SteV

Southampton players absolutely taking the piss out of Will Still.

Incredible commitment to the caricature if nothing else.

The PSG match is 10 days after the AFCON final. Tbh, if we don’t get at least a playoff tie, things are going to have to go pretty disastrous from here.

He probably does but he may be conflicted thinking he wants to repay us for the money we spent. If he’s bang keen on going, then fair enough, can’t really argue with that, but it would be a massive short-term boost if he offered to duck out of it for us.

They could, and it’s a wild suggestion to many of them, just have a tifo that relates solely to them, and doesn’t in some way reference us.

We would be if we agreed it with Congo. You’re right in that we can’t go ‘sorry lads, he’s not fit for AFCON’, then just have him starting loads of games whilst the tournament is on. But we can have a conversation with them in the next couple of weeks along the lines of ‘he’s only 70-80% fit at the minute, if he stays with us, we’ll gradually build him up, so he’s flying by the time you need him to get you to the WC in March’. Obviously, it also needs Wissa to be onboard with that.

So he’s getting left out the squad then making his first start and getting a hat-trick against the mackems?

So did Man Utd.

Of course, but the same could easily have been said of Tonali and Hall for their first 12-18 months (whey, replace goals with performances). *granted, at his age we can’t really be waiting 12-18 months, but the principle is the same.

Waiting for one of the N-O finance crew to summarise succinctly, so I don’t have to hurt my head wading through journalistic waffle on Twitter.

Starting to feel more and more like we’re managing his return with a view to him not going to the AFCON.

Hope said all that about three weeks ago. Not sure why people are suddenly getting wound up about it now?

The take that football tickets are being ‘excluded’ is a bit of a weird one, because as far as I can make out, legislation-wise, they’re on about making it illegal to resell above face value, but that’s already the case with football tickets, it just never really gets enforced to any degree (other than what individual clubs do). So unless I’m missing something (which could be the case tbh), it’s more an issue about whether there’s actually going to be increased enforcement around what has effectively always been illegal?

The treatment Stirling got was ten times worse than what Bellingham has got. Although perhaps it’s wise for someone to cite it now before it gets to that stage.

Wissa and DR Congo should be sound to get through there. Just looked at Jamaica’s team for their last game and it’s very poor. Hayden starting in midfield for them!

Playoff draws are at 12pm, live on FIFA and BBC websites for those that want to watch.

Hard to argue with all of that, but it still doesn’t change the fact you have fairly severe differences in level of punishment dished out for the same offence. Having said that, we all know the rules, so no point bleating about it once you’ve been caught.

Normally, yeah 100%. However, I think the fact that travel to Marseille is costing a fortune, has meant that, for once, people are struggling to shift them. *also, some people haven’t got the brains they were born with.

If I had to have a wild stab in the dark, it’s because somebody is paying them to.

So who was it?? 😬😬

Armenia, the last one ✅ Played San Marino and Andorra eight times each, but never got Armenia in the same time period.

Yep, Faroes one too ✅

Basically teams that are in qualifying for the Euros. So Gibraltar is one ✅ ❌ for the other two

The three UEFA nations that England have never played? Hint:

It’s more to do with how they enforce the ticket checks. Basically if your ticket turns red at the turnstile, you have to go and find a steward, get directed to the away ticket box office, and go show your ID to get a replacement. So you can imagine the last thing the coppers want at ‘high risk’ games, such as the ones @Wallsendmag mentions, is away fans wandering about outside the ground trying to find a box office. They just want you inside as quickly and efficiently as possible.