ALC Fox

I believe it was because he didn't want to be away from his wife and newborn child. I can empathise with that. All the money in the world isn't worth spending precious time away when you could be there. What was the upside of staying at the training ground, just so Ruud could chat tactics with him deep into the night or wake him up at 5 am for a beasting? RVN isn't exactly one of the game's tactical geniuses. Happy to be proven wrong as I haven't heard much about it since the incident itself. But if the facts are correct as far as I understand them, I sympathise with Winks in that regard. Aside from that instance, though, his behaviour has appeared to be utterly appalling.

The talent this guy has vs his application is like going home with Dua Lipa and waking up with Linda La Hughes. He belittled Cooper in public, he threw a wobbly at RVN because he didn't want to stay at the training ground (I was on his side with that one tbh) and he's wanted away for a long time. He scores a goal every now and again and roars at the fans as if he cares but his performances say otherwise. Should've sold him in January 2025 after the 'Enzo we miss you' sign. Thanks for 23/24, I enjoyed that Harry Winks. But now he's part of our worst side ever. And I include the last squad that went down to L1. It wasn't as talented but it was disjointed and most of those lads tried and gave a damn. This is a whole new level of depressing as most of these boys shouldn't be in this situation if factor in talent alone.

Absolutely heinous that Aluko isn't starting. Looked so good on the ball and had a willingness and the ability to drive forward with line-breaking runs but then hasn't been seen properly for ages. Pompey are going to be all over us today and we need an out. Relying on Mavididi and Fatawu who are doubled up on constantly isn't the answer. They may come up with a moment of magic (more likely Fatawu out of the two) but they can go whole games being frustrated by a willing and organised defence. Thomas tries, I'll give him that. But we need Aluko's legs on the other side as - and I hate saying it - Ricky is cooked.

Start Otchere, Aluko, James and Monga. Have Hutchinson and Page on the bench. Stop trying the same thing over and over again. Bring some youth, energy, fight and a winning habit to this team. If we lose, it's what we would have expected anyway. Might as well twist and get 22 instead of stick and have the house beat you with 20.

Mad to think that we could not have been in a worse position in the league if all season long we'd have continued using Page, started Monga more often, and said to Aluko you're our first-choice RB

If - and it's a colossal if - Trump is referring to using a nuclear weapon, you would hope that some sane individuals in the military refuse the order. I'm not sure what would happen next, whether the next logical step is that Trump will purge the military until he finds people who will do his bidding or if that leads to the military deposing Trump. Either way, bad things happen. Maybe there's another, better, outcome. Hopefully he's not referring to that. Maybe he's referring to a massive escalation in the use of non-nuclear weapons and/or boots on the ground. Again, only a really awful outcome can come from that. Or maybe the deadline is extended again and maybe the actual grown-ups can talk and figure out a diplomatic end to this war. We can only hope.

When Vestergaard came on up front against Preston and immediately won a flick-on, that got the blood pumping for a few moments.

I'd argue the opposite to be honest. He has his moments of extreme quality but in a bad team like we are this season, his frailties are exposed and he's guilty of trying to do too much on his own. Two seasons ago when the team was excellent and responsibility was shared among more players (Vardy, KDH, Ndidi, even Mavididi on good form) Fatawu was able to flourish and show his talent more often. The players around him now are either cooked physically, bad technically, utterly demoralised or a combination of them all. I think in a good team, he'll pick up again.

This game was the season in microcosm for me. Played well in patches but were absolutely anonymous in large spells. We moved the ball around well at times but barely fashioned a proper opportunity except for the one-on-one where, bless him, you wouldn't want that to fall to Oliver Skipp. When the ball broke for a hit at goal it was shanked high, wide or otherwise by Fatawu or Winks. I don't think there was one of those that actually hit the target. And defensively we were just bad. As nice as he can be in possession, Ricky is absolutely cooked. His legs look like they're made of lead. Sometimes we look like we can hold our shape but the opposition are still able to put together basic move after basic move - the type that are so telegraphed and that you'd think these players have been playing against their entire careers from schoolboy to pro - and yet we're opened up time and time again. Lascelles drops so deep. It's clear he's our best defender but he will play numerous players onside. I like him but I'd be really worried if we stay up and he stays beyond the end of the season. The body language of the players is so languid. They thanked the fans at the end but on the pitch they're absolutely devoid of confidence. The Portsmouth and Sheffield Wednesday games are very, very winnable. If we can win both, hopefully we'll be able to pick up a few more points and it'll be enough. But beyond this season, we need a major reset. Whether that's through new signings, bringing through the youth players, or both, we desperately need a cultural and stylistic overhaul.

Christ. Often I despair at humanity's inhumanity towards humanity. For example, the death penalty, the apathy towards school shootings because people don't want to restrict a certain freedom, the 'collateral damage', the fire and fury and violence. It betraya a cheapening of life itself. I thought we had moved beyond that in this country. But that is a truly abhorrent thing to say.

(Long post alert) 1. Trump has been pursuing isolationist policies for some time. 2. He's also been mooting the US pulling out of NATO for a good while. He wants Greenland, the territory of a NATO ally and the use of military action cannot be ruled out whatever Trump says. He cannot be trusted. He says one thing one minute and the opposite thing the next. Starting a war unilaterally - without seeking the support of allies until it had been started - and then accusing NATO allies of not doing enough to support them is evidence of both of these things. But it isn't just US allies that he isn't consulting. It's Congress itself, which should be ratifying decisions like this that take the US to war. Congress has done no such thing. He is doing what he likes. His moves have enriched himself and his friends since the beginning of his second administration. The war in Iran is no different, with anonymous gamblers winning millions betting on the price of oil. Just today, it is alleged that Pete Hegseth's broker attempted to invest millions in defence stock before the war began. This US administration is primarily concerned with financial self-interest and distraction from the Epstein Files. More insults about the UK have been uttered by Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump today. Before the war started, he also insulted our dead, injured and others who served alongside US troops when he alleged that our troops - along with those of other nations - stayed away from the frontline. If we had followed the US and Israel in lockstep, you'd better believe he'd find another reason to insult us. He has no interest other than his own. No sense of co-operation or diplomacy. No compulsion for give and take. He just does what he wants and attacks the people who criticise and disagree. If NATO is done, then we'd better divest away from the US sooner rather than later, building closer ties with the EU and either reforming NATO (or creating a new organisation) without the US, strengthening ties with our real allies who believe in collective defence of common interests rather than demanding obedience in atrocities that have not obtained legal clearance. With Trump as President, regardless of whether we had followed him to the letter in this war, Europe - and by extension the UK - is being squeezed from the East and the West. We need allies and the reparation of our relations with the EU, a collective defence strategy and a divestment away from fossil fuels. If we start making these moves, perhaps this may push Trump towards the exit door of the White House, too, as voters in the upcoming midterms see the rest of the world turning their backs on Trump's MAGA cult. If his power can be curtailed for the second half of his presidency, hopefully a non-MAGA candidate can win the next presidential election and begin to repair the US's relationships with the rest of the world.

Hutchinson passing every single test thrown at him. We need goals and he's likely the most confident goalscorer at the club right now. Certainly the most consistent.

Without being able to find an official article, it was widely regarded that we chose BC.Game as our shirt sponsor the first time around when PepsiCo were also in the running.

Seems like they get the whole thing backwards. Pre-season tours that negatively impact the team's preparation for the season and baffling marketing decisions with hated crypto and gambling sponsors, turning our noses up at Pepsi's sponsorship when we could have had some really cool kits with them where the logo really works, some absolutely awful merch instead of leaning into our history as a clothing manufacturing city, failing to capitalise on the city's links to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and their local communities. We could have made so much more revenue than we have and prepared the team better for seasons gone by.

Ruud is a proper fraud. Couldn't manage a sh!t after 10 pints and a kebab at an establishment with a zero hygiene rating

Getting back almost what we paid with him having run down two years in his contract probably isn't the end of the world. It sticks in the craw because we know he's good in the Premier League and been really good for Stuttgart. We know how much good PL players can go for. It would have been better if Bilal's form would have opened up a bidding war but either (a) he had no other proper suitors (hard to believe), (b) we agreed the fee at the time of the loan and Stuttgart have triggered it so they can sell him on for a profit in the summer, or (c) he's happy at Stuttgart and wants to stay there. The sell-on clause should bump up the money received when he does move on and hopefully he'll still be ripping it up when they do. Considering his book value is surely less than the fee we've received, it's one of those little bit disappointing but could've been worse kind of sales.

Now five teams within three points of each other. I think Oxford dragging Blackburn back into it is probably better than the alternative. More teams sweating now and those above us starting to slip. Some huge games to come and lots of movement ahead.

If he's primarily considered as a wide player, perhaps it's his defensive contributions that are keeping him out of the side, and also why Monga isn't getting much of a look. This season both Mavididi and Fatawu can also be questioned in this regard but they do also have records of tracking back and winning the ball deep in our own half. While things are tight in terms of points and by the way we can sometimes capitulate in games, I guess opening up even further is a risk too far for Rowett right now. In a team brimming with confidence and winning games comfortably with regularity, with players ensuring everyone is accountable to each other on the pitch, maybe Richards would have had some opportunities by now.

I don't think we're going to be magically sorted finances-wise so it makes sense to stick with him. If he can keep the dressing room on his side and have us milling around the playoffs (top eight next season) that would be fine in the circumstances. If he proves his worth that way then maybe he'll deserve a shot as our ambitions grow again. If somehow our finances are OK next season and we can spend towards a promotion push, plus we're able to move our many rotten apples along, then maybe we look at a manager who we think can get us up straight away. I don't think we'll be in that position though.

Very encouraging. Still had a brain fart moment with the penalty but we were fortunate the penalty was so bad and we didn't capitulate even when Bristol City came into the game. It helped that they're on a bad run of form but we'll take it. Onwards and, hopefully, upwards.

Fatawu showing the two sides of himself. First one should have definitely passed it instead of having a go. Second one he absolutely made the chance himself from absolutely nothing, the shot was the best option and it was incredibly close.

The Sky Sports app should also work, it has before for me

Hutchinson and Otchere scoring regularly has to be encouraging. Will be interesting to find out what the club thinks that equates to at first-team level. Whether they can step up in the Championship or League One next season or if they need to go on loan to lower League One, League Two or somewhere north of the border.

I cannot emphasise how fvcking good it would be if Starmer turned around and said, "well you won't be needing our bases at all then will you? And you won't need to use the UK as a stopping off point on the way over either, I presume? Probably best if you lot do one then."

Who do you reckon - if anyone - out of this shower gives a damn that they could be part of the worst Leicester City side ever? Like, the slow decline over multiple mediocre Championship seasons, culminating in our first relegation to League One, was the lowest this club's ever been. But successive relegations would be a new low, in my opinion.