Leeds Ram

That will also help! Watching the highlights from the game at their place and they looked very dodgy defending set pieces

I think we've got to approach it like we did the leyton orient game. We've got to be firm, aggressive and attacking from the off. If we can get an early goal then the nerves will settle and we could win at a canter. I think if we get to halftime and it's 0-0 people will suddenly start getting very nervous. We need to be positive and focus on getting a win against an already relegated team in front of another full house which should be absolutely rocking!!

I don't mind Burton. They're a small outfit and they have punched above their weight which is good to see. Unfortunately it looks like back down to league 2 for them. Hopefully they'll have a go and get out the division.

I'll do my bit haha.

I'm 30 and kind of enjoyed the billy davies years at the age of 13-14 but it wasn't the prime age to really savour it. It is the first really big bit of success we've had as supporters and we should treasure it. Yes it's the third division but it doesn't matter. Considering what happened at the club two years ago and we almost went bust it makes this promotion extra special. We should all be singing our hearts out next Saturday as we finally confirm an automatic promotion!

anyone who has a problem with a celebratory pitch invasion is the definition of a fun sponge in my book. Of course, many people want that moment of cathartic joy to be expressed by running onto the pitch. Obviously it goes without saying people need to behave themselves and ideally getting off the pitch within 10-15 minutes so a lap of honour can proceed afterwards would be great but i would be surprised if there wasn't a pitch invasion and if there is one I will likely join 🙂

Pressure will really be on Bolton so maybe they will slip up

In fairness a fair few of people now wanting a ticket have had plans change.

Well there is a gap in opinion between the more conservative rural areas of Iran and the more liberal urban cities. However, I think Iran's reaction yesterday- with morality vans dragging women into them for not wearing their hijab and threatening with court action activists who are criticising the regime's response speaks to a certain nervousness about the potential for an internal backlash. This isn't even the Iran of 2005-2008 under Ahmadinejad where despite the green revolution's claims of vote rigging Ahmedinejad's more conservative values probably did win enough votes in the rural areas to carry the election. The guardian council have been much more aggressive in recent years in striking candidates from the lists and election turnout has fallen to below half.

I'm just not sure the Iranian public overall would want that kind of strike against Israel given how they are opposed to the actions in Yemen and Syria which has cost them a lot in blood and treasure. It strikes me as a little incongruent as a reasoning. It wouldn't surprise me if it was done more with regional dynamics in mind than domestic consumption tbh. On the question of does the regime care about public opinion- yes and no I would say. The Grand Ayatollah has recently bemoaned the lack of public religiosity which is partly down to the regime itself becoming increasingly reliant upon the armed forces as a separate wing to enforce control, as well as the 'basij' as a separate civilian militia. The danger for the regime is when the Ayatollah dies (I believe he's 83 if my memory is correct) what happens then as the legitimation for the regime has gotten too narrow to be considered stable. However, Iran is a sophisticated state, unlike Syria, which has significant capacity militarily to quell uprisings. Their response to challenges has not been to listen but to project 'strength' and crackdown on increasing numbers of opposition activists.

I'm not so sure about that. The Iranian regime has been suffering on multiple fronts from a direct lack of legitimacy. The 'hybrid' system initially developed at the beginning of the Republic has now all but broken down into simple authoritarianism. The regime's foreign adventures in Syria and Yemen are not popular with Iranians who have demanded resources be spent at home rather than abroad. I'm not sure how launching this kind of attack helps with that tbh. Nor do I think the Iranian regime is that bothered about the 'pr consequences' of their foreign policies as if they were they wouldn't still be propping up the Assad regime or arming the Houthi rebels. Admittedly I've not kept a close eye on the reaction domestically to this though so I may be wrong.

I may be wrong but I believe the attack technically was not on the embassy but a building adjacent to the embassy itself.

Thought we played well and managed the occasion excellently. I can't believe anyone would be moaning or disappointed after winning 3-0 and our rivals dropping points. Really feeling like we can do this now! Thought the atmosphere in the first 20 minutes was excellent as it was in the second half. I can't wait for Carlisle as I'll imagine we'll take the roof off if we go up!

I'm sooo nervous about today. Just hope we can get it over the line! COYR

https://www.972mag.com/lavender-ai-israeli-army-gaza/ Interesting piece which might help give a bit more insight into why this particular round of conflict has been so destructive

I don't see Bolton beating Portsmouth and Peterborough but I can see Peterborough winning their last 5. I think they'll edge us out by a point or two in the end. We'll look back at this game and Northampton being the clinchers. Maybe we'll win in the playoffs but I'm far from confident. We possessed no composure and second half ran around like headless chickens. Poor game management from the coaches and the players who needed to keep their heads and stick to the formula which has won us 12 away games this year.

read two faces of liberalism by John Gray and This is Europe by Ben Judah which are both great books. Although Gray's critiques are a bit worn these days. About to start the novelist by Jordan Castro which has had strong recommendations too.

Oh wow, that's excellent for your lad massive congrats! Yeah, I finished my PhD in 2022 and currently a teaching fellow at the University of Leeds. It would be great to get to work there as it is very prestigious and the project looks right on what I'm interested in 🙂 Thanks, it is stressful but trying to manage it 🙂

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it 🙂 Yeah, I'm hoping my contract will either be renewed, or I'll get some postdoctoral funding or I'm applying for a research job at Kings College London. If none of these work out, then definitely I'll get a skate on looking at other things! 🙂

Thanks for the kind words I really appreciate them🙂 On the work, unfortunately my partner will definitely not sanction a move abroad. I'm applying for a job at Kings College London and am still waiting to hear on postdoctoral funding so trying not to panic too much 🙂

This does help 🙂 Thanks for the kind words I really appreciate them 🙂

Need to follow our work on from Portsmouth. Don't get drawn into Wycombe's games, stay above the fray and knock them out with a clean punch. Attack with pace and movement and they simply won't be able to cope.

Yeah the anniversaries are never fun but as you say soldier on! I'm sorry to hear about your losses too. I've got some friends coming over on the date of my dad's birthday for a few drinks so will likely raise a glass to him and try to enjoy the day as much as I can 🙂

Thanks Mostyn 🙂 Yeah, I've been talking to my partner and am applying for a few jobs and am waiting on a decision for funding on a new project so I am trying to stay as positive as I can. I am probably quite a 'glass half empty' person tbh, which is something I should probably work on.

My mistake. I assumed it was in response as it touched on the very same topics I posted about 🙂