Bad day at work against Everton, we move on…

Hate to admit but cough, cough *** was routing for the Sp*ds and the London Is Red power was felt strongly.

Finally Jakub had to be quickly tried in the midfield so we dint get bullied.

Bigger picture, 5 point gap, game in hand. As long as we learn from it, no harm done.

I won’t go as far as to admit backing Spuds but found their victory less irritating than usual.

Kane’s just a less successful version of Steve Bull.

very fortuitous outcome considering the tactical naivety displayed by our manager versus Everton…Pep was likewise poor when it came to the selection process today, unless DeBruyne has a niggling injury I’m unaware of, as Silva in the middle of the pitch is nowhere near a like-for-like replacement…he probably should have had Silva and DeBruyne taking up central positions, which would have given his wide side players more space and time to maneuver…maybe Pep should look at some MA tape from 18 months ago, when our gameplan was simply to bomb crosses into the box ad nauseum from wide spaces…the fact that Haaland didn’t have a single touch in the Spurs box is on the manager, much like when Auba was left without any service in the final third…happy that our point advantage remains the same, but I would much rather be 8 up with a game in hand, especially knowing that United is on a heater and their next 2 matches are against a rather anemic Leeds

Trvl, we’d all rather have a larger points gap between us and City, but 5 with a game in hand isn’t bad at all.

Our gameplay, even a year ago, was uninspiring, it’s better now. Tets played what would be most people’s starting 11, it didn’t work. I think there was scope for some variation with the subs but the label of tactical naivety is probably overstating it.

I think we still have grounds for optimism.

Aitcho—I think you mistake my criticism for disdain…let’s be frank, everyone and their brother knew what was likely on offer with a struggling Everton side and Dyche now at the helm…as such, I wasn’t surprised whatsoever that we failed to pot a goal in the first half, which is why I stated that this would likely be the case in my pre-match predictions…that said, I felt that this match would be decided by our manager’s ability or inability to make the necessary half-time adjustments, especially once it was determined that Dyche woudl adopt a 4-5-1 over his preferred 4-4-2

instead of bringing in Trossard for Xhaka, thus comlicated matters for Everton’s defence on the left flank, he chose instead to take Marts out, which meant we lost some speed and width out wide and that either Xhaka had to get out in wider channels at times or Zinchenko would need to be even more aggressive after already playing almost 70 minutes…likewise he removed Partey for Jorginho, which introduced the world to one of the slowest midfield tandems in club history…hardly the answer to a midfield that had already been overrun by Everton, when on the counter, on numerous occasions

if he was going to shoehorn Jorginho into this affair regardless of whether it made tactical sense, due to obvious assurances, I would rather he had left Partey in and shifted into a 4-2-3-1…this way we could have invited more pressure, as our overwhelming possession numbers proved to be of little consequence, and then used the double-pivot of Partey and Jorginho to try and catch them on the counter

of course, Partey might have been told from the get-go that he was only playing 60+ minutes, due to his previous rib injury, but nothing was said in this regards in the post-match pressers…it’s my belief that MA had a pre-match tactical/selection script and that nothing was going to derail his plans, even if the match demanded that he have a bit of a rethink…this is why I have no qualms whatsoever in my usage of the word “naivety”…if you can’t experiment with a 5 point lead, against the most anemic opposition in the League, when exactly are you willing to do so?? developing a viable Plan B is vitally important when Plan A is falling flat and/or when nerves take hold in the final month or so…Cheers

mistook & would

I can’t remember ever feeling any kind of gratitude to Spuds and Kane in particular, but I confess I joined the Gooners willing a City loss at the toilet bowl.

Our collective faith was pitied by the football gods enough to squeeze a win for an absent Conte who has undergone gallbladder surgery and a wig realignment if some reports are true. Whatever the reason we can’t let Conte be absent again because Spuds play better. A Conte using both hands in Emu impersonations on the touchline at the ref or anyone who will listen is too confusing for his troglodyte players . Rod Hull would be jealous of Conte’s ambidextrousness although I have to admit it’s rather extraordinary.

Bottom line is get Conte back on the touchline. What banter it would be to have someone put an Emu puppet in the Spud’s dugout.

My happiness for Pep this morning knows no bounds. Little polished cue-ball head must be sore from so much rubbing on the touchline and in life generally. Be funny if the rubbing and stress combo started his hair growing again. Pep could suit a variety of syrups as illustrated here:

https://www.joe.co.uk/sport/5-high-quality-wigs-pep-guardiola-could-use-to-unsuccessfully-hide-his-baldness-127803

How 24 hours of hind sight can change one’s feelings from being concerned at the way we capitulated against Everton and addressing those concerns here’re to talking absolute bollocks with delirious happiness at City’s expense.

Arteta has more lives than Pumpkin. Getting close to Guinness Book of Records the times Arteta has survived his complete shite selections, playing pets and ridiculous game preparations. Make no mistake the Everton loss was 100% on Arteta & Edu.

White is going missing at the wrong time; is the title charge pressure too much for the football disliking snowflake with the artistic skin and runway style socks than trying to imitate a decent RB for 90+ minutes again.

How long hasWhite been with us?

Arteta still doesn’t understand that white is an aerially & starting speed challenged CB or at a push a DM, but we have Jacob now, so White is looking to be our £50m+++ utility back up player Arteta will feel proud of because he’s matching Pep’s elite priced galaticaos on his bench. Except Pep doesn’t have snowflakes on his bench who are too easily wound up to losing concentration.

Sell White back to Brighton and get Caicedo and Mitoma in the process while not blinking once during the negotiations. If Garlick can’t do that get Tom Hardy to deputies for Garlick. Would be an interesting Bloom v Hardy poker game and potential movie.

Almuniaisnomore? Hope you’re well would the above get any juices going for satirical poker game with players being the pot?

Ok, so that’s my ramblings for today. Can’t think that I’ve offended anyone other than LG and White’s relatives, but the truth always hurts.

This is a one-time thing Spuds’ fans, but thank you for last night now fuck off!!!! Fcuk that was a painful thank you.

Have a good week 🙂

So, it’s as you were then with Spuds and Manure adding points, but not too much of a concern right now.

18 cup finals to go starting with Brentford at home Saturday and Emery v Pep Sunday.

Preach Tony…just think back to the time of his purchase and think of all the presently top-rated RBs we could have purchased for far less than the 55+M we paid for the 3rd best defender on BHA…all of those other possibilities have likewise dramatically increased their respective market values in the meantime…all this confirms is that there was no “definitive” plan involving Saliba or why would you pay well above the number for someone, who they claimed would be our long-passing upgrade to the well-past-his-prime David Luiz, if you were planning on having Saliba replace him the following year…I must admit, even though it might not ultimately matter, I just never got over the fact that he’s not a fan of the very sport he actually plays…I just have to think it matters when it comes to his ability to fully comprehend and embrace the more nuanced components of this oft-times high-paced sport…just not a foxhole guy in my estimation

Although still expensive as IEMs go, these are by far leading the way with 16 drivers in each ear. Jerry Harvey’s story is an interesting one to read about. If you travel then a custom built Sarona sits in your ears in sync with your own ear shape delivering sound like you’ve never experienced from IEM or OEM for that matter. Add a similar level or better DAC and you’re done.

I’ve had Layas for a decade but will now upgrade. On long plane journeys or any long periods of inactivity Sharona IEMs will take you to where ever you want to go.

https://jhaudio.com/iem/JHA-CIEM-SHA

https://headfonics.com/jh-audio-sharona-review/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11717857/Manchester-City-CHARGED-Premier-League-numerous-breaches-financial-rules.html

Looks like Xmas is coming early for us. Points loss or expulsion? Expulsion from what the CL? If so, I’d prefer the points loss and let them play in the CL as it would hand us the tile. I mean not even Arteta could fcuk up a say a PL 10-point deduction and adding our current position, could he?

Now we know why City have dipped so bad with the potential of being guilty of 100+ offenses has been dogging the club.

It’s about time City faced their crimes where I can see Pep leaving if he has no money to spend. Pep sans cheque book can’t work. Would also be great if City had to have a player first sale to increase liquidity.

Ted B must be at his FFP limit for the Chavs and Fenway don’t want to commit being up for sale. Leaves Manure and us as the Spuds are for sale with Conte dithering singing should I go or should I stay?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMaE6toi4mk

For you K’Phobe 🙂

Should we add Haarland, Grealish and Bernardo Silva to our summer shopping list as Mikel seems to get access?

I love the Clash Tony, thanks. I think that song – and the Clash’s third Sandinista album – were prime factors in my wanting to learn Spanish and get a sense of what Joe, Mick, Paul and Topper meant when they were talking about Latin America and Spain in their songs. It all had a massive effect on my life and still does. They were terrific and that song of their’s, Garage Band, was almost like the band’s autobiography.

I enjoyed your treatise on wigs/rugs /syrups – merkins always raise a giggle too. Check this be-touppe’ed arsehole out.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Fabricant

As Eric Morecambe used to say, ‘you can’t see the join’. Except in this geezer’s case. A Tory MP who really really wants to be taken seriously and with sincerity but who covers up his baldness. What a twat.

That enduring tale of Man City corruption. Points or expulsion? I’ll believe it when I see it. The people running the PL love filthy lucre and I doubt they be plucking the oil soaked goose that is laying their golden egg.

Heard an interesting stat at the weekend. 70-75% of ALL money spent in the world on football rights goes on PL football. What will the PL do if Citeh’s dodgy owners up stick and buy Clubs in other leagues?

https://youtu.be/LSrgRKVdDDc

Sorry. Track is called Garageland.

Just watched that clip. Wow – the fucking energy and anger. I always felt an affinity of sorts with Joe Strummer because his dad did the same job as me (ie diplomatic service). It possibly helped to explain why he was so militant and anti establishment. Life in Embassies overseas was really stale and restrictive unless you could get ‘off campus’ when, with a bit of imagination and risk-taking you could experience a lot more. I think JS’s dad was in Turkey.

Hi Ambarish
I think your write up post-Everton is a little too charitable. After the game, I said this defeat bore all the hallmarks of a typical, dare I say, classic Arteta led setback. And my opinion hasn’t mellowed. City did an ‘Arsenal’ insofar as they fucked up the chance to make progress against rivals (for that we must thank legendary lisping AFC star of old Sir Harold Kane) but that’s no excuse for the clueless, hapless, spineless and gormless tactics from Arteta. Come what may this season, I’d still be happy if we won the title and Tets listened to the little boy inside and buggered off to Catalunya. Getting found out by a leading football brain like Dyche is a real no-no. Goodison looks and feels a little like the old Highbury (but nowhere near as pretty). Most agree that we weren’t going to win after 5 minutes. Unmown pitch or not, our sheer force of will and swagger meant we should have started like a train and been well ahead after 30 minutes. I’ve no proof for this but I sense Arteta has a sentimental sweet tooth for the Toffees. Horrible little man loves horrible little club. He was even slightly more docile and polite on the touchline.

Not a derailment by any stretch but anything else than 3 points at home to Brentford could cause panic among the fanboys.

This whole thing about City and points deduction or relegation for me is more about the PL trying to show the government it can self govern the league and there is no need for an independent Football Regulator to be appointed. White papers were leaked but they were to be released today, now with this action by the PL release has been delayed. Fuck this diddling by the different parties and fight for the pie slices. Get ready for a lengthy court battle.

On another note since several clubs have difficulties in the midfield expect a massive bid for Declan in the summer TW. This would be a good time to get your ducks lined up for 2nd and 3rd choice, but then we all know how this can end judging from the past two Jan TWs.

Further regarding that City allegations what people need to understand is the scale of what the whole of English football is up against. This is not a club. And it’s not a business or billionaires. This is a whole country. A country that sees sports washing as a central tool for their foreign policy, their defense and their business relations. This has absolutely nothing to do with football other than that it is a tool to achieve their goals.

They will pull any levers at their disposal. Activate any political contacts they have. And once that happens, I see barely any chance for English football to win this thing. They are outmatched. They lost this fight the second they allowed sports washing into the league. Now far too many people depend on the money, the power structure and all other things Abu Dhabi brings to the table.

agreed Killroy…the very notion that this will amount to anything of consequence is incredibly unlikely…I would suspect that a kangaroo courtish affair, followed by a public hand slapping, is likely in the cards…probably leads to some interesting, albeit rather ineffective, modifications so as to give the impression that this won’t be tolerated in the future…meanwhile, the new owner at Chelsea has spent a gazillion dollars in less than a year and no one seems to give a flying f***

Todd Douchebag has hired the mental skills coach behind the All Blacks’ rugby union team’s “no d—heads” policy to help create the one thing Todd Douchebag’s money can’t buy: a winning culture.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2023/02/06/chelsea-hire-gilbert-enoka-former-blacks-coach-famed-no-d/

“Head coach Graham Potter’s bloated squad is bursting with different personalities and egos, and there is an acknowledgement that Chelsea’s expensive new signings could flop under the weight of expectation if the right culture is not created.

That is the area Enoka has been hired to help with, and the 57-year-old will stress the importance of the team over the individual at a time when Potter has been left with the unenviable task of trying to help all of his new players settle in, while trying to make sure existing squad members do not become disillusioned.”

Completely agree with you all in abhorring the countries’ ownership of PL football clubs, and hope that the British stiff upper lip hasn’t wilted so much that the FA and FIFA cave and allegedly run off with their filthy lucre, in belief they did the right thing because they could do nothing to stop it.

Let’s hope they at least get docked some points with their public, pseudo embarrassment.

Personally, I think we should let the punishment fit the crime in Abu Dhabi and Arabian law. There must be some whippings owed and possibly the removal of a head or 2, such is the barbarism/severity of the Arabian states laws. A couple of rent boys/girls who are happy to go into the witness protection program or English speaking camels should do the job for the prosecution.

My guess is the owner rulers will be long gone leaving Pep strung over a barrel waiting for the first of 100+ lashes only to get a late reprieve, as his agent takes his place and thus making him his agent for life: post whipping life-long incontinence notwithstanding.

From City’s owners perspective it will all be that infidel’s Peppy Gorgonzola’s fault: they will never trust a hairless headed man with a cheesy sounding name with St Vitus dance at its worst on the touchline and or in front of cameras. The number one shroud looking dressed spokesman will say ‘He MADE them do it.’ ‘They had NO idea of the rules’. After all they are simple Beduin people, are they not?

That doesn’t rub with me because in my book any place that has flushing toilets in an only building for 100s of miles in a desert are not simple people no matter how useful that little miracle maybe. If it’s an illusion, as so often seen in deserts, you’ll know by your arse hitting the shit laden ground with you being convinced there was a porcelain throne when you dropped your trousers and boxers because Y front chaff in deserts.

Try not to use the toilets marked “Infidels” if you find such a place for it could be more explosive than your arse would ever likely to be after a double meat Phaal without a pilau rice and naans of any kind.

My above mutterings are as nonsensical as the FA dealing with City outlining the absurdity of it all.

Maybe we should send our top jockeys to screw with their sport of Arabic kings (there are no queens well not with heads in tact) of camel racing, oh and bar them from horse racing globally. Would hurt them far more than fines with their unlimited wealth.

To be clear I mean no disrespect to people of the middle east or worldwide muslims. My satirical look at all things football bares no racist intent – just another way of dealing with the inevitable soft dealings by the football authorities with the culprits laughing at the western world.

Where will the need for oil and gas be when the world is self sufficient on safe nuclear & green fuels? Our property uses solar for electric and hot water as does many of our friends.

I’ll leave that debate fro Reddit dwellers.

Killroy, back to the sensible I think Tod B getting Chelsea to think like the All blacks harnessing their passion and belief is something we could do with.

When Junior graduates high school and before he goes to Uni, I’m going to take him to the NZ south Islands and mix with the locals’s rugby life as we travel round. He’s really looking forward to it as am I.

Father & son rugby roots road trip.

No idea where he’s going to go Uni wise, it’s changing all the time, but it’ll be abroad. At some stage we’ll get to the Emirates during his Uni days.

It’s something every Gooner has to do at least once in their lives. It’s our holy Mecca.

I was in 2014 in NZ but just visited the South Island didn’t get to go to the Orangetheory Stadium in Christchurch where the Crusaders play and that was because Rugby was not on my horizon at that time. Bitterly regret that now. But had a wonderful time at the Milford Sound taking a 1 night cruise staying on the boat overnight. Christchurch and Queenstown are excellent places to visit. Fortress Eden Park is now on my list as I thoroughly enjoyed my NZ visit.

Back to the City mess on ESPN-FC Gabe Marcotti stated that hopefully it is sorted before the next season starts. It is very complex as the UK government is breathing down the PL’s neck with the independent regulator as the PL vigorously opposes that. For me it comes down to the amount of money the UK would loose in its present economic disaster if the UAE uses its economic power as leverage versus the votes that any government would get when having a Football Regulator on their manifesto.

The PL also has to worry about loosing a team like City when it comes to TV contracts that have been negotiated, think about what ESPN would do if La Liga kicks Real down to the 2nd division, El Classico would be gone. Big, Big money is riding on this and personally I do like to see an independent Football Regulator that gives a listening ear to the fans and preserves the structure that has been enjoyed by many for decades. The ESL was doomed the instant Boris hinted at a legislative bomb.

K’phobe, One of my MC brothers’ father was a diplomat, so he lived in many countries like yourself. One very cool dude indeed with many tales to tell. Your mention of going outside the wire at various stations/embassies conjured many visions of impropriety ala John Belushi may he rest in peace.

Could you have passed as a Welsh 007 affiliate dropping the cockney London lilt? Saying you were scouting for film locations and was Daniel Craig’s brother?

Speaking of which, JB’s biography ‘Wired’ is brilliant.

Then I thought knowing your joi de vive from here it might be more One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, with the blind leading the blind countlessly believing that each brothel was a bar. Something easily done in Amsterdam a reliable HA friend told me while he propped me up at the bar nursing an empty glass, as he went in the next room for a spot of horizontal jogging.

Unsurprisingly, the next day I was on life support waiting to be sober and strong enough to have bypass surgery, which took 4 days.

I told my bro that Hells Angels should come with a warning sign when he came to visit, but the truth was I have a rare coronary artery blocking disease where I make cholesterol for fun.

What did my HA bro do? He took a very grateful me to the nearest McDonald’s because food in Dutch hospitals, as such back then, is as bad as in English & Thai healing establishments today. Only positive was you got a bottle of stout each night that I never really found out why other than iron for the blood?

I mean why not single malt? Belvedere? Châteauneuf-du-Pape 1988?

Daughter and Pumpkin are home later today 🙂 so happy days.

Sounds like a wonderful trip, Killroy. Would you go back for a WC year next time it’s in NZ?

I hadn’t planned yet, it’s just at the talking wanting to do stage. Thanks for the insight with the stadiums as it would be good to doo having gone to watch the grass roots games. Junior loves the game so it will be great trip to do.

I still want to take Mrs T up PCH 1 from San Diego to Nappa valley, but sadly not on a Harley Ultra Glide
https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/en/motorcycles/ultra-limited.html but something cool on 4 wheels.

I agree the FFP is so screwed up they might as well let bullish Boris loose on City and other similar perpetrators; He sorted out Brexit why not FFP’s fiasco? Her also had a big say in stopping the Super League.

if nothing else, he’d match and better the City BS hot air.

We have anew post contribution from Tony. Feel free to check it out.