KingsX

Mate, we can have ten pages of debate over what Jamie Vardy had for breakfast. We'll be debating Pearson, Mahrez and god knows who else until the sun dies out.

A perspective from American football, because we’ve been there … Penalties are enforced after-the-fact, and wipe huge plays off the board in every game. Of course that dampens the experience. The price paid to have (fallible) officials doing their best to enforce the rules. At least we have flags thrown as the infraction is observed. It becomes instinctual to scan the field for "laundry on the lawn" before you let loose to celebrate that third-and-29 conversion. Now take (world) football. One goal often makes the entire difference. The whole significance of your afternoon crammed into one moment. So delays and overrules will really screw with the fan experience. But it must be said, errors in awarding goals screw even more with the integrity of the results. If VAR does work to cut the number of obvious errors on scoring plays, it will be accepted as too much of a net plus to go back. Pray it doesn’t become just another layer of human error. VAR will get smoother, but there will always be infuriatingly long delays over 50/50 calls. Our problem is ever-increasing use. “Catch or no catch” ten times a game, mind-numbing ultra-slo-mo replay repetition while pundits argue over that blurry tenth of an inch where the ball might have hit the turf. They made a quick and infallible goal-line review system; it should be technically possible to do the same for offsides. VAR for goal-line, handball, and offsides on scoring plays may come to be seen as a must, even though it interrupts that one orgasmic moment. Much use beyond that … well, welcome to your new three-hour afternoons, and don’t forget to pick your brains back up on the way out.

Did he score that one with the hammer stuffed into his sock? Bombscare Benny is a true natural. For the WWE. As a footballer more of a crime against nature.

That's what I meant ... and your two opponents are Sky Sports and British Rail ... if you can defeat them, there's that other one ... Man City's attack can "push and pull all over the place" too ... Anyway, good luck going, and say hello to Riyad.

I read mixed reviews of the away support, but more and more I am respectful. Back when I was a Browns STH, my longest away trip was Houston. About the distance of Bucharest from you -- but NEVER an issue of timing since I had a few months to buy the cheapest airfare (and family to stay with ). I always figured English fans fill the away stands because it’s a quick day trip -- get shitfaced on the train and all that. Now I see how these fixtures get whipsawed here and there, with few or no trains running, and I start to wonder why so many of you bother. If you’re going and in any voice -- good on you.

This reminded me -- I don’t recall seeing a link to his website on FT? http://www.nigelpearson.net/ It’s a slick online CV with career highlights and testimonials and a link to his Coaches Voice interview, which is worth reading if you haven’t. Like most CVs, it’s selective in omitting detail (e.g. none for Derby or last season at Leuven). The standout high points are his LCFC tours; nothing else rivals them. IMO, a neutral reading it would not understand why our supporters range from reviling him, to keeping him on a pedestal. He’s another good football manager, with a mixed record like most, looking for a good gig.

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL! Commence the meltdown

If it comes down to that, Son will be out for the first leg. Don't think they will have the finishing threat.

required in-game reading https://www.thefightingcock.co.uk/forum/threads/manchester-city-v-tottenham-hotspur-17th-april-0-1-agg.31187/page-77

Son > > Kane

#29: The Shaving/Razors Thread

Identikit x 3 (but hey = one's in hot pink). Remind me again why some folks were so excited about the move to Adidas?

If he ends up part of an affordable permanent deal for Tielemans, he'll earn my vote for Player of the Off-Season.

If you were simply making the case that the world, and France, have greater human needs that cannot be forgotten as we grieve and seek to repair this cultural loss, there could be no argument. However, you took the opportunity to flame while lives were at stake ... and now view that as "mildly humorous", to be regretted only by "snowflakes" ... that's too much like the social media playbook of the Trump-fringe for my comfort. Nor do I see it as the ideal time to express the view that allocation of resources to anything other than the levelling of wealth is unacceptable or obscene. I guess there's room for argument there. Your posts on this tragedy have given the impression that you are unable to see it except through the lens of a rigidly held political identity. A disease of our times.

My bad then! I do find it surprising that a club run by the Dildo Bros and Ms Brady has attracted a gaggle of support in far-off Charlotte. Are many of these folks expats? If not, wonder what led them to choose West Ham. The atmosphere that draws many Americans to English football doesn't exactly pour out of that track and field bowl.