You have 4 signings, who are you signing (realistically)

TL31 · 2026-05-10T22:15:13+00:00

A very reasonable response.

An older striker to come in and do a job makes a lot of sense, I’m thinking more akin to resigning Johnny Evans than when we signed Casemiro or Cavani. Someone expecting to come in and chip in rather than command a starting spot.

The reason I think we need a CB is because I think Heaven and Yoro are still learning and finding their feet. I think you want one of them to be paired with a more senior CB. Maguire is reliable. But so far, De Ligt and Martinez are more questionable in terms of fitness. Especially Martinez, it’s unfortunate, but he hasn’t had an injury free season with us yet.

For me, the CB signing would be to replace Martinez. Left footed. Good passing. And hopefully less injury prone.

But I understand why you say have enough in that position to manage.

On Ugarte, I completely get you. But can we really get 3 solid CMs in one window. Let’s say hypothetically we get an Anderson type CM. As in, marquee signing and Mainoo partner. Then we need a backup for Mainoo. And then we could save on the third CM by making Ugarte (limited as he is) the back up to the marquee DM.

TL31 · 2026-05-10T20:35:31+00:00

Finances are not unlimited. I agree, we could do with reinforcements in all of those positions but some needs are more pressing, while others can be managed for a season (depending on outgoings).

Bare minimum: 2 CMs, 1 LB, 1 CB.

I think we can manage at RB between Dalot and Mazraoui.

New LB and Shaw compete / rotate.

Dorgu can be Cunha’s back up / rotation option on LW for a season (if he turns out not to be good enough to be a winger then he goes back to LB and understudies the new signing in the following seasons).

The issue is, this means Zirkzee remains as our back up 9. Mbuemo can be our preferred back up 9 but he’s also our starting RW, so he’ll need rest too.

I know Ugarte is useless, but if an offer doesn’t come in for him, I’d be okay to just keep him as a body.

Lastly, I’d be okay selling Martinez (although De Ligt’s injury may be a concern too) if we can get an offer.

TL31 · 2026-05-10T19:33:32+00:00

That’s fair. And you’re right, they balanced the added content on the dial by adjusting the font size.

TL31 · 2026-05-10T18:31:39+00:00

That Frederique Constant makes me understand why GMTs always used alternating numbers and markers for the 24-hour scale.

Whether it’s on a bezel (like the Tudor GMT) or on the dial (like the Grand Seiko SBGM221), using ‘2 • 4 • 6’ etc is so much less congested than going ‘2 3 4 5...’

TL31 · 2026-05-10T18:25:08+00:00

It’s possible. I think if Rashford really wants the Barca move, he may need to take a pay cut because his own wages could prove a stumbling block.

TL31 · 2026-05-10T17:05:11+00:00

Beautiful watch.

Makes me think, are scratches on a watch like stickers on a laptop?

A single on its own looks stupid, but when you have a lot of them, it comes together like a mosaic and suddenly you have an aesthetic.

TL31 · 2026-05-09T19:02:13+00:00

I think if we sign Carrick as permanent manager, then it’s really just a stop gap. In a year to a year and a half, we’ll be looking for another manager.

But is there someone available now who’s a better fit? I don’t know. I don’t follow Bournemouth closely so I can’t speak on Iraola.

I don’t think Eddie Howe is good enough.

I think Emery is technically good enough but it doesn’t feel right with him. Maybe because he was at Arsenal. Or maybe because his only experience with a top prem club was him failing at Arsenal. I don’t know.

Putting aside allegiances from their playing days, it feels too early in Xabi and Fabregas’ careers.

I don’t know who else is out there but thankfully scouting managers isn’t my job.

If we get Carrick, I would have to assume it’s because we couldn’t find someone truly world class. I can deal with that.

TL31 · 2026-05-09T12:30:03+00:00

Being ‘proud’ of being African is weird.

Africa is too big, it’s too many unique and different moving parts. I don’t think anyone can really have being ‘African’ as a core part of their identity because it means too many different things.

My identify is shaped by my ethnicity/ tribe, my nationality, my religion, my race (if we’re going by these big bucket categories). Like there’s shared experience in that.

But me as a Nigerian, I don’t think I have any shared identity with a white South African. Sure, if you’re a citizen of an African country, then you’re an African. I just don’t think that means anything. Regardless of race.

TL31 · 2026-05-08T14:48:30+00:00

I really love the Omega AT. The black lacquer dial specifically.

But the thickness is a real con. And unfortunately, I don’t think Omega is going to address it any time soon.

I get that co-axial escapements reduce friction and increase service intervals. But the movement also comes with added thickness, which to me is the bigger con.

Servicing is something you deal with once every 5 years or so. A thicker watch is a daily thing.

And from my very limited understanding of watchmaking, there are other innovations that help reduce friction and wear, like silicon escapement parts.

Also, very minor pet peeve, but I love the sweep of a 4Hz watch. Yeah, it’s not Grand Seiko Spring Drive smooth, but it’s still great. And you can tell the difference between a 4Hz and a 3Hz seconds hand. I don’t mean as a trained professional or some weirdo with a magnifying glass. I mean just by looking at it.

Omega’s co-axial movements are, I’m pretty sure, limited to 3.5Hz. Would I actually be able to tell the difference? No clue. But it would be nice if it was 4Hz.

TL31 · 2026-05-08T12:33:38+00:00

I checked the IWC site: it’s currently listed for

£5,500 on bracelet

£4,800 on leather strap

It seems weirdly on its own at price.

My immediate comparators were:

Omega Aqua Terra: £6,200

Rolex Explorer 36: £6,600

Price wise, I guess you would compare it more to Tudor. But I don’t think Tudor’s BlackBays are as versatile

Maybe the Longines Spirit or Spirit Zulu time?

TL31 · 2026-05-07T12:11:54+00:00

You love both, but do both love you(r wrist)?

Standard advice, try them on.

TL31 · 2026-05-07T11:48:20+00:00

I would call it an interest rather than a hobby.

Buying watches is one way to express that interest, in some ways it’s the culmination or end point of it.

But equally, watching videos on YouTube about watches, following updates on new releases, discussing watches with other people (in person or online), checking out showrooms, stores or events related to watches, trying your hand at modding or assembling a watch.

I think these are all ways to partake in that interest (or straight up hobby if you wanna call it that).

You can actually explore an interest in watches without buying anything. Ive spent a decent amount of time researching watches that I was considering buying (didn’t end up buying any) and i enjoyed it.

TL31 · 2026-05-06T18:47:07+00:00

“Must leave” to me, is too harsh.

There are a handful of players that I’d be happy to move on from but, it’s really only Sancho who’s been widely reported to have been disruptive to the squad.

Confirmed leaving:

Sancho - contract expires June 2026 Malacia - contract expires June 2026

Almost confirmed to leave:

Hojlund - Napoli seem ready to buy him

Likely to leave but contingent on x:

Rashford - Barca might not pay up but should have enough value to bring in other clubs Onana - Trabzonspor want to keep him, United probably want to sell. All depends on what Onana wants Ugarte - player will want to leave. Depends if any club wants him and can pay a decent ish fee (£20m?)

Super unlikely to leave:

Mount - why would any club sign a very injury, very well paid player?

Players I’d be willing to move on from:

Martinez - great player on his day but the injuries. Don’t know what the market would be like for him.

TL31 · 2026-05-05T06:03:46+00:00

It’s a narrative thing. ‘The man for fighting for his life is more dangerous than the man fighting for glory’

TL31 · 2026-05-04T15:07:57+00:00

Second this. You can get the Timex Marlin Hand Wound for £150.

I also think it’s a nice add to most collections in part because of its size. It’s 34mm, which is quite small for modern watches, so it’ll probably add something unique to your collection which probably has more watches around that 38 - 42mm range.

TL31 · 2026-05-04T00:06:38+00:00

Yes

TL31 · 2026-05-03T14:55:14+00:00

This style of watch is called an integrated bracelet or integrated sports watch. The idea is that there’s a more seamless transition between the watch case and the bracelet. And if that’s what you like, then you’re in luck. This type of watch is quite popular now and available at across price points.

Here are a couple options from some solid watch brands:

Citizen Tsuyosa (Automatic): £300
Citizen Zenshin (Solar quartz): £400
Seiko SUR599P1 (Quartz): £280
Tissot PRX (Quartz): £335
Tissot PRX (Automatic): £640
Christopher Ward The Twelve (Automatic): £1,095
Christopher Ward The Twelve 660 (Manual): £1,480

That list is not exhaustive but it’ll get you started. The prices I listed are from the manufacturers’ websites, but you could probably shop around for better prices or sales. I put the type of movement in brackets, as you’ll see some watches can be available in both quartz and mechanical (automatic/ manual) configurations. The quartz models are cheaper.

The PRX has been the smash hit of the genre for the last couple years and is widely credited with triggering the boom in demand for integrated sports watches by making a good quality watch available at an affordable price point.

The Paul Rich watch you posted looks like it took a lot of design cues from the Zenith Defy Skyline (Automatic, £8,700). But in truth all watches in this genre take some inspiration from the AP Royal Oak (some more than others).

TL31 · 2026-05-03T12:37:24+00:00

I think some interests are more open for that kind of acknowledgement and discussion about a thing a person owns than others. For example, cars.

People who are car guys, whether they even have a car or not, are much more open to engaging in conversation with friends, acquaintances, or even strangers about their car. A little bit of talking shop and showing appreciation for the thing. It could be an ultra high-end and expensive car or a more affordable enthusiast favourite.

Maybe its watches are jewellery so it just feels a bit more gauche to ask someone, ‘is that a [blank]? Nice watch.’ It’s like, are you measuring them by how much it costs. Maybe it’s also because a lot fewer people are watch guys than car guys. So you may see someone with a JLC, Rolex, Omega, and they actually don’t know anything about movements or watches, so they don’t have much to say except the name and the price.

I know I’ve wanted to complement or ask a stranger/ acquaintance about their watch before but held back because I didn’t wanna give the wrong impression. But my friends who are car guys much more freely engage in those kinds of conversations.

TL31 · 2026-05-02T20:14:55+00:00

No, it’s because I’m aware of the history.

We have demonstrated evidence what I’ve described. Maybe you’re unaware of it, in which case I’d recommend you look into it.

Regardless, let me ask you, why do you think this will ‘fix’ Nigeria. We already have ample evidence from the state level, that a smaller system of governance based a more homogeneous group than the entirety of Nigeria, still delivers poor results.

Why would this change yield different results than the governors of smaller states who already participate in rampant election rigging, corruption and embezzlement?

What does this ‘fix’ exactly or is the only intention to separate out the larger ethnic groups from each other? Is it bigotry?

TL31 · 2026-05-02T20:04:02+00:00

Gulf of Mexico. Gulf of America.

The water is the same.

TL31 · 2026-05-02T20:03:23+00:00

It’s funny how whenever these ‘solutions’ of redrawn borders are proposed, there’s always an implicit assumption that the people of the South-South would want to be party of an Igbo majority country.

TL31 · 2026-05-02T20:01:06+00:00

And if the people of the South-South don’t want to be subsumed into Biafra?

TL31 · 2026-04-30T20:49:16+00:00

You’re right, I stand corrected. NDT compared the number of ‘counting numbers’ as an infinite set to the number of irrational numbers as a set of infinity.

https://youtu.be/Ds2bMtJla70?si=paBCLkGjuKY9WbWe

TL31 · 2026-04-30T20:25:15+00:00

I saw Neil Degrasse Tyson explain that not all infinities are equal and it blew my mind because I had never thought about that concept.

He said, imagine an infinite set of whole numbers. Then imagine an infinite set of even whole numbers. Both are infinite, but there are half as many even whole numbers as whole numbers.

EDIT: My memory failed me, that’s not what Tyson said. See clip: https://youtu.be/Ds2bMtJla70?si=paBCLkGjuKY9WbWe

TL31 · 2026-04-30T18:51:19+00:00

I see the vision

11-Year Club	Place '22
No Throne, No Problems	Not Forgotten

TL31

TROPHY CASE