BucksRam

So to answer your original question @Carl Sagan no-one has a scooby what's going on with this.  

So to answer your original question @Carl Sagan no-one has a scooby what's going on with this.  

I have just been on the HMRC Forum, and all they are taking about is what formation Wayne Rooney’s Derby County will play this year. A good number are going for 433 but personally I don’t think any of them have any idea whatsoever.

So to answer your original question @Carl Sagan no-one has a scooby what's going on with this.  

This.  What I hate about this kind of thing is that "everyone" assumes he's guilty before the case has even been heard- dirt sells.  Innocent until proven guilty.  The sad thing is if he is proven innocent, chances are his career will nose dive anyway.  Reminds me of the Ched Evans case, albeit not exactly the same.  He spent over 2 years in jail until found to be innocent on appeal following which hardly anyone wanted to know him.  To this day his accuser cannot legally be named albeit she has been called out on social media.
As with the Derby furore, the media love a dirty story that everyone can get on the bandwagon with when it's "in the public interest" (an expression I hate). I really, really hope this ends up like many such stories, with him being found innocent, despite everyone's pre-conceptions and what's reported in the press, but if not, then he deserves whatever he gets.

So to answer your original question @Carl Sagan no-one has a scooby what's going on with this.  

Look at Ched Evans… Career and life ruined when he was innocent. Doesn’t matter if this player is found not guilty he will always be seen as guilty in many peoples eyes unfortunately.
 

yeah normally its some bugger with a torch and more bad news

Maybe, just maybe that little light at the end of the tunnel isn't an oncoming train for once. 

Absolutely.  Didn't Rooney only say the other day he'd spoken to several players who were keen - a few may fit the criteria.  At least we can sign some - it's a start. 

Maybe, just maybe that little light at the end of the tunnel isn't an oncoming train for once. 

Maybe, just maybe that little light at the end of the tunnel isn't an oncoming train for once. 

We were forced to play by the FA, not the EFL, fielding a team of kids, some of whom will likely never play professional first team football ever again. It smacks of someone in the EFL pouring over rule books at 3 in the morning desperately trying to find something else to throw at us.   I think this time though, even a number of other clubs have gone "Come on guys, enough's enough". 

We were forced to play by the FA, not the EFL, fielding a team of kids, some of whom will likely never play professional first team football ever again. It smacks of someone in the EFL pouring over rule books at 3 in the morning desperately trying to find something else to throw at us.   I think this time though, even a number of other clubs have gone "Come on guys, enough's enough". 

The Gaul of you  ?

The Gaul of you  ?

The Gaul of you  ?

The Gaul of you  ?

The Gaul of you  ?

Probably a Florist fan with too much time on his hands? There was also a cryptic tweet from Ed Dawes about the significance of today.
Its still all gone quiet over there though.

Sign of the times I think.  Much easier to administer, use and control when just using plastic than cash - no delays with working out change, storing £1000s in cash, then getting it to the bank, plus the security costs that go with that.  Twickers went cashless sometime ago - remember it catching me out once as I'd taken over £100 in cash for the day only to find they'd gone cashless so that just burnt a whole in my pocket.  Historically I always used to have £50 cash on me "just in case" and if I spent some of it I'd have to visit the ATM to top it back up to £50.  I then started working in London where it was just easier to pay by card rather than have change rattling around in your pockets.  I now don't stress if I just have a fiver in my wallet as I tap and go for everything, mainly with my phone these days.
It can be scary for some - it's only recently I've convinced my wife to pay by phone rather than rummage for her card , and indeed for her business I arranged for her to have a Zettle card reader which was great for her and her clients and meant she could use it anywhere, linked to the app on her phone. If I recall in the budget, Sunak said the limit would be raising to £100 after this year, so we'll be tapping and going for almost everything. 
Oyster cards are now contact less.  You can use your phone, your watch, a key fob, you have Google Pay, Apple Pay, Android Pay, Samsung Pay, PayPal, Venmo, FitBit Pay, Garmin Pay.  There really is a plethora of ways to do it, more coming all the time.  It does show that this is the way technology is going.  How many of you use cheques now?  Probably not many.  Same for cash, fewer and fewer people carry cash these days or like me, only carry it for emergencies i.e. if the contactless network goes down....or, as I'll be doing tomorrow, chucking money into the kitty for the lads' all dayer we have planned.   

I've been somewhat vocal against Tom in the past but predominantly because we've all seen how good he can be and so it's been so frustrating seeing him blow so hot and cold.  He is however now one of most senior and experienced players.  Maybe, just maybe giving him this mantle will bring the absolute best out of him.  Let's give him a chance first before we do the usual and assume it's all going to go wrong. Either way, we still have the likes of Davis and Shinnie who are natural leaders so he wouldn't be alone on the pitch anyway. 

Anyone else notice that it was Curtis who lightened the mood and put his arm around Tom’s neck in a playful (and supportive) way? What a man.
As for Tom being chosen, I’m surprised but happy to support him. As others have said, it could be the making of him and, unlike some others, I’m not writing him off or ridiculing the choice.
 

Having had time to cry, mourn and now reflect, I'm just pleased we were able to enjoy the ride for as long as we did.  Don't get me wrong, I was gutted but before the tournament started I thought we'd make the quarters at best when you looked at Belgium, France, Spain, Germany and Italy.  All in all they did the country proud (unlike the mindless racists and gutter worms who have the combined intelligence of a single celled protozoic embryo). 
Southgate's tactics were obviously defensive, setting up to score on the break and it nearly worked.  Hindsight's a great thing, but I'd have liked to have seen more of Grealish, especially in the final where, with a few Italians already on bookings he'd almost certainly draw fouls and possibly a second yellow.  Similarly, DCL - may not be the incisive finisher Kane is but he's a great striker and extremely mobile - would have been good to see him against the Italian back line.   Saka did well this tournament....until the final where he went missing IMO.  I'd have liked to have seen more of Sancho, the so-called wonder kid.  I think Foden picked up an injury but I would liked to have seen more of him than Mount due to his directness and attacking ability. 
Summary
Pickford I've never rated him due to poor decision making, but kudos to the guy, he had a great tournament and I think I only saw one brief flash of the "old" Pickford.
Stones / Maguire / Walker / Shaw - simply brilliant, didn't do a thing wrong including Trippier when he stepped in
Rice / Phillips - rock solid - worked their ar5es off.  Phillips in particular ran something like 15km each game
Saka - one for the future - I think the final was one game too much for him but a great talent.  Would have liked to see Sancho instead personally
Mount - great player, classy guy (giving his top to that girl),  although I prefer Foden overall. Possibly a bit like trying to play Lampard and Gerrard where it never quite worked. 
Grealish - never liked him before but seen him in a new light now and he warrants every respect.  Great player and should have been used more, especially from early in the 2nd half of the Final. Classy too - giving his boots away to a young lad having just lost the biggest game of his life and smiling for a selfie - something that lad will never forget .
Kane - quiet overall I thought - yeah his finishing is never a doubt (great pen in the Final). I just wish he was more mobile - would have liked to have seen more of DCL
Sterling - I'm still torn over this guy - great attacking mindset, running defenders ragged but if only he could get his head up and pass - I lost count of how many times he ran into a blind alley or lost the ball.  Overall, he did really well for us but he could have been exceptional. 
On a positive, this team will be with us again for next year's World Cup and if they play anything like their potential we could be in for an exciting time.  

Having had time to cry, mourn and now reflect, I'm just pleased we were able to enjoy the ride for as long as we did.  Don't get me wrong, I was gutted but before the tournament started I thought we'd make the quarters at best when you looked at Belgium, France, Spain, Germany and Italy.  All in all they did the country proud (unlike the mindless racists and gutter worms who have the combined intelligence of a single celled protozoic embryo). 
Southgate's tactics were obviously defensive, setting up to score on the break and it nearly worked.  Hindsight's a great thing, but I'd have liked to have seen more of Grealish, especially in the final where, with a few Italians already on bookings he'd almost certainly draw fouls and possibly a second yellow.  Similarly, DCL - may not be the incisive finisher Kane is but he's a great striker and extremely mobile - would have been good to see him against the Italian back line.   Saka did well this tournament....until the final where he went missing IMO.  I'd have liked to have seen more of Sancho, the so-called wonder kid.  I think Foden picked up an injury but I would liked to have seen more of him than Mount due to his directness and attacking ability. 
Summary
Pickford I've never rated him due to poor decision making, but kudos to the guy, he had a great tournament and I think I only saw one brief flash of the "old" Pickford.
Stones / Maguire / Walker / Shaw - simply brilliant, didn't do a thing wrong including Trippier when he stepped in
Rice / Phillips - rock solid - worked their ar5es off.  Phillips in particular ran something like 15km each game
Saka - one for the future - I think the final was one game too much for him but a great talent.  Would have liked to see Sancho instead personally
Mount - great player, classy guy (giving his top to that girl),  although I prefer Foden overall. Possibly a bit like trying to play Lampard and Gerrard where it never quite worked. 
Grealish - never liked him before but seen him in a new light now and he warrants every respect.  Great player and should have been used more, especially from early in the 2nd half of the Final. Classy too - giving his boots away to a young lad having just lost the biggest game of his life and smiling for a selfie - something that lad will never forget .
Kane - quiet overall I thought - yeah his finishing is never a doubt (great pen in the Final). I just wish he was more mobile - would have liked to have seen more of DCL
Sterling - I'm still torn over this guy - great attacking mindset, running defenders ragged but if only he could get his head up and pass - I lost count of how many times he ran into a blind alley or lost the ball.  Overall, he did really well for us but he could have been exceptional. 
On a positive, this team will be with us again for next year's World Cup and if they play anything like their potential we could be in for an exciting time.