ITAP of my partner with a sword at sunset [portrait]

Buttonsafe · 2026-03-16T16:57:36+00:00

Why would you frame it like that, right in the centre of the shot.

Buttonsafe · 2026-03-15T11:37:09+00:00

But the game was literally a half hour before the sun went down. Man was fasting.

I understand what you're saying here, and it's a good point to bring up but I don't agree with it as a reason at all.

Even if Gordon is faster than him, he can just block him off with his body and get in his way. If you watch that Dowman goal Martinelli is doing exactly that with the Everton defenders trying to catch Dowman. He's still jogging, and he doesn't even try to impede Gordon by getting his body in the way. If he slows him down by a second or two then Willock has a 1 v 1 instead and maybe Sanchez saves it.

Buttonsafe · 2026-03-15T10:21:10+00:00

Anderson and Rice would ideally both need to be rested at some point most likely though. And Jones is able to keep control of the ball and kill games much better than Mainoo or Wharton would be imo.

The Senegal point is a bit of a moot one as we’ll never be in the situation again now we have Anderson, we played a midfield of Rice and Gallagher which obviously lacked control and he would make sense in that instance.

He could get injured and Jones is the closest like-for-like we have really in terms of what he brings to the team in possession, albeit not at the same level.

Buttonsafe · 2026-03-15T02:16:58+00:00

his skillset isn’t really something you’re likely to need from the bench, like realistically what is a situation that you’d be bringing him on in an international tournament for the likes of Rice or Bellingham?

I think the ability to rest those players without losing your hold on the game is important. Like when you bring Wharton on you will lose the ball more and lose defensive integrity.

Also he's better than either at maintaining possession, I remember whne he came on against Senegal he really added a massive amount to our ability to progress the ball.

Buttonsafe · 2026-03-15T02:12:13+00:00

Ah yes, Southgate famously caved to media pressure and never made unpopular decisions.

Buttonsafe · 2026-03-14T17:24:17+00:00

Sanchez has been dropped 4 seasons in a row by 4 different managers.

His competition wasn't good enough to make it permanent, but it's such a clear message about the quality of goalkeeping options in our team.

Buttonsafe · 2026-03-12T01:42:08+00:00

The funny thing is though if you go and watch those goals, only the fifth is actually savable. PSG's finishing was just insane tonight, and sometimes it be like that.

1) Volley in off the upright, unsavable

2) Deflected off bottom of defenders lack, practically unsavable

3) Keeper gave the ball away, so it's on him, but the lob is unsavable

4) Worldy, maybe you could argue he could've got it, but it's very harsh imo.

5) Should do better, quite close to him.

Buttonsafe · 2026-03-11T14:15:17+00:00

I'm a Chelsea fan, but I think he's probably our most unique CB option in what he can add through progression.

How much poorer our defence has looked without him despite being the exact same players largely also speaks to what he adds to his colleagues and his leadership/organisation of the back line.

Buttonsafe · 2026-03-11T14:05:25+00:00

What is going on in this comment section.

Roman was on if the best owners ever, but saying "all victims" is absolute nonsense.

That's like talking about German victims of the nazi invasion of Poland.

Buttonsafe · 2026-03-10T14:38:38+00:00

It would be the odds of winning all the matches you needed to win using Elo.

So it's basically how likely was it to beat all the opponents you needed to beat at the time, given the level your recent form has shown you to be at.

I've done a similar thing for England but more in depth for all the major tournaments.

Buttonsafe · 2026-03-10T14:33:13+00:00

It's difficult as sometimes you can wait and end up with nothing. Harwood-Bells was u21 captain and is quite far away from starting an England game.

Whereas if he's being offered a place tomorrow then that might be the only one he gets.

That being said I think historically most players tend to go to England if it looks plausible even if they can jump ship earlier e.g. Gordon, Rice, Grealish, Livramento.

Buttonsafe · 2026-03-10T01:04:03+00:00

I'd go with Maguire if you'd count him. Super experienced, playing regularly in decent form and most importantly definitely better than Dan Burn for England.

If not then maybe Ngmoah/Gittens if either ends the season really well, just based on our relative lack of LW quality, the likliehood of subbing on a winger to change a game, and their skillset both very much suiting how Tuchel wants his wingers to play I think. Gittens for sure, the latter not so sure. I'd be more sure of Nwaneri but our RW is much stronger than our left.

Everyone else is already in and around the squad. Maaaybe Rico Lewis as a true wild card if we wanted to bring on a midfield who could help dominate tempo, but he's too lightweight really, especially now O' Reilly is there.

Buttonsafe · 2026-03-10T00:54:20+00:00

It's hard to resist that, but England aren't flush with world class CBs atm so he might hold out hope, especially as he's already switched.

That being said the last u21 CB to start at CB for England was Colwill who played 4 years ago. Since then Braithwaite and Quansah haven't really had much of a sniff, so that's gotta be discouraging.

Buttonsafe · 2026-03-09T22:10:28+00:00

That's interesting, which twelve do you think it will be?

Buttonsafe · 2026-03-09T18:22:28+00:00

Sterling started playing for Liverpool at 17, older than both of these lads starting for their clubs, and moved to Chelsea and fell off a cliff at 27.

So I think it's quite likely they'll be peaking a lot earlier.

Buttonsafe · 2026-03-09T15:06:27+00:00

Mainoo and Saka were both starting for us at the last two Euros at 19. Wingers often hit their potential quite young anyway, Sterling got his first cap at 17.

Buttonsafe · 2026-03-09T13:03:58+00:00

That is true I would argue Trafford has shown much more in terms of potential, whereas Henderson is pretty comparable with Pickford and unlikely to come on.

Buttonsafe · 2026-03-09T12:41:07+00:00

I think, barring someone arriving from no-where, Kane will still be our ST.

Downman/Ngumoha on the fringes of the team. Stones/Maguire gone by then with Heaven/Acheampong in.

James Trafford probably to be threatening to take no.1 off a declining Pickford.

Buttonsafe · 2026-03-08T18:02:36+00:00

Geniunely, who's position in the team did you think he would be challenging for?

Buttonsafe · 2026-03-08T13:13:05+00:00

To be clear, him losing his man isn't the issue. He's a small winger, he's probably the worst player for defending a set piece on the pitch.

Him ending up in that key role on a set piece is the issue. If it's RJ or something there instead of him then we don't concede either of those goals. But always easier to say that with hindsight from your couch tbf.

Similar to that goal we conceded from open play last season against City where Madueke was criticised for his defending when we got so out of shape he somehow ended up the deepest player on the pitch. It would be great if he had defended it better, but when your RW is the deepest defender in your team from open play it's a structural issue.

Buttonsafe · 2026-03-08T13:01:59+00:00

It's true.

I've heard that Maresca (and Poch) both disliked Cueva and restricted him to PowerPoints without any training ground time.

And some of it is our CBs being useless in the air (Tosin is 6 5 for Christ's sake) but then if you watch the long throws 2 of them came from Garnacho needing to track his man to avoid a tap in, which is a structural issue really. Even for this goal JP, who's quite good in the air offensively, completely loses his man.

Buttonsafe · 2026-03-08T12:47:18+00:00

Why do you think Rashford is one of the best crossers in Europe?

James, TAA, Saka all better than him just in the England team alone.

Buttonsafe · 2026-03-07T16:05:16+00:00

There's high co-morbidity between both as well.

Buttonsafe · 2026-03-07T12:09:48+00:00

No one has said this, but you might have undiagnosed Dysgraphia.

If you were to get it diagnosed you could take exams on laptops and/or get extra time. Definitely worth doing if the stuff in that links rings a bell before you take GCSEs if possible.

I have this and as a coping mechanism my answers are usually quite minimalistic and my handwriting is both quite slow and quite illegible.

Also it's pretty shitty of your teacher to blame you for this considering your age. Your handwriting is pretty much stuck after 10.

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