Dan

But then on the flip side the potential returns are much higher. I'm going to try and find out about this and see what I find.

One of the selling points of VAR was that we'd have less of this. If anything we've had even more. Given how its played out this is no surprise - as VAR puts a greater emphasis on the officials.

I've been wondering exactly this - I've never actually known the answer to that.

I think another possible tactic for this going forward, which is a good shout actually, is to make the intended freeze pick game #5 - so at least that way you'll guarantee you don't waste a freeze on a bet that lost. It's probably your best chance of landing the massive wins as well. Tempted to stick a few together for the weekend. I did £20 on Dundee the other night and just cashed out for £262. Just feels unbelievably easy at times.

It's a very interesting quote. I think I do align with that belief talking entirely personally more than I do the Pep way and that's while having total admiration for how good Pep actually is. I think there's a lot in that - Pep is of such a level that so many try to emulate what he does but I do think it's too common nowadays that coaches will stifle the flair somewhat. I think it's made for a poorer spectacle. I'm glad Ancelotti with this mindset is still producing loads of success. I can't help but think Vinicius wouldn't be anywhere near both as effective and as fun under most other managers.

Notice how they have to go away and try and fix it 'every' single summer since it was introduced? Sometimes the resolution is the simplest one.

It's another thing that'll expose the disconnect between fans and the authorities. The Premier League want it despite it harming their league. I think even those who support the use of technology would concede that it's been largely diabolical since introduced. Fully expect the same journalists who've been bashing Spurs fans in the last 48 hours to take the pro VAR stance as well.

It's good news but I don't think they'll actually go through with it. Too many clubs pretending it hasn't been a disaster for the game which it has been. Fear Wolves' anti VAR stance is a bit too much driven by outcome bias and assumption that it's used against them rather than how bad it's been for the game in general. Would be fantastic if they did get rid though. I was no fan from the start and even I can't believe quite how utterly dire it's turned out.

I'd say the chances of Rudkin actually leaving are still tiny. Can see a situation where we create another role to bring somebody else in alongside or something like that.

For any criticisms I've had of him I'm already quite liking his attitude around trying to improve other facets of the club. He is indirectly telling us that he thinks Rudkin and whoever are hopeless and that's a good thing. Confirms what plenty of us have known for ages. It didn't take him long to cotton onto this lot at all - but then it wouldn't when you've come from a well functioning operation at Man City.

Kompany gets away with murder. Burnley drastically underperformed this season.

Alaves and Dundee tonight. Think possibly Spurs too.

A good game even despite VAR's best efforts to make it as unenjoyable for everybody as possible.

If that's how Chelsea are getting around it then teams need to take no notice going forward surely. That should be the end of the rules there and then.

It's a shame how bad he actually is. He looks a poorer player today than four years ago.

I don't think you could entirely bash somebody for not calling out the Rodgers contract at the time simply because it wasn't clear what the terms were or what the situation was going to be. That contract was absolute suicide and completely beyond our means - it was a contract we should've never offered. We were simply not of that echelon. That was the day we had started ceding control of what had gotten us to where we were - what had actually had us punching above our weight as a club. We cashed in and backed the wrong horse in the process. It reminds me a touch of the PSG / Mbappe situation where they have quite openly sold out just to keep him. To then come out of it with little face saved and looking pretty small-time in the process. We treated Rodgers like he was bigger than the club. From that day we were on the decline.

Today has been the straw that's broken the camels back in terms of just biting the bullet and saying I'm cashing out any freeze I land. Absolute nonsense scores but some unbelievable freeze odds landed. I've bagged around £250 from today. Would've been even more if Juventus could beat 2 wins all season, no win all 2024 'Salernitana at home' but so be it. They'll pull this soon. It's crazy.

That Norwich Leeds game is the worst game I've ever seen.

They invaded the pitch after finishing 21st in the Championship in 2017. There was a fantastic screenshot where you saw their fans on the pitch with the table on the side, showing them below literal Burton Albion.

I can't really call Everton. They'd be 11th without the deduction which is pretty respectable with what's a bottom half squad. Goodison has become quite hard to go to again. I don't see many really obvious strugglers bar Forest. Given I think we'll be up against it given our likely weakened squad and points deduction I've been looking at who is realistically going to struggle. I see a lot of ordinary teams but not many who I think could completely tank. Don't automatically assume that the three who came up will go down again next year just because it happened this time but I don't see any absolute clear strugglers. I thought Wolves and Fulham would struggle this season, based on quite similar finishes to a year ago and neither really have done. There's just no way the three who go up this time can be as bad as Burnley, Sheff Utd and Luton. Even with our deduction, even with Ipswich and potentially Norwich I doubt we'd accumulate even close to as few as 66 points. A generationally bad effort.

You rank ours and their seasons since we went up in terms of points, 12 years between us and Forest's points tallies account for the 10th and 12th best efforts. Genuinely very lucky to have not gone down already.

Doesn't reflect badly on us that this is the PL season we've missed. 29 points had you safe with two games spare and nearly every side flunked it in Europe. Been very entertaining, loads of goals, but think the defending for the most part has been abysmal. One of the weaker Premier Leagues.

These surely have to go next season FFS.

For all of Forest and Everton's complaints (which may or may not be valid) how lucky are they, Forest especially (Everton have actually done OK) to have had them in this season of all. 29 points and Forest are safe with games spare. Absolutely biblical luck. We're getting the worst punishment of all given we aren't going to have the Luton, Burnley and Sheff Utd safety net.

Fabrizio Romano filling up the engine season.