Waylander

I emphathise as I had a teenage injury that stopped me playing too. My daughter at 19 was playing soccer and touch rugby at county level. She twisted her ankle in a local friendly match. My ex insisted their was a great surgeon locally and I counted with try an osteopath first just to see if there is anything they can do through manipulation. I lost that one, she had surgery on the knee not the ankle and two and half years later cannot run, too sore. She does cycle, and does other exercise like press-ups. She is now working too.

Yes I agree he has been the best of our young players just hope he keeps his nose to the grindstone as one might say. Also hope he keeps learning too.

Under Frank, Mount seemed to be determined to make his mark on the pitch. I noticed towards the end of last season before matches he seemed to be laughing and joking around. Just wondering if Tuchel needs to have a word as technically he is not one of the best yet his hard work rate is one of the best when he tries. It might be an attitude thing if not Tuchel needs to work on the link up play.

Good to see Palace get a win, I'm interested to see how Vieira can progress as a manager. Also think his appointment was risky unless he pulls it off and keeps Palace in the EPl. Getting an early win should give them t the chance to build confidence under Vieira.

@Happy Blue What's your take on Pep? A lot of CFC fans think he only wins things with a big budget. Do you think that is a fair comment or just too simplistic? I personally think he needs the big budget yet also buys good players though the striker situation seems a strange one, Jesus for me is not top drawer and now that Aguero has gone seems to leave a void.

I thought you would have been older than m hearing about the gang fights, I'm 55. I guess 17/18 is about the time you start work. It happened to me about 16 and guess it was to do with exams and starting work.

What age are you? I had a number of fights at school and there was one gang incident where one of ours was picked on yet the claim was he had flashed at one of their mothers. He was crazy enough to do that too. The other dominant kid in our group told me not to get involved so I didn't. The police were called and later that week three of the other gang blocked me in a school corridor. I waited and then stepped forward and hit the one in the middle twice hard cutting his mouth. He looked at the others for support and they backed away and I went on to the next class unmolested. The worst I had was with a class bully trying to get money or food off of me, I offered to fight him instead. That got him and then he coerced another kid to agree for me to give him food or money or he would hit my arm where the BCG vaccine plaster was. I advised the other kid if he hit my arm i would hit him. He did it and I hit him and he looked at the bully for support and didn't get it. After lunch waiting for the class teacher and I see the bully with one of those old metal dining knives swinging it back and forth as though he was going to throw it at me as I watched I suddenly ducked and it hit the kid behind me cutting his head. He went to hospital and I was then thinking did he really mean to do it but what amazed me was the reaction of all the other kids who were insisting he must be expelled.

One thing i think is good is getting rid of the hard surfaces at playgrounds, I had a head injury at one of these very young and then about 14yrs after falling on some farm equipment (rotivator) I needed a lot of stitches and then started getting headaches and a lot of health symptoms as the injuries did not heal properly and brought up other issues. One other thing I recall was swinging on a rope suspended form a tree branch across a stream to the other side, one of our chaps must have been heavier as he swung lower and bashed his knee on the wooden planks holding up the banks. He had sliced open the skin just below the knee.

@Lucas Out of interest what was the castle in the photos?

Pulisic we had bought him before the ban and for him to move at the end of that season. Kovacic was already at the club though on a loan. Agree it was not about FFP though shows when they want to act they can.

There's always the unexpected like Chelsea getting the transfer ban. Also new money might come into premiership and launch a new big club.

Went there when I was about 19, camping with a couple of friends. Remember us going down to the beach there and walking out in the water just about to mid shin level when all of a sudden a freak wave knocks us all down. It also had a really strong under current dragging you out. I was ok yet didn't know the other two couldn't swim..... I got out after the second wave hit and then saw the others floundering a bit further out yet they got back a little shocked. After this can understand why some people do get into trouble at the coast.

Bruno was one and maybe the best attacking Utd player in the last two seasons so Ronaldo needs to click with him unlike what happened at the the Euros. You also have Pogba and Sancho to fit in and then you have Greenwood, Cavani and Martial probably mostly on the bench. A lot of attacking players to keep happy,

Sounds gruesome. After the surgery was over were you able to play again?

In the original I was very impressed with Mother Abigail and Randalf Flagg characters thought both were very good. I have had a few ESP experiences too so may be one reason why I enjoyed it more than most.

Not so much a movie yet I watched it like one on Youtube all 5hours. Stephen King's, The Stand from the 90s. Thought it was good.

My ex- gave up drinking and smoking (after some encouragement) when she was pregnant and after our daughter was born she had a few drinks one night. She was breast feeding at the time. Next day no problem. Day two my daughter was uncharacteristically tired and then came to the conclusion, hangover at three months. Next rule no drinking until the breast feeding stops.

I understand your point and got suspicious with the sudden mainstream news of ISIS-K all brandishing new uniforms, face masks all based somewhere with rich fertile soil and a lot of trees, guess the country as I can't yet certainly not Afghan. or Iraq. I would not be surprised if this wasn't someone from the ranks of the Taliban just frustrated that the evacuations were taking too long rather then some glossy new terror group or official Taliban policy. The next steps taken might give us some better insight.

We still have I Syrian women selling the Big Issue at my supermarket, makes me wonder what will happen to the Afghans that may just have a suitcase. It is not fun to be in a Western society without any money and residing in a poor neighbourhood. They might be better in a moderate Muslim country though many of those have their own problems too. i was surprised we did not automatically allow the translators to come, seems there are some last minute changes in approach though how the chips we fall is anyone's guess.

I was reading about the demise of the Mayans the other day. They were pointing out that they cut down all the trees and this led to droughts and local temperature increases of 20%. Rain forest in the Amazon for about 40 years has been cutting down annually areas like the size of Wales, though now they say the size of Belgium. If scientists were going to plot on a graph cumulative rain forest destruction by area for the last century it would go off the chart and show a correlation with temperature. They never plot this graph publicly......... Add to this more fossil fuel sources are also being discovered with a view to exploit. Not sure what to believe anymore........... I do agree with replacing petrol or diesel engine with BEVs or Hydrogen fuel cell cars because of the need to improve air quality.

Funny isn't, I agree with us knocking Arsenal off the pinnacle of London football though Spurs seem to take it more badly. I watched on a stream and later on BBC MOTD and like you say a good rapport between Lukaku and the fans. A shame we could have not scored more and they also had the odd chance like the Holding chance from the corner. So cannot get complacent. Liverpool likely to provide a greater challenge this w/e.

Another RT article on resistance to the Taliban. Alleging that former Afghan officials and soldiers that did not surrender to the Taliban have joined Massoud's group in Panshir. Despite this Russian sources do not think this will be enough to stop the Taliban. https://www.rt.com/news/532764-afghanistan-panjshir-northern-alliance/

This link albeit from Russian media suggests the Taliban are being pushed out of a few areas north of Kabul https://www.rt.com/news/532708-anti-taliban-resistance-afghansitan-baghlan/

For me they will having been getting supplies, heavy machine guns, RPGs, mortars as well as small arms. Other things like vehicles and radios. Someone has been supplying the funds to buy these or the Taliban have been raising through terrorist activity like kidnappings and ransoms or taxes from businesses or wealthy individuals under their control. Assuming the Taliban have been getting financial aid, I expect it will be done covertly certainly not publicised. Your Massoud post is intriguing, if he does decide to withdraw or work with the Taliban his treatment will be interesting.

I think we need to understand without the Opium Afghanistan is a poor country, so the Taliban will get support form Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The Northern Alliance will also need support as well so suspect the US in some way (CIA) will get funds to them to continue the struggle. I guess when the Taliban surrounded the country it was the middle area that was last to fall, this is where the majority of the mountains are and also a lot of different ethnic groups. I think there will be a civil war and stalemate with the Northern Alliance holding some mountainous areas and valleys. Will be interesting to see how China handles these parties as it seeks to undertake mining in Afghanistan.