Stan

'hasn't actually contributed to his team doing well this season'. Really?

Is it?

To be fair, I've seen De Bruyne do that a hell of a lot more this season. De Bruyne sometimes stands out like a sore thumb when it comes to that side. Tracks back so much more, gets tackles in and spreads the play with ease. His ability to pick a pass on any part of the pitch is just ridiculous. I agree football shouldn't just be about stats but the influence both have on their sides is pretty much the same.

Like Henderson is to get the ball, and give it to the front 3 Both players have been superb and both players have performed when it mattered. Both players very much work in the systems they're asked to flourish in.

IPL to be played in UAE from 18th Sept to 8th November

4-way fight to avoid relegation this weekend: Denizlispor vs Ankaragucu Fenerbahce vs Rizespor Yeni Malatyaspor vs Gaziantep Kayserispor vs Trabzonspor

what a shit thing to come home to https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-53521596

The picture hasn't loaded and it's just a load of numbers and words, a load of gibberish. So yes, sounds about right.

Imola

I don't think so as not registered in initial team for the knockout rounds.

Cheeky git.

Positive?

That's quite a narrow way to look at it, to be honest. There's probably hundreds, or probably thousands of police officers who approached danger and stopped it in a time where public were breaking rules and gathering in crowds etc. You say been in the media for weeks for kneeling on people's heads and tasering men at garages. They were isolated incidents and don't (I hope) represent the whole of the police force they work for. Police officers deserve a pay rise. You can't not give it to them just because of the actions of one or two. Also, that police officer who knelt on the guys head (who was carrying a knife) was promptly dealt with so it doesn't affect him, does it? That's like saying doctors shouldn't get a pay rise because of those that were responsible for the maternity scandal on Shropshire. Doesn't fit, does it? The police do ridiculous amounts of extra work that doesn't get reported on. Think of all the domestic violence cases they tend to. The people who get stabbed and how they go searching and arresting these criminals. Everyone clamours for them to get paid more when they're the first people on the scene at terror attacks. Their penchant for running to danger, like fire officers, ambulance paramedics, instead of running away from it is commendable. Also, nurses are exempt from this payrise announced because they agreed to one previously in 2018 for a set amount of years. I get the sentiment though given the risks they've put themselves on to in the current situation. Supermarkets are in the private sector so wouldn't be included. They would get separate pay rises based on their company policies. They're not run by the government. This isn't to say that I don't think they kept the country going. They of course did their part. But so did many others.

Gotta hand it to him, he tried.

I don't like mushrooms but that does look great. My dad's been baking a lot. Made a lot of cake recently and they taste amazing. Ginger cake last week and a maple syrup one at the weekend. Part of me thinks he's secretly auditioned for Great British Bake Off and he's practising on us

@nudge Where's that calendar you had for this year? Was dinosaurs on it

Aubameyang?

Good 2nd test between England and West Indies. Windies putting up a good fight against England. Blackwood especially in both innings. England will probably still win this. Windies need 322 and they're 122-4. Given they've lost a day to rain yesterday it's good to see Test cricket back and potentially to a finish for this test, too. A great result for West Indies if they do manage to hold out for a draw, meaning they won't lose the series. Elsewhere, T20 World Cup in Australia this year has been postponed. 50-Over World Cup in Feb/March 2023 in India has been moved to October/November that year.

This is positive though. Still TBC and still pleny of work to be done by sounds of it but a very promising start for finding a successful vaccine to combat COVID. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53469839

It must be devastating. I'm glad I haven't had to go through it. But it was worse here in April/May when lockdown was at it's highest. It wasn't even 30 people. It was (I think) up to 4 people allowed to attend, socially distanced. I couldn't bear to think what that'd be like. Then you had politicians breaching lockdown rules left, right and centre with barely any consequence. It made a mockery of it all and just added to the pain in some way for those people who couldn't attend funerals.

I wasn't shocked by it. I just don't understand how it appears to be fine to have 250 people just because you have things in place. There's a reason it's 30 people with those criteria to meet. The guidance isn't '30 people with social distancing, hand sanitiser, track and trace, but it can be more as well if you fancy it'. It shouldn't be used as a disclaimer after the event. My other problem with it is if you've gone to the funeral and seen a large crowd, to enter in to that crowd knowing the risks is where the stupidity, for me is. Especially given the fact it would be a relatively tight space indoors where the virus is more likely to spread. I totally agree with the bottom line you mention. I can't imagine the pain I'd feel not being able to go to a funeral of a relative/friend. There have been far worse events/gatherings which I'm more shocked about i.e. an illegal rave over the weekend in Bath where over 3000 (!!!) people turned up.

It's similar to a formation we've been trying but like you say, it's the personnel. I don't think we'll play 3 at the back again this season. Bennett just isn't up to it. You guys impressed yesterday. Seemed defensively sound and going forward, the midfield (led by Mount) and attack really clicked. More managers need to make a note of the penalties they're getting. Just draw attention to it without saying anything provocative.

Stupidity reigns supreme.

Me, for next season, in honour of @Lucas