drumbeat

Cags, that's school boy.

That was on n the cards. We just cannot defend set pieces at the best of times. Now we'll see what we're made of.

Always somebody else's fault isn't it Kasper? Maddison knows full well he should be 12 foot tall.

I wouldn't be swapping out any of our CBs. I think we need an extra body in the middle so I'd be looking at Nacho making way and try to play with a lone striker. Then Daka for Vardy later on. Thing is, I'm not sure who we have to add to midfield - KDH? The pace is electric and it needs to be somehow that can manage that. Hamza is too risky IMHO.

We're lucky. Some talking needed halftime. We're trying to take the pace out of the game, which is sensible, but we're getting caught in their press. We're loosing the midfield battle and they've been unlucky not to capitalise on that. That was some strike from Youri.

Soumare is not with the pace of this game.

WHAT.... THE... ****!!!

Yeppity yep yep yep - worth the selection just to feel the love on the forum alone. What'll happen if we get tonked is anyone's guess. I'd predict halt and catch fire.

Don't you just know it. Probably even worth a punt

Back in the 80s, I used to buy clothes in charity shops, from jumble sales too. I was partial to 'old man suits' (square cut, single breasted as a preference) but shirts, cardigans, jackets too. It was an affordable way for me to dress 'differently', back in the day when that mattered to me. These days, I buy only books or maybe the odd unusual knick-knacky thing. I don't think I've ever looked at vinyl records, much less CDs, even less so DVDs. I think I've nearly gone full circle, as I remember that as a kid I used to spend my paper round money on paperbacks from charity shops. It was a part of my Saturday morning routine; cycle into town, put some money in my savings account, maybe go into the library and then into the 2nd hand bookshop.

Another vote for screws, nails can lift/pop. I'd spend a bit of time checking for, and evening up, levels too, before laying boards. It can be a pain in the bum and take a while but it is worth doing, and makes laying the boards themselves a tad easier, and the finish is both more secure and more attractive. If screwing, I'd also drill holes first to avoid boards splitting. I've redone a few floors now. One, a group and floor, I removed the old ceramic tiles, dug out the floor, insulated, a new concrete foundation was pourded then I battened and boarded - at each stage, more and more precise levelling was done. You'll not get it 100% spot-on but as close as dam it. Worth it in the end (especially the insulation). An upstairs floor was on old wooden joists. There, I laid a particle board sub floor over the joists and screwed boards to that. The levelling on that took patience as the old joists had developed 'character' over the years! Edit: as I was drilling boards first, I had two cordless drills on the go, to avoid having to continually change bits. Then I'd hand tigthen screws the last bit just for the more accurate/sensitive feel. You can tell I'm no pro but I know it! I took my time and played safe because I'm not experienced, didn't know tricks of the trade.

No, not as I remember it anyway. I don't recall the logo being as big/prominent as that... but it was a long time ago and memory does play tricks. As a child, I lived in Glenfield. The house I lived in had a willow tree in the front garden (weren't we posh) and I remember it being big. Some 20 odd years later I went back to look... some bugger had chopped it down and replaced it with a much smaller willow. That was the only explanation.

credit to Brighton, they're going at it

Brighton playing some neat football, creating a few chances.

I had a rice crispies mug once. I grew very attached to it and I took it to work to use. The cleaner threw it out. I nearly cried, it was all I could do to not rebuke them in an expletive laden outpouring. Point is, I think I'd buy another if I ever saw one in a charity shop, just as a remembrance thing. Funny buggers us humans.

I've often wondered about their use in football (though not for something like VAR) I've used a GPS for years in cycling and realise they are not exact, and neither can you expect them to be - too many variables. I'd guess the ones footballers use are considerably more sophisticated (read, expensive) and certainly more state of the art than mine. I decided though that it was good enough for my purposes and, more importantly, consistently inaccurate - if that makes sense, and you maybe have to read those words 'consistently inaccurate' a few times to get the nuance - to compare results. That is to say that I am comparing like for like, the same device used to record each time. The results of each session may not be 100% accurate (however one determines that) but it's the comparisons between sessions that interests me - so long as each session is recorded in the same manner than the comparisons are valid enough. For judgements of the millimeter required exactitude, comparing one device against another (e.g. player's GPS against VAR derived offside line location) then, no, not a chance in hell can you make a fair call.

Yes, final episodes can make or break a series for people. It must be difficult, in fairness, to wrap up a series; some people will want everything resolved and loose ends tied, others will see that as unnecessary and possibly clunky preferring to see a series as a slice of life with issues ongoing. Sometimes there is no ideal ending and you have to accept some degree of compromise as the credits roll. Similar thing with films; I've gone off films entirely purely because of the ending.

I watched the final episode in series 1 of Homecoming last night. The series was simply (an apt word too) brilliant. It doesn't appear in the BBC's top 100 hundred list. I think I have a different set of criteria for good TV. I might expand on that, when I'm not on my tablet where one finger typing is both laborious and error prone.

Agree with the no. 1 pick but the rest just tells me my tastes differ massively from that of TV critics! I'm not sure my own top 10 (outside of The Wire) are even on that list!

Couldn't get on with Succession. The whole setting/scenario was one I have no empathy for. Rich pricks being pricks just isn't my kind of tele!

Or the (Sean) Dyche?

If they do like to lump it up top, that could work to our advantage IF we prepare well and can get our defence sorted. So Evans is essential. Long ball games by definition create space in the middle, stretch the game, and we have players that can exploit that space - so long as we can handle any long balls in behind and recycle possession quickly. Can we risk a high defensive line against a team that will want to turn us, having us back peddling, if that's their natural game?

Context is important. When we bought Vestergaard, it was not ideal circumstances. His signing was not part of a 5 year plan for which he was scouted. It was a case of who was available for the money we wanted to spend at the time. Maybe Kasper's opinion carried a deal of weight? Who can say? I don't have a problem with Vestergaard per se but sadlyhis limitations (and most players have those) are exposed in our line up and system. He is however solid, experienced and has a good pass on him. He ticked a number boxes at the time. Hindsight is a with wonderful thing. Could we have done better signing a 19 year old from the Isthmian league? Probably not, but you never know. How lucky do you feel? You can only play the cards your dealt and Vestergaard, love him or hate him, is in our hand (I.e. squad) and played as needed. Circumstances dictate that we need him even more than was anticpated. The only question he leaves me with is is.... just how unreliable is Benkovic?

Yes, I watched it & loved it. I recall one series disappointed a little but I stuck with it. Series 1 was was the best (IMHO) but then it was always going to be a hard act to follow. There's not too many shows that can maintain the momentum over several series, knowing when to call time. Coincidentally, I was going to mention another Sam Ismail show, Homecoming, which I'm watching at the moment. That's very stylish and has a Mr Robot complexity about it. It's classed as a 'conspiracy thriller' and, at the moment, it's equally enthralling and bafflingly. That there's conspiracy at it's heart is clear - but where? And what is it? With Squid Games, I think there's a deceptive simplicity to it. My wife cannot watch violence of any kind, to the point of switching off, but stayed the distance. There's a reason for it being a touch gruesome (personally, I think the comments on it's violence are a little overdone and arguably miss the point) It's not cerebral by any stretch but it is very obviously knowing and pointed IMO. I thought of the phrase 'dark Disney' for it, because it has that surface level story and a simple (simplistic?) message to it; not 'true love conquers all' nor anything saccharinous like that but something searing commentary on poverty and cruelty, and how we all can be forced into that 'game' either literally or metaphorically.

I've read somewhere (reddit???) that they like to play a long ball game at times. That surprised me as I don't recall them doing that particularly. I thought they attempted to be a little more sophisticated than 'lump it up top'. Anyone watched them recently care to comment?