Infinitely Content

A different time and a different team, but at the beginning of the 2002-03 season, a season which has many parallels to our current one having finished 4th the prior year, and being presented with a difficult set of opening fixtures; we began with a comprehensive win at home, before failing to win in the next 5 games. Bobby Robson, addressing the team’s form, said: “The fact that we finished 4th the year before meant that we knew we had a good side, it was just getting it together and we needed perhaps a bit more time. So I wasn’t too worried about it, I knew the staff was quality and it would be okay." Recalling that season, and how it unfolded after the difficult start can offer us much reassurance. As fans, myself included, we can sometimes get too enmeshed in over-scrutinising perceived defects in the team’s performances, drawing broad conclusions to what are marginal factors. Despite the fact we’re not being swept away by teams and have been relatively competitive in most of our fixtures, we’re looking for the team’s identity we became so accustomed to last season, and we draw the conclusion that our identity has become entirely dismantled and we’re a long way off from where we should be. Sir Bobby’s quote above calmly suggests that with a good team and good staff, which we all know we currently have, you’re never too far away. It’s the story of Edgar Allan Poe’s Purloined Letter; in that perhaps the solution is not to tear the room apart in search of the answer, but is instead found in the most subtle and unquantifiable of places. A shift from within the team, that we as on-looking fans searching for an answer in all of our analysis can not perceive or understand. For me this is the magic of football, as much as many like to believe, it is not just a scientific game of numbers and tactics, those are the basics which any professional team have in their grasp. The turning of the tide of a team’s fortunes and performance is often found those subtle places, invisible to the eye. I feel confident that many of us will be looking back at the start of this season in a few months time thinking to ourselves "why was I so doubtful of this team?" and “what was I so worried about?”

If there was even the faintest possibility of signing Declan Rice, I'd argue he would be worth the negation of other areas we're looking to strengthen; particularly if it meant not necessarily failing to fulfil those roles, but perhaps bringing in more economical targets. I believe Rice is one of the best in his position in world football, and would certainly match or succeed Bruno as our best player. I also think there's something unique we could offer him that perhaps the likes of Manchester City or Chelsea could not. I think those clubs would buy Rice for a narrow range of specific attributes he possesses and happens to be 'world class' in (which is to say his defensive abilities), however, I believe he contains the potential to be a truly complete midfielder, excelling in all areas of the game and all phases of play in a similar vein to Yaya Toure. I think if he is to leave West Ham, we would be able, potentially uniquely, to offer him the ability and the freedom to express and further develop that part of his game.

Most ordinary matches I've attended feel more like a large group of individuals having separate experiences in a shared environment, lost in thought and their own observations of the events taking place on the pitch. However some games, like Arsenal last season, it felt like St James' was breathing as one collective body, that every person in the stadium was taken up out of themselves and became moving parts in something far greater. I think it's interesting to talk about particular circumstances of why that can happen, and certain things will be contributing factors; but my sense is that it's ultimately unknowable and is something that sweeps through the streets and terraces prior to and during the game like a powerful invisible tide that you can't help but be carried by. It's beautiful, and is the best thing about this sport in my opinion.

I don't think Henderson is a bad goalkeeper but I'm glad we've steered clear of that transfer. In fact I'm a little bemused at some of the goalkeepers we've been linked with - none of which seem to me to represent substantial upgrades on Dubravka; who despite his occasional flaws and shortcomings is certainly up to the mark. The goalkeeper position would remain relatively far down the list of areas to address for us in my opinion.

Deary deary England are dreary.

Dubravka coming on for Real.

Best goalkeeper in the game imo. I hear much about the imperiousness of Becker, but it's misplaced. In reality he's not fit to strap the velcro of Thibaut's gloves. Elite.

To me it has to be deliberate; he moved towards the ball obviously with intention to challenge for it and it comes off his knee/thigh. They ought to look at that rule as that's a fair goal for Real Madrid there.

Nonsense. Fabinho plays the ball.

Benzema wasn't offside, the ball came off Fabinho. Liverpool lucky there.

That is sensational from Courtois.

In fact, I'm less certain but still slightly dubious, but having looked at other shirts I thought were using the template, the composition/framing of the photographs have slight variations leading me to believe they may actually be legit.

Pretty certain. As I say, this is a photoshop template available for anyone to buy for a few quid and place their design onto a separate smart layer (flat), and the template has in-built filters, adjustments and layers which make a very convincing, life-like mockup of a t-shirt. They're used to present designs to clients prior to printing. A good template will come with numerous different lighting conditions and creases of the t-shirt to create a more realistic presentation. Photoshop is a highly sophisticated tool. In the right hands, you can create something that is almost indistinguishable from real life. I'm not saying these aren't the real kit designs, I'm fairly convinced they are based on other leaked images. However these are mockups.

They're photoshop mockups. I've seen that template before when creating t-shirt designs for clients. The hanger, background, shadows, highlights and display of the t-shirt are templated and you simply add in the design onto a smart layer. A good attempt by someone, but these are not real images.

I passed him the other day taking a stroll on South Shields beach. Not quite Copacabana but I'm glad they seem to feel at home here.

In which case I take it all back sir.

That's very kind of him, although doesn't bode well for the usual occupant of the seat - as in truth I haven't much of a clue what I'm talking about when it comes to systems and tactics, I think I was just poring over Bruno Guimaraes' elegance and poise for 90 minutes. It's a fantastic seat mind. I'm usually around half way up the Gallowgate which is great too, but I felt far more immersed and in touch with the game from that seat. Much appreciated again

I think it was the dressing room team photo from a few weeks ago when the owners joined in. Thanks for sorting me a ticket by the way, I absolutely loved it and Francis was a gent!

Given that he also shared images of Wolves, Rangers and Aston Villa's shirts, I'd assume Castore must use a factory in Turkey for the kit production which he has some access to whether first hand or via someone else. Certainly seem like credible images.

They say very much about that yes, but that requires me to begin using words like forgiveness, love and surrender and begins to challenge the very place in our psyche where we seek out our sense of self and how we orientate ourselves in the world. And understandably people don’t tend to take too kindly to such a suggestion. It’s not really for me to say, as it’s the business of the individual to explore, but as you rightly suggest, the world and our relations have become so absurdly complex and unstable as we grasp at beliefs and ideas and struggle against our fellow man. My cherished attitudes and opinions not yours. And nothing ever seems to leave us satiated or satisfied when we seek to find our sense of self in passing, ever changing phenomenon. Yet all the while we sit in infinite simplicity if only one should become quiet and notice.

I think the argument of many would be that secular humanists and atheists share the same belief system as christians and jews because western society is constructed upon judeo-christian values. Those values helped shape and construct public morality since long ago, and continue to influence it today. That said having read the gospels again multiple times as an adult, it seems to me more concerned with transcendence and surrender than it is with morality. Particularly this kind of empty morality adorned like a robe everywhere you look these days; which is a morality based on the intention to be perceived in the eyes of the society to be doing the right thing, rather than actually doing it. The gospels were in many ways the absolute antithesis to that kind of morality. Anyway, nice kits.

Yossi Benayoun Nolberto Solano Mousa Dembele Dimitar Berbatov Tomas Rosicky Shay Given Jens Lehmann Thomas Sorensen

I’ve often thought that there’s a certain clumsiness or something awkward about Alisson Becker which leads me to think he’s perhaps not as good as what people think. But everything I’ve heard from players and coaches is on the contrary so I must be wrong and it’s just an unorthodox style which works very well for him. Trent is certainly one though, he’s very talented but the rhetoric around him for the past 3 years is that he’s the best right back in the world bar none, which I don’t believe to be the case at all.

I love that you refer to him as Billy Elliot It's wonderful to see one of our own go away on loan and gain such favour with the supporters through his contribution. Hopefully he can stay with Rovers next season as I believe that supportive environment and how integral he has become to the team is fantastic for his development. That said, I'd be very interested to see what he could do in a Championship team.

If Everton were to go down, I'd take Pickford. His distribution, primarily with his overarm throws is superb; and is as good as having an additional ball playing centre back such is the level of accuracy and awareness he offers.