Lighthouse

I actually said someone younger than Toby, who turns 33 this season. Also, I’m not bothered about experience, I just want them to be good. Svensson, Lovren, Toby and VVD all had zero premier league games when they joined us and we’re fantastic.

Boris on BBC now. Mask wearing, SD and limits on indoor meetings to be removed on 19th. Scratching my head now, what’s left of project global reset? Or is it just about the 5G microchips now?

That’s not really the right question. What we should be asking is if we’re better off as a team with him playing intermittently and having to rotate the defence around constantly. I would say no; I’d rather we brought in someone younger and fitter who may not have the same ability but can play pretty much every game, along side preferably Salisu.

Because he is 32, has frequent injury issues and is on the decline.

He wouldn’t come here, I wouldn’t want him.

It would appear we've already tried that.

He was only about three league goals ahead of Adams last season. As much as we all like to circle jerk over how good he is, fitness will probably limit his contribution again next season. Our problem is not drawing a blank without Ings, we've even won comfortably at Stamford Bridge with him absent. Our problems are coaching and psychological. Losing 9-0 twice in 15 months, with dozens of games scattered around that where we've thrown away points after the 85th minute, is something I'm far more concerned about addressing than finding a 20 goal a season striker.

Which is okay because the masks only provided limited pathogen protection anyway.

Good news for Collin, this Covid victim is actually a paid actress https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-57719445

We've stayed up in the past with our top scorer being Austin, waddling around tapping in 6/7 a season. If Adams and (hypothetically) Armstrong can both hit double figures we'll be fine in that regard. We mainly need to defend and concentrate better.

I think we can be a bit more civilised than all of that. Anyway, first jab of Pfizer yesterday. Only a sore arm and very mild feverish symptoms during the night, aside from my horrendous phobia of needles.

So other than Redmond, a LB who’s left and two ‘keepers we’re trying two shift, that’s basically our first XI. Salisu seems to be heading in the right direction too.

So long as he has 153 as his shirt number.

He isn’t developing.

Yes, although I think they were also the first team not to score in a penalty shootout.

Switzerland got knocked out of the WC without conceding once.

Boosh!

I’ve always advocated for this. 30 minute ‘in play’ halves, which end the first time the ball goes out of play, off the pitch (I.e. not a free kick or penalty)

With that logic you could argue it's best not to sell Shane Long for £70m. Those transfers were made by personnel who are no longer here, several years ago. Salisu, Diallo, Adams and KWP would be a more representative example of our recent transfers and they were less than £50m combined.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; if offered a straight 50:50 choice between JWP in the squad next season and an extra £50m to spend in the transfer window, I’d choose the latter.

Italy to beat England in the final I reckon, although my predictions for the last 16 games were equal to random 50/50 guess work, so what do I know.

They’re two evenly matched teams in terms of talent, it can go either way. You’re never going to convince me Eastleigh have a chance against Brazil.

Crikey. All that effort from the Swiss and they’ve bottled it.

Are they sh*t at it or just too damn lazy?

Personally I think that's a terrible reason to bring someone back. All just comfortable, jobs for the boys, everyone moves upstairs thinking. To me it would just be a rather alarming indicator that we put very little effort into researching the coaches we appoint, which I hope is not true.