent example. Other alternative suggestions to abolish the shoot-out are welcome. Most corners?

As an added extra, I would abolish the penalty shoot-out. If the scores are still level after extra-time, the team with the fewer yellow/red cards go through to the next round. This puts pressure not just on the teams but also on the officials.

There is a time and place for drink every now-and-then as the original poster suggests. Cold beer on a hot summer’s day, a whisky-mac in the winter, a glass of red with a ripe Camembert. I am reminded of a comment from Ambrose Bierce “An abstainer is a weak person who yields to the temptation of denying himself a pleasure”.

Like this … And it goes down in the book as one of Messi’s missed penalties

Including one he skied high-and-handsome at St Mary's. Oh how we laughed! Spookily, earlier this autumn Kane scored a penalty against Frankfurt but failed to score a second in the same match.

But who would take the free-kicks?

The pigeon will be able to play on both wings.

In the mid-Seventies I arrended university in Scotland - a kid from the Isle of Wight who had never before travelled much north of the Thames. I was mildly surprised to discover there wasn’t much in the way of Guy Fawkes and Firework Night but plenty of Hallowe’en, which I had barely heard of.

Robert Jones

No need to short-change the lad. He’s scored three! (against Leicester, Spurs and last night).

As Elynoussi cut across the Bournemouth penalty area to help set-up our goal, note how the Bournemouth defenders were very cautious not to tackle him and maybe give away a free-kick. JWP’s reputation at work.

From what I heard on the radio, the MoM for Saints was our 12th man. Our fans were belting out OWTSGMI even when we were 4-0 down and playing poorly.

Afternoon tea

The BT Sport pundits (Rio Ferdinand and Robbie Fowler) are very critical of TAA in their round-up. https://www.bt.com/sport/watch/video/clips/2022/september/what-went-wrong-for-liverpool-in-napoli-defeat

Was I alone in giving a shriek of laughter when the third Napoli goal went in?

Ajax v Glasgow Rangers ... Poor old Rangers, Ajax are putting them to the sword. Showing us all how to play the game. A joy to watch.

For some glorious goals have a look at the Lille v PSG video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDmd9lqG7Yk Mbappe might have scored a hat-trick but at 8 seconds he's not quicker than our Shane Long