Thumbbass

I don't know enough about the HS2 scheme to comment. On the face of it it appears to be a major disaster budget-wise. But then we seem to have lurched from one to the next with this government. Maybe Michelle Mone has a sideline in concrete sleepers that are a foot too short. People buy/rent houses/flats near to stations or in towns with good links purposely for the convenience of the service. Those towns and areas benefit because people are able to commute to better paid jobs from areas with cheaper accommodation. It's only niche for you because you don't use it. For some people it's the only mode of transport they do use. An affordable and more consistent pricing structure and profits being reinvested into network improvements and not siphoned out would be on my wishlist.

You make David Attenborough cry.

I have my own axe to grind with the FOH workforce particularly with Greater Anglia. Many of whom would conveniently disappear at the sign of disruption. So I won't be fighting their corner, Mick Lynch can continue that. I've consciously tuned out of their industrial action as I'm torn. I think there are a number of studies that correlate higher GDP figures with investment in public transport. It's not the black-hole it might appear.

Rail travel is far more environmentally friendly than travelling by car. We all live on the same planet although given some of the posts I've read it is questionable. We should be encouraging use of more efficient and carbon-free means of travel for everyone. Why should someone who doesn't own a car, or choose to make an environmentally sound decision, have to be subject to the pollution other people's cars emit? The truth of the matter is that you may not have a choice, and neither do they, but everyone is paying a price one way or the other. I'd rather it was financial than continuing to watch the planet burn.

There is an assumption here, and in the OP that everyone has the choice to drive. Which they don't. Railways provide essential transport for essential services. Would you rather the government/taxpayer paid for taxis for everyone who has access to free/reduced price essential travel. It already happens at huge cost to local government for those living in the countryside. I know someone who lives in the countryside who had a child collected by taxi everyday for specialist schooling, an hour trip. This is not uncommon. I don't disagree that the siphoning off of money from our own network's profits to foreign owners is wrong but there is a much wider picture. Pricing is an issue for casual tickets and isn't consistent, you can book in advance and get a return to Liverpool street for £15 but it costs the same to get a return ticket to Diss. It puts people off even looking. I use the railway every day, by choice. I can drive, but for my journey it's actually 10-15mins quicker, on par with petrol price and is far more environmentally friendly. I only wish more people would take that choice. I cycle 3 miles to the station every day, I watch car after car pass me with one person sat inside, probably not going much further than I am.

As a trolley boy of the 90's I'd see that as a challenge. These were the days before those restraining straps, just you, a stack of trolleys and the playful camber of the tarmac. These were the heady days of trolley collection. I hit so many cars. Not sorry.

I'm also interested, however, please don't sing it again as it renders him useless! He'd had a good game almost to the minute the chant started and then forgot he was playing football 'til he was finally hooked.

Totally on-board with this. And appreciate your posts as not being like the binary and reactionary stuff posted on most subjects. I can't work out how much of this poor form (running back into Farke's time) is due to the manager/s or this group of players as a unit. It's been a running theme throughout the season that we have a period of domination in the game followed by a totally unfathomable malaise. The pendulum swings in every game and no one can expect to dominate for the entirety, but how much is caused by on-pitch decisions as opposed to overall strategy? While the Barclay cheered Sara's name he totally forgot he needed to cover for Max Aarons, just as a for instance. These are on-pitch issues that are not something a manager can solve, it's not u10s football.

30 years ago Florin Răducioiu was the main man. 424. Won every game by about 7 goals. What a time to be alive.

I watched about 30 minutes of the game on and off until they scored. Very ordinary side. I know they take some flack on here for being stuck in the past but I reserve judgement until I've seen it myself in a normal, non-derby situation. When there are 3 flags with either/or Bobby Robson/Alf Ramsey at an away fixture in Bracknell then that criticism has been rubber-stamped.

Wondered if that was your band - but from the response I'm guessing not!

Jack the Lad?

Gibbs played really well last night, but the previous two games I'd been to he was poor. In Hayden there are shades of a Tettey, right tiime right place, basic ball winner and mover, definitely short of fitness though. As has been mentioned the team's shape with him in it seems better balanced with more width from full backs. Watching Willock walk through that area of the pitch and nearly score from 30 yards was a worry though.

Played incredibly well last night up until he took a knock and didn't look right for the 5-10mins before being subbed. Very solid defensively, has the Kenton knack of always getting something on the ball and shutting players down early, and a threat coming forward. Really like the lad. Giannoulis is going to struggle to get back in to the side, barring injury of course.

Within 20 minutes it was clear he needed to come off. I know it takes a brave manager to sub a player off before the half is finished, but we were essentially playing with 10 men. For him to come back out after half time was a terrible piece of judgement from him and DS. Fortunately though we weren't punished and, for as much of a poor decision as it appeared, we should have a stronger and fresher line up for Wednesday against a better side.

In Wodonga, Australia, watching it all happen on a broken tv. Had to fly home a couple of months later and we were all evacuated from the plane after a suspicious package was found. A very nervous flight. Watched the lions tour on the same broken TV. Something the kids of today will never have to deal with but the horizontal balance had gone and the bottom half of the picture was at the top of the screen. Not the biggest issue dealt with in this post granted!

It's unlikely they are going to sit in with 2 banks of 4 and did concede 2 goals at the weekend. Can't say that we look like we're going to win but this will really show where we are as a side. There might be more opportunity to play football rather than have 80% of the possession and spend half the game playing from side to side only to concede 3 goals from crosses.

Might work for Boris

If I were him, and watched Leon Bailey start ahead of me, regardless of money I'd not be a happy chap. His situation does provide a bit of perspective on our own signings that haven't settled and not looked good value against the money spent. Emi didn't get near the ball last night, I think I saw him touch it once in around 15-20 mins. Jogging aimlessly side to side. We know how good he can be, but in a team that was struggling, as Villa were last night, it was seemingly impossible for him to get involved. You could level at him, based upon last night, that he looked disinterested and not up to it - if you knew no different of course - which most Villa supporters won't. It's the same reason we had the guy on here defending Tzolis. In all likelihood he probably needs to move clubs again.

I'd like to see this formation to offer DG and MA the freedom to push further up, both are a threat over the halfway line and we haven't got the natural width from our midfielders. Onel is the only one who wants to keep the pitch wide. Think Gunn's been OK though so he'd keep his place for me.

Thanks, but given the image quality of the above and as I stated did not watch the game it's easy enough to mistake the two from the highlights given that's where you would expect SB to be. But I stand corrected, substitute Byram for Dowell, same stands. Ultimately it wasn't good enough.

Actually watching Bristol back it was a centred ball and Hanley was caught square. Watching the Watford one - McLean saw it - Pointed and was ignored. Then Hanley shouts at Byram to go back out but it was too late and Hanley couldn't recover the situation. It all looks very Sunday league from Byram on that goal. 'One of ya'. Preston - Omobamidele is running toward his own goal with no idea of where the centre forward is and doesn't recover his postion even given the time to do so. In my head these were balls floated over our CBs but actually both Hanley and AO were out of position.

I cannot understand why we are so poor at defending deeper deliveries into our back post. Bristol, Preston, Watford all scoring from similar postions of delivery. I can understand that we may be on the back-foot but usually we have the numbers there. This isn't new BTW, it was happening last season and the one before that from open play and set pieces. I wasn't able to watch the game on Saturday and wasn't surprised that one of their 2 goals was a gift at the far post. I'm not sure if it's just cognitive bias now and because I've noticed it it seems to be happening more to us than you would expect?

If we had a cup game I think Gunn would be in, play in the cup and not have a mare and the place would be his. But it's a massive call, probably in terms of squad harmony one below changing captain.

I think he had one decent game, might have been when we were knocked out of the world cup by Portugal, otherwise just an average cm. That said, Carlton Palmer was leagues below him but poor Carlton's already taken plenty of abuse.