bovril

unironically this

I thought he might struggle on the pitch but I didn't think the foreign environment would be a problem. He comes across as a deceptively intelligent guy who takes nothing for granted.

He's just a proper ****ing footballer

I draw the line at Australians

Mucho respect for him going to try and prove himself in one of the hardest leagues in the world instead of trundling off to the US or Saudi. I am sure the Italians love him.

Actually really hate Manchester. Very unattractive place with a slight air of menace about it. Mancunians have really memed themselves into believing it's some kind of great city when it'd be probably the worst place in almost any other European country. But yes, some decent pubs.

I don't think they even know who he was, they just saw the words "charlie" and "kirk" and thought they could definitely get behind that.

Born late January 2017, surely

I was told by a Dinamo Zagreb ultra once that they smuggled pyro in to the stadium in female fans' genitalia. Really feel for the girl who was chosen to transport that lot into the Ajax Arena.

I do sometimes think about the guy who was sitting behind me at the Rotherham game in December 2023 who angrily screamed "get it in the fookin box" as we were 3-0 up and cruising at the top of the Championship.

Don't give the club social media team ideas they'll probably use this and a foxes never quit hashtag for an inspirational montage of us scraping a draw against Watford on Boxing day to move 2 points above the relegation zone.

He manages like when I took over Forest in champ man 98/99 and tried to deliberately relegate them to non league

Could still catch the evening Bulgarian third division match if I want something of a higher quality

His history of the Balkans is really good and yes Glenny's is hard work. Black Lamb and Grey Falcon is the best book ever written in English about the Balkans but is extremely long. A bit further east, Levant is one of the best history books I've read. Very detailed but super easy to read and never cliched.

Just landed from Sofia. Forgot we were playing the early kick off in all honesty. Go on social media, see the score. LMFAO.

I do that with most history books - the curse of growing up in the era of instant online answers I suppose. I think if you're reading microcosm you probably know enough about the main themes of Salonica - the collapse of multiethnic European empires and creation of nation states - and anyway the style of the book is very accessible and understandable while still including lots of great details from primary sources.

Love that pub. Used to go there loads. As you say, feels like a local with a good mix of clientele. Also opposite the best bookshop in London and just over the road from a great greasy spoon

Holborn Whippet is much missed

I once missed a game but I still wanted to post a post match comment on foxestalk so put "Perez was awful as per" and it turned out it'd been his one good game of the season. Mortified.

Much of the X Files was brilliant television, because the writing was often brilliant and many of the episodes started very good actors from American film and TV. Stranger Things seems to me to be all about the concept and I find it quite boring and repetitive.

I see a lot of Liverpool fans are now saying it's Jota's death effecting them. Which on the one hand is classic Liverpool but on the other hand seems perfectly reasonable and quite possibly true.

I like Spoons pubs in London because your typical spoons punters are usually only in the city as tourists and want to go to some shithole in Soho, and so in the spoons you usually just get students and workers who want a cheapish pint and grub. Plus they open late and serve inexpensive coffee which is more civilized than 90% of pubs in the UK.

Sam Smiths' pubs aren't too bad. Great interiors and I actually quite like the beer. Last time I was in one they had a pint of mild for like 3.50. Just remembered I recommended a Sam Smiths' pub to you to take the Norwegian LCFC fans to and you said you liked it, now I don't know what to believe anymore.

Looking at the photo above I agree and would quite like to change it, but am worried changing a profile pic to something recommended by another poster would be very awkward and cringey