leffe186

It would be wonderful if - just once - a ref decided “fuck it” and booked every Uruguayan foul. They’d have 8 men by half time.

Fuck me Uruguay are a chore to watch. How many times has Valverde kicked Livramento now?

Spence has done well I think tonight. Palmer looks up for it. Cann’t shake the feeling DCL is not at this level though.

Maguire does fucking leather simple passes sometimes

Rashford is so frustrating.

Lovely little reverse ball. Was that Wharton?

Neither will refs

Rashford’s decision-making still iffy. Fuck me these little late fouls are endless.

Uruguay the eternal shithousers.

Cracking run by Rashford, thought he’d got the cross right too.

Think we look ok considering. Madueke looks keen. Spence would be terrific if he would just go to the bye line on his left foot from time to time. Our passing is a bit hit or miss. Uruguay cynical as fuck of course, as always.

Already lost interest tbh . Some nice play. Our press seems a bit gung-ho.

Ref certainly shouldn’t have pushed him back off the pitch like they suggested, but I’d like to think that he’d book him in a proper match. He wouldn’t, like.

Bump I guess. Nobody else watching this tonight?

#CancelWorldCup26.

Same amount of time I’ve been watching Sunderland

You’re at home and Sunderland aren’t very good.

From your lips to God’s ears. The problem is that at this stage all it takes is one thing to go against you. We were beating Palace and playing pretty well then VDV fucks up and it all falls apart. The main encouragement is that for the first time in well over a year we’re actually playing proper football which is down to Tudor. I think it’s confidence rather than “putting in the effort”. Confidence in the manager’s ideas, confidence in their own fitness and ability, confidence in the players around them. Confidence that the fans are behind them. We’ll see what happens on Sunday but either way it all feels like a searing indictment of Thomas Frank. Some fan groups have put together a statement that has been retweeted by a ton of players to reinforce all this. Typically many of the players drive themselves to the ground but tomorrow they will all meet at the training ground and take the coach. The fans are going to congregate on the High Road 2-3 hours before the game to cheer them into the ground (and get pissed). I’ll be there. Poorer than a church mouse right now but I’m walking over there tomorrow morning to do the tiniest little bit I can. I’d disengaged from football to an extent but this is what it’s all about for me. Just hoping we don’t all get kicked in the teeth again.

Said it before and I’ll say it again: the biggest issue with refereeing hasn’t changed in forever - they generally favour the home side. Sure, there’s some bias towards certain teams who’ve figured out how to exploit refs’ vulnerabilities (ignoring persistent niggly fouls, timewasting, set-piece shenanigans, pressure applied both on and off the pitch) but it’s not corruption - just weakness of thought/character

Well not exactly. Six of the 20-man squad against Atletico cost more than £20M, and six of the 18-man squad against Liverpool. Looks like we’re starting to get players back, but again the light at the end of tunnel looks like being an oncoming train. I was kinda positive this morning but it’s all so frustrating.

Christ, it’s absolutely fucking relentless.

I’m saying you’re overdoing the persecution complex. You said players chose the Sly 6 over you in a heartbeat because of the reward of international football. Five of your players just got picked for England, including at least two and possibly more who explicitly chose you over a Sly 6 club. It just sounded a bit silly. And I would argue that picking the best and most in-form English players is not simple at all, given that (a) they are often not the same thing (b) there are loads of options unequally spread across the pitch and (c) they are both subjective anyway. And then factor in that that may not be the best option anyway, looking at how well this team has come together over the last few games.

Seems like a good result. Oh hang on: I got it wrong, Tuchel fucked you over. Give it a rest . I already bopped some guy on Reddit who complained about Tuchel not making his mind up and picking a different squad every time - despite about 25 of the squad always being there if they’re fit. It’s always the same - a bunch of people complain that he’s picking the same names and a bunch of people complain that he keeps chopping and changing. For the same squad. Europe and the Chelsea match aside, you lot have been banging on about how much you’ve been underperforming recently. I’ve not watched any Man U all season really so I haven’t got a clue but I’m told Maguire and Mainoo have been good? Chelsea have got one player in. I think he’s done a great job. I wouldn’t have Maguire in myself, but I probably wouldn’t have Dan Burn in either - I think they both get found out at the very top level. Tuchel has absolutely done enough to deserve trust, surely? You’ve got four relatively young players in. Argue about Barnes all you like, but be reasonable.

Just been walking the dogs. I live a couple miles away from our ground with the North Circular in between. It’s insane how clearly I could hear the crowd. I’m sure it was never quite like that before - guess usually I’d be at the game but still. Don’t know if it’s because it’s a clear, still night, because it’s the acoustics and height of the new stadium, or what. Was quite stirring tbh.

Danny Kelly, host of our Athletic podcast VFTL, Talkshiter and erstwhile Editor of the NME has apparently got oesophageal cancer. Best wishes to him, hope they caught it early.