Andicis

It looks super-drivable. I guess it's weird to saying that but even when Merc had a hybrid nobody could get near, they still produced a couple of WDC winning cars that were basically trying to kill their drivers. The last two cars have been essentially undriveable on the edge, but this thing looks pretty sweet at the lower ground clearance. They have some clever new-fangle stuff that even allows them to alter the geometry of the front axle too which is a very Mercedes approach, so it appears to be very competitive. The only caveats as yet are that it was an unusually cold evening and it was only running 3rd or 4th best on the medium compound tyres. Have to be at least mildly optimistic of some proper racing this year though, right! 🙏
Yeah, it seemed to fall off a cliff, but worth noting that on the medium compound it was fastest I believe. One thing I did notice though was how much Verstappen's head was moving. Not the crazy levels we saw initially with the new regs, but significant all the same. Where that appeared from, who knows, as it wasn't evident in testing. That gives me pause for thought as to their 'demise' as they've definitely changed something on the car. I'd expect them to be a different kettle of fish in qualy and the fact that Max only bitched once makes me think they've a bit up their sleeve and he was told to STFU after his first lap outburst, but they might not have anything like the advantage I first feared.
Setting aside Hammertime, hilarious to see more Hornytime stuff emerging and yes, that's a story that has gathered legs 😂

Whilst I suspect red bull haven't shown their hand yet ahead of the race, the FP sessions were mildly encouraging.
What's also interesting is the evidence about "what Chrstian did" has apparently been leaked to a few inividuals in F1....suggesting that this story is very much not done with.
 

Very very optimistic about that new Merc. It looks competitive. 

Merc looks rapid on the soft compound. So many variables as you say, that it's hard to be dogmatic, but to my eye, it looks a very good car. Very stable and watching Hammy, there's none of the chopping we saw as both drivers struggled to tame last year's car. Hammy more than George, looks positively serene by comparison. I'm almost hopeful! 😋
*Very cold night though apparently, which may explain some of the swing

No I agree and get your point. 

His time at Birmingham has no impact on the job he did here though, or the football he played here. 

I actually agree with that, however I don't believe in retrospectively claiming he did a bad job at Derby based on him being a poor manager elsewhere (not what you did, but others).

So because we've had bad sides before, we should continue to accept that we aren't able to be entertained moving forwards in perpetuity?
Let's all be real here, going from when we were relegated back to the Championship until now, we've had very few managers who have played a worse style than Warne. Clough at least played youth and built a solid core, Rowett had a lot more tactical nous than Warne, and Rooney's football was a lot more compelling. 
So to counteract your claim that this is not an oddity, I would argue that this is exceptionally poor football. 

His time at Birmingham has no impact on the job he did here though, or the football he played here. 

Keep an eye on folks leaving that team, sooner or later actual word will go round.
My take is Red Bull new owers wanted Horner put in his place that he reports to them/the Racing team becomes more under corporate control vs Horner (and team) wanting keep the "No you just write the cheques and leave us alone to do the racing" arrangments, someone in the "put horner in his place" camp found this HR complaint and decided that would be a good tool and leaked it to the papers. I am still not convinced any of this process had anything to do with the merits of the actual complaint.
 

All just felt like Marko being a t*** to me. It'd have been hilarious if Horner had turned out to be some serial shagger, but he's the little miss goody two-shoes of the pitlane, the kid at school who constantly grassed everyone up to the teachers, isn't he? 
Anyway, someone's getting fired and then it's business as usual, it would seem.

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It's easy to criticise fans and say they should just put up with the turgid football served when you don't actually attend the games. 

It's so frustrating when people suggest that if we played decent football we'd be lower down the division. There is nothing in that. Teams have gotten out of league one playing decent football. If we played decent football and integrated youngsters people could see direction. We currently don't have clear direction.
We'd likely be in a better position had Clowes just given Rosenior the chance from the beginning. 
Rooney's football was of a better standard than the current football, in spite of the more difficult situation he was in. 

It's so frustrating when people suggest that if we played decent football we'd be lower down the division. There is nothing in that. Teams have gotten out of league one playing decent football. If we played decent football and integrated youngsters people could see direction. We currently don't have clear direction.
We'd likely be in a better position had Clowes just given Rosenior the chance from the beginning. 
Rooney's football was of a better standard than the current football, in spite of the more difficult situation he was in. 

So because we've had bad sides before, we should continue to accept that we aren't able to be entertained moving forwards in perpetuity?
Let's all be real here, going from when we were relegated back to the Championship until now, we've had very few managers who have played a worse style than Warne. Clough at least played youth and built a solid core, Rowett had a lot more tactical nous than Warne, and Rooney's football was a lot more compelling. 
So to counteract your claim that this is not an oddity, I would argue that this is exceptionally poor football. 

It's so frustrating when people suggest that if we played decent football we'd be lower down the division. There is nothing in that. Teams have gotten out of league one playing decent football. If we played decent football and integrated youngsters people could see direction. We currently don't have clear direction.
We'd likely be in a better position had Clowes just given Rosenior the chance from the beginning. 
Rooney's football was of a better standard than the current football, in spite of the more difficult situation he was in. 

It's so frustrating when people suggest that if we played decent football we'd be lower down the division. There is nothing in that. Teams have gotten out of league one playing decent football. If we played decent football and integrated youngsters people could see direction. We currently don't have clear direction.
We'd likely be in a better position had Clowes just given Rosenior the chance from the beginning. 
Rooney's football was of a better standard than the current football, in spite of the more difficult situation he was in. 

Had Rosenoir taken us up which I am 100% convinced he would have done either last season or this season, I would trust him 100% to find players of Championship ability.
On the miracle/fluke Warne Ball gets us up, do you trust him to be able to attract any decent players to this club? 

So because we've had bad sides before, we should continue to accept that we aren't able to be entertained moving forwards in perpetuity?
Let's all be real here, going from when we were relegated back to the Championship until now, we've had very few managers who have played a worse style than Warne. Clough at least played youth and built a solid core, Rowett had a lot more tactical nous than Warne, and Rooney's football was a lot more compelling. 
So to counteract your claim that this is not an oddity, I would argue that this is exceptionally poor football. 

Yes, this is infuriating me also - Warne seems utterly determined to keep Bradley in the side & to make our best CB move way is unfathomable. I get the sense he has a pre-determined agenda irrespective of the evidence on the park & the evidence thus far is that Bradley has at best been a disappointing signing & is lacking in a couple of key areas (technically & pace/movement). My guess is Warne seems him as his answer to Richard Wood - a relatively prolific big CB that scored plenty for Warne's Rotherham & as Warne has relatively few other tactical ploys, he is hammering this one until it works.
There are other highly questionable selections - Kane Wilson seems to be getting a free pass in this team but Barkhuizen (despite having far the superior goals/assists record) is constantly benched. I also can't understand why Liam Thompson is being underused - his form pre-injury was fantastic & even away at Oxford, he changed the game. Instead Warne seems hell bent on keeping more pedestrian midfielders in the team & then we all wonder why we're getting overrun in there. I'm also concerned about the start Blackett-Taylor has made at the club - a negligible impact so far for a marquee signing & although some may cite injury, I feel there's something going on there.
Re season ticket - I'm in a similar place. The quality of football is so far removed from what I enjoy watching, there seems little sign of progression/evolution & even the victories are so devoid of joy, it feels like a box tickling exercise. Granted I'm still fuming from last night but am increasingly questioning the wisdom of committing to 150 mile round trips every other week if this continues.

It's not point scoring (much like the football last night). It's a lot easier when you're sat at home to just write it off as a poor performance and move on, when fans go regularly and spend their money to sit in the cold to watch the crap served up, they aren't going to do that. 

It won't happen, and probably shouldn't as we're near the top of league, but we're rubbish. We're a slightly less rubbish side in a rubbish division, and I'd happily see Warne go. I can't stand the football, it's dreadful.

How frustrating is it when Wildsmith catches the ball and just holds it for 30 seconds and then hoofs it long. Bowl it out quickly, get the play moving. It's so slow and ponderous.
Charlton in the first half were absolutely dreadful, and yet we created nothing. It can't go on like this. 
We haven't played well in months, we've just been going through the motions and scraping past poor sides. I'm fed up. Call me entitled, we deserve and should ask for better.

Last night was the footballing equivalent of that Willy Wonka experience in the news right now.