Wolfie

Hi, no

After finishing Fall of the House of Usher (very good), we decided to jump straight into another Mike Flanagan creation: Midnight Mass (Netflix).
Promising first episode but must admit it threw me a bit having most of the actors playing billionaires in Usher, now turning up on an impoverished remote island.

I realy like Eurovision. Unfortunately this year, we were round at some friends who had a big TV but with terrible tinny speakers, so I didn't have the normal viewing experience.
Anyway, not that anyone asked for them but here are my thoughts:
The best songs finished at the top, on the whole. No complaints. Political voting (friendly countries voting for each other) isn't anywhere near as prolific as it used to be, despite what the haters say - many of whom will slag it off and then say they haven't seen it for years. Our song didn't deserve to do any better than it did. I thought it might be in the top half but hated the staging. I'm really no prude but the  comedy cod-piece thrusting looked like a parody of a strip club. Embarrasing and cringey, and would have turned a lot of viewers off IMO. The whole zero gravity effect thing never once looked convincing. Ollie's performance was OK but no better than that & way behind that of Switzerland, whose staging was far simpler (their gimmick worked) but a lot more effective. I've just heard Richard Osman (The rest is entertainment podcast) give a very good explanation of the massive Israel public vote - basically that even if the public were a lot more sympathetic to Gaza than to Israel on average, pro-Israel votes will only go to Israel. Anti-Israel votes can go to any one of 24 countries, so that was always going to happen if people are going to take the war into account.

My spring weight loss efforts were scuppered by picking up a stinker of a cold/flu/covid that floored me for a couple of weeks, which has meant I've missed my target by about 3lbs before going on holiday this coming Saturday. Annoying in that it didn't kill my appetite but did stop the gym sessions.
I'm going to have to try not to go mental with the all-inclusive but I suspect we all know what's going to happen there.

I realy like Eurovision. Unfortunately this year, we were round at some friends who had a big TV but with terrible tinny speakers, so I didn't have the normal viewing experience.
Anyway, not that anyone asked for them but here are my thoughts:
The best songs finished at the top, on the whole. No complaints. Political voting (friendly countries voting for each other) isn't anywhere near as prolific as it used to be, despite what the haters say - many of whom will slag it off and then say they haven't seen it for years. Our song didn't deserve to do any better than it did. I thought it might be in the top half but hated the staging. I'm really no prude but the  comedy cod-piece thrusting looked like a parody of a strip club. Embarrasing and cringey, and would have turned a lot of viewers off IMO. The whole zero gravity effect thing never once looked convincing. Ollie's performance was OK but no better than that & way behind that of Switzerland, whose staging was far simpler (their gimmick worked) but a lot more effective. I've just heard Richard Osman (The rest is entertainment podcast) give a very good explanation of the massive Israel public vote - basically that even if the public were a lot more sympathetic to Gaza than to Israel on average, pro-Israel votes will only go to Israel. Anti-Israel votes can go to any one of 24 countries, so that was always going to happen if people are going to take the war into account.

My spring weight loss efforts were scuppered by picking up a stinker of a cold/flu/covid that floored me for a couple of weeks, which has meant I've missed my target by about 3lbs before going on holiday this coming Saturday. Annoying in that it didn't kill my appetite but did stop the gym sessions.
I'm going to have to try not to go mental with the all-inclusive but I suspect we all know what's going to happen there.

dont know if anyone cares but im down to 15st 2 and hoping to break into the 14st barrier by the weekend. With the hot weather comes all the socialising and bbq's so im gonna have a miserable time in coming months hahaa

My rules on eBay are  - just bid once, make it the maximum you are willing to pay, and if you win, happy days. If not, then accept that you've been outbid and get over it

Pinched from the Gateshead Facebook thingy.
…………………….seems fair comment to me. 👍🏁

Let’s assume he hasn’t come through our academy and is a random young striker who’s had a good 3-4 months.  Would we really be suggesting we sign him and throw him in?  Would we really by looking at him thinking a Prem club will sign him for 8 figures in the summer?  Probably not.
@Chesterfield_Ram has given some good stats about other National League strikers who’ve scored hat loads at that level, but not so much in L1 or L2.  It’s about developing him at the right pace and not rushing him too soon.  I think the best next step is to send him on loan to L1 with the option to recall in January.

Last year the programme was live from the UK with a raft of UK presenters so of course the ratings were way higher. The year before we had our only decent entry for a decade and a good chance of winning (and would have without a Europe wide Ukraine sympathy vote).
This year the viewing figures reverted to their normal level. And were high given the paucity of good songs. In 2021 it was 7.4m, this year it was 7.6m. No contest in 2020, but 6.9m in 2019.

After finishing Fall of the House of Usher (very good), we decided to jump straight into another Mike Flanagan creation: Midnight Mass (Netflix).
Promising first episode but must admit it threw me a bit having most of the actors playing billionaires in Usher, now turning up on an impoverished remote island.

That may well be true but we currently have nowhere near a mid table Championship squad, once those who are leaving have left, IMO.
We're playing catch-up and so we'll need investment that other teams don't require. Which is why I would say expectations of anything above half way are some way too high.

No idea quite how I've never seen it before, as a Stephen King fan, but watched Dolores Claiborne on Prime.
Loved it. Kathy Bates just brilliant and Jennifer Jason Leigh very good as the damaged daughter.
8.5/10

It does when we have a decent song and performer (that Sam whatsisname who should have won when Ukraine did). An average pop song with an average performance from somwone you've never heard of just won't cut it.
Last year was a decent pop tune but an awful live performance.
I expect us to be in the top half this year but don't think the song is memorable enough to do really well.

That may well be true but we currently have nowhere near a mid table Championship squad, once those who are leaving have left, IMO.
We're playing catch-up and so we'll need investment that other teams don't require. Which is why I would say expectations of anything above half way are some way too high.

That may well be true but we currently have nowhere near a mid table Championship squad, once those who are leaving have left, IMO.
We're playing catch-up and so we'll need investment that other teams don't require. Which is why I would say expectations of anything above half way are some way too high.

That may well be true but we currently have nowhere near a mid table Championship squad, once those who are leaving have left, IMO.
We're playing catch-up and so we'll need investment that other teams don't require. Which is why I would say expectations of anything above half way are some way too high.

That may well be true but we currently have nowhere near a mid table Championship squad, once those who are leaving have left, IMO.
We're playing catch-up and so we'll need investment that other teams don't require. Which is why I would say expectations of anything above half way are some way too high.

That may well be true but we currently have nowhere near a mid table Championship squad, once those who are leaving have left, IMO.
We're playing catch-up and so we'll need investment that other teams don't require. Which is why I would say expectations of anything above half way are some way too high.

Think he is, mate. I think if Warne is already trying to get a deal locked in, that would suggest that he rates the lad, but as I've said in relation to Dajaune Brown, there's pre-season a couple of months down the line and that's when these lads will likely get their best chance to stake their 1st team claims. Obvious, but perhaps worth mentioning anyway, I'd also assume Darren will himself be seeking assurances that he has a future at the club. The fact both sides seem to be pursuing a deal is therefore an encouraging sign, IMO.
For the little it's worth, I'd like to see this lad given a chance with the men's team next season, even if it's just as a cup match alternate, likewise Brown. With some of the brighter young things, I feel like we need to use them, or lose them, but we do have to trust Warne and the academy coaches a little longer. The re-build seems to all intents, complete, so that removes one major impediment. The acid test will be this coming season. I think if our young players (and their parents) are not seeing of a credible development path to the first team, it won't bode well, but I retain faith for now, if only due to the big strides already made to restore the academy and re-build its roster.

no wonder i work in a factory. Thick as pig S**t

Honestly guys, that last 20 mins was horrendous, my poor heart haha
One positive I can take from it is that we got the job done despite never really playing well in either playoff game (partly because barnsley arent great) and also that I think Oxford suits us better than Posh (and tbh as much as I'm desperate to win, if we do lose, I'd rather lose to Oxford than Darren Ferguson).
 
Fingers crossed we turn up and get it done. Our last 2 trips to Wembley are Bolton 4-0 Plymouth last season and Bolton 0-5 Stoke in the FA Cup semis about a decade ago so could literally be anything based on our history.
 
Got some Rams fan mates who were at your QPR Wembley trip that I sympathised with and was gutted for at the time so I hope more than anything we don't experience that kind of pain and we get a good day out, the boys give it their all and make us proud