Babylon

Doesn’t really add any context considering he’s managing a newly promoted club (one he’s inherited), rather than an expensively assembled championship team or an established premier league team, or a team he’s brought up and been with years. Nobody else has been in this position really, we are expected to return poorer results now than at almost any other time in the last decade or so.

It’s relevant to the last time we got relegated from this division.

Good point away from home. Very disappointing to concede so late, but it happens. I’d rather attack, but he’s not the first manager to do this and he’s not the last… see our previous four or five managers. I’d rather have him and the group over the shambles of a final season Rodgers presided over.

21/22 Was only about 12 a season or so ago. But Salah has kept scoring and has 160

Worst signing of the summer don’t you know

Edited for you.

"There is no tension between Cooper and the players other than from those he is not picking regularly" "The Italian was not universally popular either despite leading Leicester into the Premier League last season — some players feeling he was too bossy and demanding." Amazing, what a revelation! Players who are not playing are having a whinge; some players like a manager's style, and some don't. What a load of s***.

Yeah and Harold Shipmans patients thought he was a lovely chap.

My Mrs said I forgot to put the bins out on Friday; she won't believe me that the deep state brought them back in to cause conflict in our house.

And it is absolutely everything... apparently, nothing happens that's not a conspiracy.

Dancing in the moonlight by Toploader springs to mind. And anything death metal or UK "Rap" or Trap or whatever the hell it's called, where loads of yoots think they are gangstas.

There is a middle ground here; yes, there were clear mistakes in recruitment. But it was then compounded by the looming introduction of the new PSR rules, which meant we needed to cut our wage budgets by 30% if we ever wanted to compete in Europe (we were in it at the time, so we had to change). I don't think it does any good to pretend either side of it wasn't an issue.

It's better than it was in the 80's, that's for sure. Football on the park used to be a vile experience as a kid. Winter is coming though, so that means all the w****** will be letting their dogs s*** and will use the cover of darkness to just leave it there.

The new Everton ground looks horrendous inside. Something just very off about that design.

Misses the point though, the rules said no and we over spent. But yes, Vichai wanted to spend and the rules said no you can't, but he did anyway.

What people seem to miss is that it was sailing close to the wind and taking risks that created our major successes. We FAILED FFP in the championship under Vichai, paying way more in wages etc than we could afford. (Sound familiar). It paid off and we got promoted. We followed the same path again and we won the FA cup, making big losses along the way. People talk about us missing a chance to be established. But established as what? Only Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool, Man U, Spurs, Chelsea and Man City have not been relegated in the last two decades. Palace and West Ham were 14 and 13 years ago. Everyone else has been in there less than 10 years. We were never going to challenge the big six permanently. So I can only presume people mean be a West Ham or a Palace. West Ham have benefited massively from the stadium move, taking them out of our bracket also. So you're left with being a Palace. Floating around midtable, dodging the odd relegation, losing your best players as soon as you get them etc. Great, what a life. Personally, I'd rather roll the dice and sail close to the wind if treading water is basically all the other option brings. Now, that's not excusing the breakdown in how they treat fans, there is no need for it and it's souring my opinion on them. But the football side, we aren't ever getting perfection no matter who is in charge.

Hmmmm.... I was sort of hoping that the points deduction would lead to Copper having to go for it. Now I feel like it's going to give him license to be more cautious for longer.

He wasn't replying to me, but I appreciate the defence.

The point I'm making is that people who worked at the club previously stated they pass on the players, what they value them at, what they believe they are worth etc. And also, that they are involved in the whole process. eg. If the price or wages are getting too high they see if there is someone else who is better value. If the head of recruitment says John, we think he's worth between £15m and £20m, and his wage demands compared to others of similar quality are £50-£60k... and we pay that, is that on him? Again, that comes from people involved in the process a few years back now. Secondly, as I've said before running down contracts isn't that black and white and I beleive there is more to it than him just being stubborn or stupid. That doesn't mean he's blameless in anything! Just that I can see reasons for things not happening, there may well be some of what you say. I just feel it's not ALL to do with that, and sometimes the situation dictates.

In which case do you absolve him of Congerton and blame Rodgers. It has to work both ways.

It was said way back that the scouting team pass on the general value of a player, are involved in making sure we get value etc. He's not a scout. That doesn't absolve him of everything clearly, for all we know he just ignores that information. But it's not all on him, he could be getting recommended a shit player and being giving duff info about their value. That's why I always say I'd rather focus on what is likely his decision, in putting the head of recruitment in place. Eg. Getting Congerton despite a clear history of rubbish. He allowed the manager to dictate a key position in the club. Those for me are the failings there. I can see him falling for all the bluster Rodgers used to come out with about Congerton spotting X and Y players. To balance that, I would say Mascia was a decent decision and the new guy the jury is out so far. Nobody is going to get it right all the time. We don't know for sure, but I suspect there isn't a great deal of forward planning. You'd like to think the scouting team were tasked with watching managers and signings of other clubs so see who is building a reputation for great work, so that we can keep them in mind. But it doesn't really feel like that with some of our decisions. Again, I think that forward planning is a potential failure point.

Read our press release.

Yeah I seem to remember the same, which is why I think I've always just discounted it.

Your ballot email was tied to your ticketmaster account. So they'll know, which people in the ballot did and didn't get tickets. Not everyone with a ballot got a ticket, so they'll get put back in with the ones who didn't even get a number I'd imagine.

I'll give it a test. It works, sort of. You just can't post anything else in that thread otherwise it obviously gets wiped.