leffe186

Average age 23. Only three players over 24. Think Pritchard is still a kid in my head and he’s comfortably the oldest at 30.

Would have been interesting to see what Ange would have made of him. Jesus this Sunderland team looks young. Anyone know their average age? (Before I go and laboriously work it out).

When there are consequences. I mean, if.

I don’t think anyone knows. The guess is that it’s a lot though as we spent a fair bit initially and supposedly Sunderland were asking a ton for him in the summer because of it. And, you know, Levy.

Wife away for the night so watching this with a beer or two. Wish it was a better match tbh but each time I’ve seen Sunderland this season they’ve looked good. Tbf, Wednesday look a mess anyway.

Spurs.

We’ll get a chunk of the fee if they do. They are absolutely pissing this. Pritchard has always been classy but Bellingham looks terrific too.

He’s not one to blow his own horn.

Forgot this complete weapon existed:

Think this is why I don’t do general football podcasts. I so rarely give a shit about the given discussion points

More capitals sacked than managers.

I mean, we had pundits saying a combined XI was all Arsenal players before the game. Merse said we’d be bottom half without Kane, then said Arsenal would destroy us. It’s all hyperbole. Build them up, knock them down.

Soz.

I thought Man U were excluded temporarily (they made the changes eventually) but only Newcastle were given a permanent exemption because the local authority said they couldn’t think of a way to ensure spectator safety?

Actually came in here to post this. Why is it that Arteta can do what he likes on the touch line - and I use that word advisedly - without sanction? Also, what is it about him that is so irritating?

Yeah - this isn’t the best article but it was the first I Googled: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/premier-league-clubs-agree-changes-9231473.amp I hated the away fans’ position at St James’ Park since we got moved to the rafters.

Yeah, thought both him and Gusto should have had a yellow and a strong word.

I was thinking that him getting a red and Nketiah getting a yellow was a bit rich. Chelsea had a ton of chances today, even with ten men. Don't think this run will last.

Oh right, had no idea, wondered if it was Brie Larson because she’s said some nonsense. I couldn’t find anything about Viola Davis saying that. I did find a couple of things about people wanting to boycott Woman King because of perceived historical inaccuracies and the way it addresses slavery. Very different. I also hadn’t heard of any of this before you brought it up. So…honestly it feels like a straw man. Of course you can either watch or film or not watch a film, whatever. Why do you think people will think you’re a misogynist or racist if you don’t? But this is irrelevant. The point is that you are saying that the problem is “the whole diversity thing”, which “nobody really wants to talk about”. “The woke movement” really could mean a fucking ton of different things, which is precisely the point of people using it to foment anger and resentment. In this case it sounds like you just mean having women presenters in football shows, which I guess has only been a thing for a few years. Sure, like I said, I’m sure there are some misogynists who just turn off because it’s a woman. But as I also said - and so did the BBC - the main thing is that people just watch/follow football differently. I think it’s perfectly fine to have women presenters. This guy who tweeted pretending women are the reason for the demise of Football Focus clearly doesn’t. The Mail gets to rail against diversity and the BBC at the same time - killing two birds with one stone. That’s all.

See you on the other side. COYFS. Fuck this.

I mean, I grew up with it here, from the late 70s. Choosing my words carefully…I think you’re wrong. For a lot of reasons - but firstly, it’s very much not just about what happens in the ground, and even on the day. We all live together, intermingled, from day one. My school was 35% Spurs, 35% Arsenal, 25% glory-hunting cunts (Liverpool) and 5% other. At the time probably more Spurs but over time it probably changed. I don’t know where you grew up but if it was in or around Newcastle I’m guessing it wasn’t quite the same. That leads to two things. One, we each have a little bit more understanding of the other. We basically live the same lives, families are mixed etc. But also two - it’s every fucking day. At school, at work, at play etc etc. Familiarity truly does breed contempt. When I was a kid it was truly, truly nasty - in the ground, around the ground, everywhere. We’ve all seen a lot of people priced out of the game since Hillsborough…but we’re all still here. Just not necessarily sitting in a plastic seat singing “Guantanamera”. It’s nasty and spicy. And the closer we are in standard the nastier and spicier it will get. You just might not see it on the Sky cameras.

For the record, I’d forgotten how much the NLD day sucks when you’re down here. At least when it’s in South London, sorry, at the Emirates (somebody mention sportswashing?) we’ve got no expectations. As Darren Bent et al say, a combined XI would be all Arsenal players so we’ve got no chance. It’s just pain until it’s over. Of course, under Ange we’ll go for it…which will make things so much worse in a practical sense because (a) it will be incredibly stressful and open and (b) Arsenal will probably do what they just did to the open and going for it PSV Eindhoven. Genuinely hate this. But I also know that he hasn’t even managed 10 competitive or uncompetitive games for us yet. If we manage to get something it will be absolutely blindingly hilarious. Arteta has had, what, eight transfer windows and an absolute ton of money to make this squad and team. Ange has had one transfer window. I would bite all your appendages off for a draw.

If the country is the UK then naah, Celtic-Rangers. In terms of deep-seated local intertwined enmity in England - maybe. Birmingham-Villa is pretty nasty but Villa have so often been literally in a different league. Bristol Rovers-City used to be a bit tasty IIRC, but again, at a lower level. Everton-Liverpool never seemed to have quite the same edge. Newcastle-Sunderland has the edge but the communities are less intertwined and they’re often at different levels. Likewise Millwall-Chelsea. Feel like I’m forgetting someone. Sheffield derby is fun. Feels like the South Yorkshire Police don’t know who to beat up, unlike when anybody else came to town.

Dunno mate. The way we watch and follow football - and all media - has changed so massively over the last 5 years (let alone the last 20) that to pin this on racism and misogyny seems misguided. The tweet says that the BBC does that, but the article he references states the BBC actually says the fall in viewership is in line with general trends in viewing. The Mail implies it, and that guy just makes it up, unless he has info from somewhere else. Which is part of the problem. You remember an actress saying this. Which actress and which movie? Did you watch it? Are you a racist misogynist? It’s all fluff. This “whole woke movement”. Do you mean the Civil Rights movement? Or #metoo? Or legalising homosexuality? Or BLM? Sure, some people will have turned off because a woman - a black woman at that - is presenting Football Focus. I’m guessing that number is massively dwarfed by the people who’ve turned off because they’re not actually watching BBC at that time. They’re going to one of those new-fangled early kick-offs, or streaming games at home, or watching one of the millions of channels with some kind of football on, or listening to one of the millions of podcasts, or writing nonsense like me on one of the hundreds of fan sites. I happened to be in a rental car last Saturday (we haven’t bought one yet) and put the radio on to hear the end of the games and suddenly the Sports Report theme came on. I genuinely had a little tear in my eye. Hadn’t heard that for probably 20 years. We’d usually hear it on a transistor radio clutched to my Dad’s ear walking back from the game. There’s every chance that - even though I’m back in the UK - I won’t hear it again for years too. Things have changed.

It’s painfully apparent. Rodriguez flatters to deceive I think. That American/Canadian/Nigerian kid whose name escapes me is very direct, but without him they seem toothless.