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Says about a lot about the guy that he was pushed into third choice by an academy product 7 or 8 years younger than him and he still didn't push for a move in the summer. If nothing else you'd think he'd be wanting to play regularly at a lower level to give himself the best chance of being picked for Wales. Yes he'll take a pay cut when he leaves here and no one likes to be paid less, but the way he's going there'll be no takers at all come the end of his contract.

I hope you're right. Didn't think he'd go to NZ either tbh. Atkinson looks good enough to bat at 8.

England test squad is shaping up nicely for the India series in the summer and Ashes next winter. The first XI looks the most settled it has done for a while. Crawley is a concern but there aren't too many options to replace him so you've just got to hope he hits a bit of form at the right time. I'd move Root and Brook up a place and drop Pope or Bethell in at 5 to take the pressure off them a little bit. Atkinson and Carse look like really solid and with Wood potentiallly rotating with Archer you have options for express pace. Would still be worried about Woakes in Australia and Bashir will need to get a bit more consistency in his game.

You didn’t read it right. In some areas elections will be delayed because reorganisation is taking place. In Kent for example they’ll probably delay. In most cases this delay will mainly benefit the Conservatives by the way, as they dominated the last time these elections were held in May 2021 and control most the councils. Labour are non existent in most the affected areas.

Le Tissier with 25 from 26 apparently. That's what they want us to think. I prefer to do my own research.

Get yourself to the Free Trade Inn if you have time. A short walk along the Tyne from the Quayside but worth it for the view alone.

Think I'd try getting another body in midfield for this and play Soumare further forward. Midfield 3 of Ndidi, Skipp and Bouba with Mavididi left, Bilal right and Vardy central.

Tuuuuuune

Good: - Bilal - Ndidi - Patson - Vardy the GOAT - Full backs were a bit better - Players worked their socks off Bad: - Soumare a passenger without the ball - 8 million chances conceded - Slowest centre back partnership in recorded history

Really enjoyed it when Gregg Wallace claimed he and Torode were big mates and Torode issued a statement categorically denying this. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/apr/02/john-torode-not-friends-masterchef-co-host-gregg-wallace

Saw it today. Loved it. I must be a thicko because I didn’t see the twist coming at all 😂

Interesting unexpected outcome of Lou Haigh resigning - for the first time ever, the Cabinet is 100% state school educated.

Can see why you'd think that but I'm not sure it's true tbh. I wouldn't expect Heidi Alexander to diverge in policy terms very much at all. No doubt she had some disagreements with the Treasury but show me a transport minister who hasn't. And the changes to the fiscal rules announced in the budget (which will allow more borrowing for infrastructure) are very significant.

Not sure why you say she was out of her depth. I have a few dealings with people at DfT and in transport more generally and she was widely regarded as doing a good job. Her launch of the National Transport Strategy earlier this week went down very well with people in the industry.

We won't change system dramatically for this so on that basis I'd like to see something like this (assuming Winks is injured): Mads Justin Okoli Vesty Kristiansen Ndidi Skipp Buonanotte Bilal Mavididi Vardy

Agree the Dutch are generally lovely but they can be hilariously blunt. Was chatting with a Dutch friend of a friend about the Masters course I was studying for at the time and he listened quietly before asking "what's the point of that?"

Someone's updated his Wiki page.

Soundtrack of my childhood in many ways. RIP Nev.

The last decade has warped perceptions of what normal politics looks like. There isn’t going to be a change of PM, there isn’t going to be an election, the Chancellor now will probably be the Chancellor in 2028. The government is going to do some stuff some people like and other stuff some people don’t like. Then in about 4 years you get to decide whether the government has done enough stuff you like for them to have a bit longer at it. That’s how it works.

No doubt about his experience as a commentator and broadcaster, but I’m not sure how that would translate to the dugout.

Agree with this. Don't mind The Wheel as a bit of light entertainment, but that's in spite of McIntyre. The format is good, although it does hugely depend on who the celebrity guests are.

Soumare has frequently demonstrated that he is reasonably good on the ball but utterly useless without it. So of course Cooper picks him in a game where wer're going to have about 30% possession.

I've spent a fair bit of time in the US and concluded it is an incredibly deferential society. Your average American is absolutely in thrall to authority. This is evident in their attitudes to politicians as you cite here, but also the police and big business. I think this is why the USA is particularly prone to huxters and corporate scams, of which the election of Trump is the ultimate manifestation. It's easy to look at counter cultural movements that have come out of New York and San Francisco etc, the Black Lives Matter movement, the January 6 riots etc and conclude that America is a land of people pushing back against authority. But I think across most of middle America they really love heirarchies. Politics in the UK is a mess and I think our cynicism of politicians sometimes goes too far, but I'd rather that than the USA model of blind faith.

It doesn't breach the Ministerial Code because it has nothing to do with her conduct as a Minister. It's a fuss about nothing.