SteV

Just by putting a geet massive tablecloth underneath them and dragging them back a bit.

Yeah, seems it is the average, rather than the cumulative.

I think Osasuna got kicked out for match-fixing so not sure if that’s the same as not qualifying?

Tbh I thought it was whoever got the highest cumulative points, rather than average. Otherwise, I’m sure there could be potential for other countries to be up there?

This is a really good graphic from @FootRankings on Twitter. Going to be two from these four and we’ve already got an advantage as we’re the only one with 8 teams.

I was at both and there was definitely similarities. For me the Barcelona one edges it in terms of pure atmosphere, but maybe I’m slightly biased as I was quite young at the time, and that felt like nothing I’d ever experienced before, so I’m not sure anything will ever personally beat that in my mind. However, as I said last week, the experience of walking into the concourse 45 mins before ko, will stay with me for a long time. Can’t ever remember feeling energy like that within the outer confines of a stadium. Like derby day x10. Another big difference was that I kind of had a realistic belief that we could beat PSG. Even though I was young when we played Barca, and generally expected us to win every game off the back of the previous two seasons, our start to that season had been fairly horrible, Shearer had a long term injury, and if memory serves we’d lost at home miserably to Wimbledon the Saturday before. No one realistically expected anything other than a defeat. You’re absolutely right though, this could just be the start. As incredible as last week was, imagine a QF or SF against Real Madrid! I’ll stop now before I get carried away ?

Well exactly, as ever it’ll be something obtuse that makes it difficult to pin on anyone. Which is why I say it’ll require government intervention. I won’t hold my breath…

As mentioned in the comments there, it happens with other large clubs too. No doubt the clubs could probably be doing more, but ultimately it’s going to require government intervention to make a significant difference. I don’t even understand how these sites can do this legally given it’s actual illegal to sell a football ticket above FV in this country?

It’s looking more and more like Anderson is going to develop into a midfielder rather than forward. 21/22 Smith-Rowe was arguably the most promising young player in the league (well one of them anyway). Obviously there’s numerous examples of injuries completely derailing promising young players, but he’d potentially have a massive ceiling based on what we saw up to that point.

Asking Twitter folk to do the maths….?

Of course, 300 out of 50k is nothing. But does anyone actually know anyone that’s 8/8?

Find it difficult to believe there’s over 300 (that have seen this poll and voted) with a 7-8 success rate tbh

Sounds like it’s dropping in price from previous games then.

Tbh, there’s no other option than walking away. Waste of time going to the box office and trying to claim a ticket you don’t have ID for. I suspect that if you get given a duff ticket and you don’t appear at the box office and collect the genuine one, that gets noted down somewhere…

‘In the middle of our goal, Nick Pope’ To the tune of Our House by Madness.

You seem to have an unusual (for you) amount of disdain for West Ham’s abilities? ?

Yeah, they are still checking. However, checks are probably limited to the region of ~100 tickets, so if you do the maths, the odds are in your favour of not being checked. That being said, clearly it’s all about whether you, or more realistically, your mate want to take the risk. I haven’t actually heard what punishment, if any, has been handed out to anyone that’s been caught out. You’d guess for a first offence it would probably just be a (final) warning, but like I say, I don’t know that for sure.

No Eze for a while is a horrible blow for them.

Tbf he’d be playing for Man City now if he wasn’t going to be getting a ban for gambling.

His kicking has been utter shit since day one. Nothing has changed since Liverpool except other people’s nervousness towards it. Fortunately, he’s very, very good at actually keeping the ball out of the net, which, as the clown at Man Utd is currently demonstrating, should always be the main attribute we focus on with keepers.

Anybody know if there’s any plans to have any games at SJP this season? Also seems a bit bizarre they’ve only got one game in November and one in December?

Tbf I’m partially of the opinion that some people (not necessarily directing this at you or @Wandy) had decided that the ticketing changes would be detrimental, and unless the atmosphere is absolutely bouncing, they’ll not change their mind regardless. That said, I’m not at every game, so I’m hardly best qualified to judge, and if people that are at every game are saying otherwise, maybe they know better.

Interesting that Schlupp went off injured yesterday and was replaced by the young lad, Rak-Sakyi. Their fans actually seem relatively happy with that, as he’s a far more ‘exciting’ option, but given Hodgson picks Schlupp every single week, you wonder whether it will weaken them a touch defensively, or shape-wise?