Colos Short and Curlies

Top 5 'top off celebrations'? No particular order Jonas vs West Ham Ketsbaia vs advertising boardings Dabizas vs Mackems Robert's farewell Tino vs Metz Should never be a yellow card offense Non-Toon ones Giggs Ginola Akinbiyi (although very similar to Ginola)

Rafa is my number 1 choice but lets not start pretending that his teams will be more pleasing on the eye than a Poch team. That's not to say its negative or defensive, but Rafa's teams will also be more in control than a Poch team who would have more freedom for individual expression. Still Rafa though Rafa Benitez is the highest goal rate Real Madrid manager in the last 60 years produced their biggest goalscoring win in Champions League history(8 v 0) and their biggest La Liga win in sixty years(10 v 2) It’s just a myth that he only plays defensive football and that Poch would be more attacking than him if both had a good team/financial backing. Rafa’s goal rate at R Madrid(2.76) Rafa’s goal rate at Chelsea(2.06) Rafa’s goal rate at Napoli(1.96) Compare that with Poch’s goal rate at Spurs(1.91) Hence my point that its not negative or defensive. However goals aren't what I was on about, its the aesthetics. Compare say Ginola and Robert (or even Gillespie). All are effective but Ginola had that little bit more individual flair. you wouldn't complain with any of them and they all get you goals and results but one is a little more pleasing on the eye. Shit analogy, but I'm not downplaying Rafa's methods at all - he is my number 1 choice to take us forward and he is more likely to bring success than Poch atm based on experience if nothing else but I completely get why for some 90 mins of Poch vs 90 mins of Rafa gives a different choice. Gillepsie was my favourite out the 3 btw

Rafa is my number 1 choice but lets not start pretending that his teams will be more pleasing on the eye than a Poch team. That's not to say its negative or defensive, but Rafa's teams will also be more in control than a Poch team who would have more freedom for individual expression. Still Rafa though

Got some Mythos in from Lidl earlier. Was fully expecting them to be a total letdown in recreating a Greek summer holiday vibe but think they will taste sweeter than any drink has before now

He's right to make that call, but I dread to think what sort of abuse he/his family are going to get if Watford now get relegated. Fans may be sympathetic now but will be less so after the event

I know he was only a kid but he’d still just come off the back of a title winning season, but Beckham on the right? Shearer and Ferdinand might have worked as a pair that way. Also think Scholes could have offered something. He’d just scored 10 league goals for the title winners as well. Might have been Gazza that he pushed out though. And then probably would have got a toe on that chance in extra time against Germany

loved the England kit from 96. Basically football peaked mid 90s

They should get him to front the daily Covid-19 briefing, good practice for those questions

Fair point but knowing everyone on that pitch with you has tested negative must be fairly reassuring still. A lot more reassuring than a lot of workers who will be coming into contact with dozens of strangers on a daily basis. If they don't come back next month then I reckon that means it's finished for a long time. As the situation will be no different in September for example with no vaccine. The game would implode if it was away for a year or more it's just not sustainable. That's why it has to come back and it will in the next 4 weeks or so yeah i agree, at some point we're either going to have to accept that there's a risk and do what is necessary to mitigate it or lockdown until there's a vaccine (which isn't practicable) if i was being tested multiple times a week and knew the others players and staff involved all were (down to everyone, bus drivers, cleaners, cooks whoever) then i'd personally consider the risk acceptable And as soon as one person tests positive? Isolate and trace no? Just like real countries are doing for normal people. Well yeah, but tell me who is going to want to train in an environment, or play against opposition, where people they're playing with or against have recently been in contact with a teammate who's got the virus. I don't really know why it needs repeating... normally when people go to work in an office or a supermarket or a shop, they don't sweat all over each other, wrestle opponents in the penalty area etc etc. The list is endless. It is not a normal job. And not to mention the well publicised unreliability of the tests. All it's going to take is for a player to get seriously ill, and then it's all off again. It doesn't " need repeating" I made the exact same point. It's about risk analysis. So one player tests pos? Isolate him and his teammates until they're eligible to test to see if they have it. Game postponed until clear. I'm the least Tory person there is but I honestly think at some point mitigations are going to have to be accepted. If we wait 12-18 months, then so many footballers and staff in lower leagues and are going to lose their jobs across Europe because we haven't got going again and they'll be no parachute payments etc. Also I suspect many players will be wanting to take a small risk to get going again if all the measures are implemented properly to protect their safety. Honestly don't think it's reasonable to ask for 100% mitigation because that won't happen until there's a vaccine. I agree with you...I just think it’s far too early. Maybe when there’s 100 new cases a day. Not when there’s 4000. For the PL I completely agree, it's far too early. I've always said July. I do think the Germans have gone too early as well, they should have waited for lockdown restrictions to have been eased for 2 weeks. Even with 1st June in the 50 pager for when it can resume, where we are now very few clubs are training to any sort of level and they haven't even agreed on the logistics of it yet. It's got to be 4-5 weeks minimum before a ball can be kicked in anger if an agreement was made today

I've checked in and been assured that I was not on the end of a wind up re Barclays being notified on a change of owner. I genuinely don't think I've been had I can't get any more details like have they actually completed the deal yet or have a date but I'm standing behind boring bank risk teams in being confident that it's done bar formalities at worst

France training at Haydon Bridge High school was as close as I got to a game

Hope he doesn't run into any dogs on his way back

Reliable source or you actually know? From the risk team at Barclays. It's second hand info I concede but I 100% trust that I'm not on the end of a wind up myself. Reason they would be informed is in the covenant for the loan/overdraft - change of ownership in the business is a material event. Does nothing for the timing mind, still got to keep glued to SSN for that

Barclays have been notified that the takeover is happening.

Just to see the look on Liverpool fan's faces.....I'd take this This was my first thought but then consider what would actually be funnier (1) Season cancelled, Liverpool don't win the league. All this would garner is a resolve in the players to do it again next year and the sense of injustice from Liverpool fans would be painful. (2) Liverpool* (As they will be known) are awarded the league. The dominance they showed is forgotten and whenever the 19/20 season is brought up Covid-19 takes up 90% of the narrative. Liverpool's season? Disappointing domestic cup runs, knocked out of Europe early and awarded the league when it was curtailed early. I'd take option 2

I couldn't stand it after the cup final. Luckily time heals wounds because its a cracking song

Implication: 'he's got a few f*cking screws loose' Good to know. If Ritchie thinks he's got a few screws loose it must be bad

I want Ben Arfa in front of that midfield, don't care if he's 33 now.

He'd also be very comfortable in his own ability and position should the likes of Keegan, Shearer etc be invited to prominent non playing roles Imagine a Rafa led playing side to the club (including juniors and reserves) with Keegan leading the promotion side of things. Bring in a competent DoF or Chief Exec and we'd be flying - and that's before the mega money

yup Asics '93. first season up. andy cole, malcolm allen, sellars etc. the beginnings of the entertainers. The material was prone to pulling though - especially the blue away shirt, otherwise it was a great kit. My first 'fullkit wanker' kit as well.

They are bringing it in now aren't they? May have just been a rogue paper headline that I saw though is that a thing in this country? i thought we were still allowing people to flood in as they like

How easy would it actually be to bring in a new manager now? Assuming a flight could be arranged (I guess private flights are still running pretty much as standard) they would have to go into quarantine straight away wouldn't they?

He spent a long time at Napoli

I've still got Jacko on my playlist

Basically 6th April is the start of the tax year, Companies can choose any date for their financial year. Moving the date to Sunday is probably significant