Old Shuck

Ross Jack scored in quite a few consecutive games back in about 1981 bur Sarge is now on a run for the ages, long may it continue.

We all, rightly, look back at 92/93 with fond memories. But that 88/89 team came just as close to glory and was being tipped as an unlikely double contender at one time. And there's my hill. That was our best ever season, side and squad.

Nicely done!

I really like those-wonder if they do an equivalent golf shoe!?

I like it! Wonder how many pairs Nunez has, perhaps he should get a special rate? Do people remember their first pair of football boots...mine were these-George Best Stylo Matchmakers...

I'd happily spend a day at Colney cleaning and polishing up their boots, £20 a pair......🤣

Yes, he was always going to be there, but, now he's with Ajax, he's on the plane. So he'll start alongside Rice. Alexander-Arnold is injured but expected back at the end of this month, if he is able to displace one of Klopp's fledglings (altogether: ahhhhhh!!) and get a run of games in April, May, then he's an option. Pickford Walker, Stones, Maguire, Chilwell Henderson Rice Saka Bellingham Rashford Kane (not my XI, the one I think Southgate will regard as his starting XI) Guessing Sterling will miss out, Tripper and Phillips not certainties for the squad either. Mason Mount English football's forgotten man!

He is a bit on/off with Foden, isn't he? He has to be in the middle of that front three-and its why Bellingham will play deeper. But that gives him (Bellingham) most of the pitch ahead of him, and, with his vision and ability to read a game, its the best place for him. If only Rashford was on his game. But, as has been said, he usually plays well for England.

Agree. Behind a 4 of Saka, Bellingham, Foden and Rashford. Madders may have been in contention, injury hasn't helped his cause. Whilst Grealish has been out of favour. Left back is a concern. Maybe Walker will play there with White at right back.

Suspect Maguire will keep his place. Would opt for Lewis Dunk or Marc Guehi myself but Southgate will go with experience. For that reason, Chilwell at left back. If he's not fit then thats a bit of an issue with Shaw likely out as well. Phillips may not even make the squad now. Think Southgate will play Bellingham deeper and keep faith in Rashford in that attacking trio.

And there's the rub-when the future of any kind of football is dependent on TV interest and rights. Where would the game be without it-and where would most clubs, ourselves included, now be without it? TV owns the game and the medium acts like it. It was Keith Burkinshaw, who agreed with a journalists comment about Tottenham ('...there used to be a football club over there' -and that was in 1984!) who also said TV would one day govern the game to such an extent that fans would be paid to attend games in order to provide the atmosphere for the TV coverage. As it turns out, VAR is the great entertainer for the sofa dwelling masses right now but that day might still come once true fans are fed up with Liverpool vs Inter Milan for the 7th time in a year....

The Premier League will, ultimately, and by 2030, become a closed shop, no promotion or relegation, 18 clubs (they'll be hoping to weed out the Luton's and Bournemouth's for a spot of Leeds and Sunderland) with most of them playing in European competition of some kind as well as some fixtures played overseas. They won't compete in either of the domestic cups. The fact that the promoted clubs tend to struggle is all the fuel they need to justify this happening and the formation of a 80 team separate football competition of four divisions operating underneath, but not part of it. One league for worldwide sofa dwelling consumers paying £24.99 a month, four more for football fans who'll, through the greed of the perceived elite, get a little bit of the game they used to love back. Until, I guess, the top ones in that league start to get greedy....

Lakey's nailed it. He's got more than enough time to have some success again-at a bigger club looking for a lift perhaps, Pompey if they lose Mousinho, Derby, Sheff Weds etc. Suffered at Stoke-massively wealthy owners but a club skittering about like a moth to a flame, Schumacher now getting a lot of stick there. But his time here is done and dusted.

As we seem to be learning, one season in the Premier League (promoted/immediately relegated) seems to bring as many financial burdens as it does benefits. First season survival is beyond mission critical now & as an achievement, is far superior to getting the promotion that got you there in the first place. No coincidence that the three promoted clubs look set to go straight down this season-unless you are a one-time 'bigger' club fighting your way back up there (and Leicester probably count as recent PL winners) then you're up against it from the off-which is exactly how we, Ipswich, Leeds, Southampton or West Brom would be from August onwards. Clubs like Bournemouth, Brentford and Palace will be looking at who are likely to come up next season & be thinking that maybe at least two & almost certainly one of the three of them could head straight back in the opposite direction-heartening for them and their backers.

Always a worry when a coach talks about a player fitting into a position "...if need be". It's like having a leak your ceiling but, if need be, you can put a bucket under it. Does a job but you'd rather not have the problem in the first place.

The match has since been 're-refereed'..... https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52416192 Six reds for David Elleray, eleven (!!) for Michael Oliver.

Nightmare scenario for Premier League- Everton get relegated, Luton stay up. Sorted....

Aren't they Billy Dane's?

Burning his bridges somewhat in the interview on the main page perhaps?

They've made around £700,000 from their FA Cup run so far. But, according to their chairman at the weekend, decent but not life changing. What sort of money do you need at their level for it to be beyond 'decent'?

Yes. That and the tracksuit tops they all had to warm up in with their names on the backs. Don Revie and Admiral were something of a team themselves, little wonder England went all Admiral soon after he took over.

Agree. There's no way I'd ever be persuaded to parade my worn out MOT failure of a body to play a game now unless I could find a pair of plain black boots to wear. Even Gola ones!

Never mind whether or not we "evaluate" him in the summer, he won't want to come back here if his form continues and he gets the support he is getting-and rather a sub at Celtic in the Champions League than at Norwich in the Championship. He wants the move, no question.

On that basis you could include Gary Megson. Robert Chase didnt want him and he and Mike Walker were at loggerheads over signing him at the time but Walker, somehow, miraculously, got his way and Megson, the player, in that 92/93 season was a major contributor. Jeremy Goss, I think, recalled how everyone was wildly celebrating after the 2-4 win at Arsenal on that opening day, aside from Megson who told them all they needed to move on and think about the next game.

I'm sure I remember him appearing once on Superstars (who remembers it?) and, unlike most of the competitors who took part and were deadly serious with it (Brian Jacks, Keegan falling off his bike at speed etc) just looked as if he'd turned up for a laugh and came a distant last in just about everything. An entertainer. Remember him standing out at Orient when he was there.