Abacus

"Pre-season is going to be crucial,” Bruce said. “I’m going to set up a training camp, maybe Portugal. I’ve done it before – I’ve set up a training camp so that they can have a holiday. “From 10am to 1pm they’re still ours, rather than coming to the training ground where there’s nobody here for five-and-a half weeks." So...he's set up a training camp so the team can have a holiday? And, this is better than them going to the training ground whilst there's nobody there (i.e. because he isn't there because he is on holiday)? Meticulous. I also assume those 3 hours of training include lunch.

Exile mentions Yemen on twitter. Frank Drebin is also impressed.

Despite the drubbing we just had, we end the weekend the same distance away from the bottom 4, but with everyone having one less game to play. So we're arguably better off than when we started. Still think we'll finish above both of these. That means, like a typical blinkered optimistic fan, I can be upbeat about it however Wednesday goes. A draw and we're the same distance above the bottom 3, with both sides having lost a game in hand and having dropped 2 points they'd probably both be counting on. An Everton loss, and they're still 6 behind us with only one game in hand and a rough looking run-in. Plus, it would be quite funny to see them go down, as they're surely the least equipped for the drop. A Burnley loss and they're ten points behind us with only one game in hand. Their run in looks better than ours, but losing a 'winnable' game like this could well knock them out for the count. Wouldn't miss their style of football either. So, I'm just looking forward to it really. Either one or both of them are dropping points whichever way you slice it.

I don't know what's happened. He was banging them in against Fiji.

I personally think that HBA's touch and technique was on a different planet to anything else I've seen. That's not to take away from St Max or anyone else, I just don't think there's anyone he can really be compared to. Scored two of the best goals I've ever seen in person at SJP, but probably only comparable only to St Max in that there's a buzz around the stadium whenever either picked up the ball, and that's kind of why you go. But ultimately, HBA was a supreme talent either without the will to succeed or badly mismanaged. Or a bit of both.

Ooof! Cracking goal. Hopefully they get a pummelling and making our game vs Spurs a free hit.

Very much enjoyed the Sun's headline on England's World Cup draw. "It's Iranian men! Hallelujah!" That should be played before their every match instead of their normal theme tune.

Hi marra, what university is this dissertation for?

That's what I thought. But (from media reports anyway) the case does link to the removal of SD signage from the ground and part of the defence seemed to be that the club had received no sponsorship money from SD, so I wondered if it wasn't quite as clearcut in separation of the club from PCP. Especially as PCP are directors and apparently under a management contract to run the club day to day, including making executive decisions like removing the signs. I don't know, obviously, this isn't my area - it just seemed a bit of a coincidence to me is all, hence why I chucked it in as a possibility.

Anyhow, I am wondering about this lack of sponsorship announcements, as that's one of the key ways we can grow. Wondering whether they need to resolve the Ashley legal case first, or if we have them lined up but need to get them past the PL's new tests, or are waiting to confirm for certain what league we're in next year first. Or, maybe a combination of those.

Mate, honestly, that was a joke and I've seen it dozens of times here and elsewhere. Let's say someone buys a new kettle. You'll then get someone saying "Look at me, look at me, I have boiling water. Pathetic". As if having access to boiling water is some kind of luxury thus making the person actually saying it the real butt of the joke, so really nothing to take personally. It's a deliberate over-reaction to something quite mundane for comic effect. Look at me, look at me, trying to explain jokes. Pathetic.

The only way they make money off Chelsea is an ESL style arrangement, where their 'big name' means that they're guaranteed a part of the Champions League pot in perpetuity. So expect to see that idea, or a variation of it, coming back fast. But even with that TV money already, they were already losing about £75m a year. And then of course we're heading for a global recession where TV ad money isn't going up forever. Wouldn't be surprised to see a few other US owners realise this and bail out.

I liked it when they abused Keith Downie for missing the big scoop of the last transfer window. Which was when a silly fat DJ broke into their training ground to announce the breaking world news signing of the pensioner Jermaine Defoe to their seaside non league shanty town. I bet Keith feels a right wally now.

Big. Bigger. Biggest. Then there's joint biggest. (And that's grammarramatically correct.)

I don't think Wilson could complain about warming the bench. He's so good for us that when fit he always plays, until he gets injured again. It would be good to share the burden a bit with another striker (or two). He'll be more than aware of his own injury record, so I'm sure you could sell it to him as proper game management for a change, to keep him fit and ultimately playing for longer.

I think you should be able to carry a flair player, at times. But that requires the rest of the team to not just be good enough to do their jobs competently, but to do it well. Just look at the difference that having an actual left back and (briefly) a real quality right back made on the rest of the team. I think the trouble is that so much of our squad has needed upgrading for so long, that's it's really hard to tell if he is someone who is worth carrying occasionally or not. Love watching St Max play and he can win a game on his own, but I can recognise his flaws too. I just think it's quite hard to judge him until the squad in general has been upgraded. I.e. to what extent has he been masking our weaknesses, and to what extent could he perform better with other players around him?

Sounds like another fine mess from their owners - Del Boy, Salmon Pants, a Uruguayan blueberry farmer and a confused little French boy who has spent all of his pocket money on a bag of magic beans.

Ooaar nooar! No more Defor!

Wonder how many shirts they sold with his name on them?

Having played almost constantly since signing for us, if Wood plays for all NZ's games, it's a pretty crammed international break. Fiji today (21st), New Caledonia (24th), a probable qualifying semi final (27th), and then final (30th). Fine, it's not exactly against top level opposition, but it still sounds a bit knackering.

I'm pretty sure I remember Viz already doing an actually funny skit on the takeover anyway. The club got taken over by Darth Vader in an episode of Billy the Fish

4 now. To be fair, Everton could probably do with being out of the cup rather than trying to cram more games in to their run-in. That said, they wouldn't want to go out on a performance like this.

It hasn't, it's not a Viz cartoon - completely separate. Just drawn by one of the people that does some of their strips. There is still always a copy of Viz next to my toilet just for the letters alone, which I always have to hide whenever expecting guests, as I'm sure they intended. Edit - now I feel like Steve Bruce, talking about my sit-down toilet habits, as he did once in an actual premier league press conference, sharing the thoughts he'd had on Newcastle whilst sitting on the big white telephone.

They also need to redevelop their stadium, which seems impossible on their current site or any other comparable one, with no unrealistic money and sponsors dropping like flies. American investors are in it to invest, not as a vanity project. So, whoever buys it will either need to quickly stitch up the league ESL style just to keep their TV money and tread water, or to accept they've just wasted a few billion on a lemon.

This could hardly get much worse for Leeds. Unless someone chained themself to the goal so the first half lasts an hour.