jimsmallman

If anyone in the USA can figure out a way to watch this, let me know. I’m sure ESPN plus had the carabao games as well as the fa cup last year but there’s nothing listed for tomorrow. I used to do a bit of work for Tranmere years ago but I would still like our reserves to soundly trounce them before the usual misery begins again at the weekend. Tom Cannon hat trick incoming 😂

Dreading this game but I’m working while it’s on and we have a pretty good record of winning matches while I check this forum every thirty seconds. I’d take a draw. Especially as I work with Americans who for some reason “support” Spurs. (I shudder whenever anyone says they “support” a team when they just like them) Maybe they’ll unveil a new signing on the pitch that we’re not expecting before the game, like they did Pontus Kamark (I think) back in the day. (They won’t) I can see a Wilf screamer in this game for some reason. But equally, I’ve not been well.

From a tax point of view, I’ve lived and worked in the USA for three years in October. I nearly had to move home last year and my accountant told me that if I did that before November of THIS year then I’d have to pay U.K. tax on all my earnings in the USA above the 19% tax rate that we pay in Florida. I still don’t fully understand it. The whole thing made my head hurt. But also I don’t earn anywhere near enough what Zaha does so come on mate, take a bit of a financial hit and come to our car crash of a club 😂

Whilst it was great that this was shown on ESPN+ out here, I would still like to somehow get those 90 minutes of my life back. I miss when we used to play trialists in preseason games in a pre-internet world and we all had to figure out who the hell they were. Like Darius Adamczuk at Notts County, I think. And some Italian lad who looked like Jesus at... I want to say Northampton? That was something to distract from the boredom. All we had here was a very pleasant looking hill.

Obligatory he ends up being great in EAFC24 comment. Also being 46, the thought of us getting a lad called Asprilla is both exciting and nostalgic. Although hopefully he's a bit less mad than Faustino.

Buying one if I don’t win one. What a brilliant thing this is.

I had to work during the game, and was running around with rehearsals and stuff. Checked the score and it was 1-0. Then couldn’t look at my phone for what felt like an eternity and it was 4-0. Delighted for Fatawu, and indeed the whole side. Also delighted that we got to batter Russell Martin twice in a season. I am now going to watch the game in full on ESPN+ and read all of your comments on the matchday thread as I go, with joy in my heart. Just gutted the Preston game is on Monday so won’t be able to see it again. As always, you lot will talk me through it later on.

Had a tear in my eye watching Hamza after the final whistle. Everyone rightly patting him on the back. There was some passion there today, for sure.

Had to miss the first 25 of the second half as I was in a meeting. We are absolutely the most infuriating team of all time. That might be hyperbole but I’m past caring

My job has taken me to Philadelphia this weekend for WrestleMania. The hotel that WWE employees have been put in is on Filbert Street, which I will take as a good omen for the game that I will furtively be checking on tomorrow when I’m supposed to be working. See picture. Surely other people have lost their minds seeing different Filbert Streets around the globe?

I believe he’s available during his appeal process.

Was inspired to watch this because of this post so dropped the clip here. Was a little bit rougher than what we get now, eh? Never watched this before. I had heard about this game because my dad was there. Vague memories of him coming home after it, and less vague memories of him telling me about it every time we started to get anywhere in the cup. Thanks @CheeseHead for prompting me to look this up (and also making me miss Filbert Street)

I think we’ll sh*thouse a 1-0 win. Today was a clever tactic to lull them into a false sense of security. Of course, I know we’re up against the greatest side in Championship History (TM) so it’ll be a blah blah blah god their fans are insufferable. The media too. I hate Leeds

Going to this on Saturday. First game in person for four years because of living over here. Am also taking my lad for his first ever game, and he doesn’t even know I’m coming back to see him for a few days (let alone the game) so that’s a double whammy of surprise. He will be educated in not making a sign asking for a shirt. Obviously because all of this we will now lose and I am very sorry to you all.

Me and a couple of mates got battered at that playoff semi final way back. I think I was 17 or 18 at the time. So I absolutely hate Stoke with a burning passion. Just caught up on the extended highlights of the match, as well as reading the match thread from beginning to end as I would on a usual matchday as I was on a delayed flight to Nashville that took up the whole ruddy game. Was very nice to put my phone on and see the 5-0 scoreline. I know we were all miffed at not getting Sensi but let's be honest, we're still terrifyingly good even if the negative within all of us keeps expecting us to fall away. We won't. We might not break the record but we'll be champions by the time April rolls around. Ipswich will fall away now, Southampton are absolutely not as good as people think they are and dirty Leeds are going to lose in a heartbreaking playoff final. Heartbreaking for them, obvs. Brilliant for everyone else who can't stand them.

I forget about this thread for maybe an hour while I'm working and then think "oh I bet he's signed now" and check and he still isn't. Am excited for him though - Italian guy I work with supports Sassuolo and raves about him.

Ipswich getting beat by Maidstone is going to have a knock-on effect. Remember when we got beat by Wycombe and Roy Essandoh? Team wasn’t the same after that and started a downward spiral. Awful for confidence when our reserves are beating a nearly full strength Championship side.

I know everyone is panicking after the last couple of weeks, but this is why we will go up. Played a pretty full strength Brum team and beat them. Yeah, they did alright in the first half but it wasn’t just our reserves out there, it was our kids. Then in the second half Enzo makes a couple of changes and we steamroller them. They’re not a bad Championship side and we’ve just put three past them and kept a clean sheet. Great for some lads to get a run out and fantastic for overall squad confidence after a couple of little bumps in the road. Has Dennis Praet’s hair always been that big though? Looked like he back combed it today.

I was furious about this but then my son (7, back in the U.K. and FaceTiming me) told me to look at the league table and now I feel slightly better. it’s more because it’s them than the loss. Ah well. Now they’ve won their cup final they’ll wake up tomorrow and realise that they still live in Coventry, with their ring road that looks like a Scalextric and their city centre that looks like a zombie apocalypse. the best song about your town is about how rotten it is. All the best.

Ah well. Still top but that’s ruined my weekend. I hate Cov. We had to get beat like that at some point but it’ll be a kick up the backside. that O’Hare though. I had an unreasonable dislike of him before he scored…

I love that you can see him learning from senior pros with every game. Crossing from Albrighton Defensive duties from Ricardo Being a sh*thouse from Vardy Only a matter of time until he's running the full length of the pitch towards the away end, celebrating a goal with a comedic impression of the animal on that team's badge. THEY GROW UP SO FAST

Fair play to Ipswich. I hope they keep it up with the exception of the two games against us and on any weekends where we don't win (because let's be honest, we can't keep this run up forever... can we?) Plymouth look a decent side too. Two good young managers at those clubs by the looks of it.

After Coventry, this is the biggest game of the year for me. I can't stand Leeds. Thanks to the time difference I'll be working when the game is on so if someone could call me with an "emergency" that I have to take care of for the whole afternoon I'd be really bloody grateful. I can see them going 1-0 or 2-0 up in the first half because they're all about attacking but they'll run out of ideas and then Winks will pass them into oblivion and Vardy will finish his hat-trick in front of their horrible fans and I'll fly back to the UK to knight him myself. God I hate them

Hahahaha you're right.

I loved how delighted Winks was at scoring, and then how much everyone in the team was pleased for him scoring such a wondergoal. Team spirit looks bloody great right now. Also I'm only half awake and initially thought Adel Taraabt still somehow played for QPR but was shorter and ran more. Then realised that was Ilias Chair. Wouldn't mind us going back after him in January, he's busy and could work well with how we play. I hope we smash Leeds into absolute smithereens. I have an irrational level of hatred for them.