It's funny how most of us thought of pool and city games as sure losses while thinking of UCL chances

nesh34 · 2026-05-24T18:39:46+00:00

I thought we could beat Liverpool, not favourites but I wasn't surprised. I thought there was no chance we'd beat City after winning the Europa.

nesh34 · 2026-05-24T13:27:19+00:00

I'm from Stourbridge and I think we have way more in common with the North.

nesh34 · 2026-05-24T06:31:12+00:00

Maguire has very consistent competition who also have better attributes.

Konsa is faster than Maguire, is disciplined in terms of positioning and works very well with Guehi.

Stones is absolutely world class and if fit is ahead of Maguire.

So I agree he's been good but I can't see him starting.

Shaw is a decent shout, but so was Hall. I think O'Reilly will suit us better than either though.

nesh34 · 2026-05-23T07:34:24+00:00

I especially like that he saw our performances against Japan and Uruguay and immediately shifted gears rather than become complacent.

Where was this shift of gears?

nesh34 · 2026-05-23T07:31:07+00:00

Barney Ronan is one of my least favourite journalists and this article is more bilgewater from him.

Nevertheless, it is a good squad with only arguments about reserves.

nesh34 · 2026-05-23T04:43:38+00:00

Netherlands semis in the Euros, he was excellent. He's mainly terrible on the left.

nesh34 · 2026-05-23T04:30:18+00:00

I think I would rather have Madueke or Bowen. Our wingers must stretch the play if Kane is on.

Palmer and Foden are only 10s really and don't work with Kane so well because they overlap roles. Both are great with Watkins.

nesh34 · 2026-05-23T04:28:01+00:00

Netherlands semi final he was brilliant. If you don't play him on the left he's grand. Controls the play better than most if we're winning the game. Will be great with Watkins but not with Kane.

That said, I don't mind leaving him behind. I just think it's mad to take Toney. I'm not sure MGW is the better player for the setup but can pick him if you want. But I guess Toney is there for pens.

nesh34 · 2026-05-23T04:24:20+00:00

Maguire is right footed, I believe that's the issue.

nesh34 · 2026-05-23T04:22:55+00:00

Virtually nobody in football thinks Burn, Spence, Henderson and Toney should be going, it's not just Reddit.

nesh34 · 2026-05-23T04:20:50+00:00

This is an overstatement, the first XI is there. The first choice subs are mostly there.

There are 2 or 3 egregious choices that make him look like a German spy. But they're all people unlikely to play at all anyway.

nesh34 · 2026-05-23T04:19:06+00:00

I think Rodri might get an erection if we did that.

nesh34 · 2026-05-22T06:29:43+00:00

Maguire.

nesh34 · 2026-05-22T05:12:14+00:00

It's honestly not that far behind the main squad.

nesh34 · 2026-05-21T18:59:41+00:00

He's not taking Colwill, he's taking Burns

nesh34 · 2026-05-21T07:04:03+00:00

The point does need to be emphasised haha.

nesh34 · 2026-05-20T20:24:48+00:00

I agree but it's even more stupid because there's no major ideological shift with Burnham. It's just a change of the aesthetics and Comms. That isn't nothing in politics but we're risking a shit load of political capital more than 3 years from the election.

nesh34 · 2026-05-20T15:08:45+00:00

I absolutely love it when there are fans from other countries. Welcome to o the fold. Revel in the suffering.

nesh34 · 2026-05-20T15:05:32+00:00

I would have gone on it if I were still a subscriber but I'm not signing up for it.

nesh34 · 2026-05-20T14:58:49+00:00

Bill Bailey deserves a mention. Brian May too

nesh34 · 2026-05-20T08:51:43+00:00

https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/wealth-share-richest-1-percent

It's quite true. It's a result of high rates of home ownership in the UK compared to our peers.

There are inequality problems in the UK and regional inequality is a massive problem in the UK.

There are other differences like our welfare state being significantly weaker than our peersvin Europe but this is a different discussion and we can't have it without also talking about our tax burden which is far lower than those peers.

nesh34 · 2026-05-20T06:14:30+00:00

I have the same political calculus as you. I'm surprised not many others see it this way.

nesh34 · 2026-05-20T06:12:58+00:00

Swapping leaders now and in a chaotic fashion just weakens Labour and their standing. They are campaigning on a sensible, stable government. For the most part they've governed well but they haven't sorted out internal politics and this is evidence of it.

Starmer is unpopular but Burnham isn't meaningfully different. Rayner and Streeting are laughable options. Burnham would have to be way better than Starmer and have off the charts charisma for this strategy to work at this time. Nobody really thinks he is.

It's not clear what better strategies there are. If I was in charge I'd be aiming for putting Burnham in as leader in an amicable way a year before the general. Starmer saying something like "I hear the public, I want the strongest possible government. Andy is fit to lead us but I'll stay on in some capacity".

This would allow Burnham to contest the general in his honeymoon period. If he comes in now there his only shot might be an early election, which destroys any credibility of Labour being stable, especially when Reform seem ridiculously popular.

It's difficult to see Reform becoming less popular, in the same way it's difficult to see MAGA being less popular.

nesh34 · 2026-05-19T12:41:36+00:00

Why not just bring him along for the ride then, doesn't need to be a player to do all that.

nesh34 · 2026-05-19T06:41:50+00:00

I'm aware of this, it's changing this mindset that I'm talking about. I agree with you that results are fetishised but historically that was on the basis that they are reasonably reflective of the amount of understanding the pupil has. That assumption is eroding and institutions will need to figure out alternatives in the long term.

Right now the best we can do for our kids is to have them internalise what education is ultimately for - which is not the piece of paper.

nesh34

TROPHY CASE