The Artful Dodger

What?

Can't see Klopp being sacked in any circumstances after what he's done for the club. Worst would be some sort of mutual agreement if they finished 13th next season and the one after. No need for overreaction, this is an extremely odd season unlike no other. Even if this season does finish badly, I wouldn't read too much into it.

You never want to live in a country where the state has the power to decide who lives and dies. Whatever you think of these people.

It does all seem to be going their way at the moment. I'm going to end up eating my words I think.

Leicester, Manchester United certainly given incentive. Spurs, Liverpool, even Everton dangled a carrot. Of course nothing to say they won't do well without him but he has been their best player.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55769661 Could be big.

It'l end up like cricket, with a league in the middle east were they sign all the players. Cancers like Manchester United and Liverpool would happily move over there now if it wasn't for their local fanbase opposing it.

Chelsea's 'reactionary' ways have generally worked out for the better over the past 15 years haven't they? 13 managers, 16 major trophies.

Liverpool should certainly be thinking about top 4 before the title now, it's going to be tough.

Again, look at your oppostion. This idea Chelsea massively overachieved is ridiculous. You have talent beyond anything your direct rivals can wish for. Did Leicester, Arsenal, Spurs have better squads than you did? It's an overwhelming NO in my view. He deserves some credit for managing at a new club and getting you your base level top 4, but it was not some against all odds tale.

Don't agree that nobody saw Chelsea getting top 4 last season, it was easily a top 4 squad. Who did they finish above? A Spurs side in complete turmoil after, Arsenal in an even worse state and a Leicester side punching above their weight. Far too much is made of the transfer ban, that Chelsea squad was very good and had finished comfortably top 4 under Sarri (even showing signs of a title challenge early on). Okay, Hazard was a big loss, I can accept that but the squad was still very good, Pulisic actually turned out to be a pretty decent replacement over the season.

I'm not a completely naive hippy, I know full well there would be uproar if Johnson said anything like 'maybe we should prioritise vulnerable in other countries', the public wouldn't have it. I also understand what Harvey is saying, but as a counterpoint, and being uber cynical, aren't these poorer countries also the most at threat from climate change? If Coronavirus continues to grow there exponentially then we'll have a twin crisis on our hands, further increasing migration from the area and ultimately pressure on the West. Safeguarding lives right now should be the first priority, isn't there some sort of UN fund or UNCIEF that can get involved? As mentioned, the potential for this mutate beyond vaccines is there and far more likely in countries in crowded conditions.

Saka looks a real gem, need to make sure Arsenal rise with him otherwise he'll be getting offers.

Incredible performance. Twice Australia have been beaten like that now.

Forget the moral question of why countries are poorer, why do I a healthy 31 year old with barely any risk of serious illness or death need a vaccine over a health worker in Bangladesh or an 80 year old in Mali? I don't. Vaccines should be given to people in order of vulnerability, not wealth. I'm not religious but it's things like this that make me think, if there is a god, nearly all of us are damned.

I don’t have an issue with people who need it getting it but nobody under 50 (obvious exceptions) needs this vaccine desperately, especially at the expense of people who do.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jan/18/who-just-25-covid-vaccine-doses-administered-in-low-income-countries '“It’s not right that younger healthier adults in rich countries are vaccinated before health workers and older people in poorer countries,” he said.' People under 50, without health conditions, in the UK do not need a vaccine as a matter of urgency, we should be back of the queue.

Can definitely see the increased transmission of this thing, know loads of people who've got it now, including people extremely cautious about it all. Thankfully nobody very ill but shows how infectious this strain is.

Yep, deserves a lot of credit really. He's not totally abandoned his normal tactics but there's definitely been a more pragmatic approach to games this season. This season is unpredictable but it's hard to see beyond them.

The situation with vaccines really throws into focus to the disgraceful state of the world we live in, many poorer countries will be left with insufficient or even no access to the best vaccines simply because of money. You now even have the 'super rich' of Britain jetting off to the UAE to get their jabs, surely now people will realise what this world is and that we need revolutionary change. People are literally being told their life is worth less.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2021/jan/10/one-in-five-have-had-coronavirus-in-england-new-modelling-says Suggest that as many as 50% of people in some Lo din boroughs have had it, and around 40% in cities like Liverpool and Manchester. My girlfriend hasn’t had a sense of smell since September so pretty sure it’ll be the virus and I’d have had it too.

Good news that the vaccines seem to work on the South African strain pretty effectively. A good chance at some point that it will evolve to get past it but apparently the vaccines should be able to be tweaked to combat this. Bit like how the Flu vaccine changes every year.

I’ve said some stuff about trump and America in general but this beyond the pale. He needs to be locked up. He is a criminal.

A culture I think is rooted in your constitution. You declared the liberty of man with your foot on the black man’s neck. No justice has ever been seen for that. America is the apocryphal Babylon. Feared and hated across the world, and for good reason.

Stan, I appreciate your views but you can’t forget American history. Trump is not some random man planted, he is very much in line with American history. When will people realise this is a result of American culture and not some random mad man.