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Used the reverse Everton trick on my Blue mate pointing out that it would take a massive balls up for them not to be top of the league when we meet them in the Goodison Derby, with WBA, Palace and Brighton their next three games. I could practically hear the beeping as be backed away from it.

As well as what else might be going on remember that you are grieving. Grief can do terrible things. You might think your doing ok, coping ok, but the body and mind have other ideas. Maybe even causing reactions we don’t recognise as grief at the time as it wasn’t in the instruction manual. Very likely to be a trigger for other things as well. If you’ve had issues with mental health before then grief could well set you back. Even for someone who hasn’t, a major life trauma such as the one you’re going through could easily be a catalyst for a decline in theirs and the illnesses that come with it. I don’t know you, other than the persona you project on the Internet, but you seem to have enough self awareness to be able to separate those thoughts from the reality and to be at least try to recognise when you’re damaging yourself with thoughts about things that are outside your control. If you are ‘getting poorly again’ then know this. You got through it before and you’ll do so again. This time armed with a greater understanding of what may be happening and what’s required to manage it. You also know that you probably need a little help right now. Ask for it, take it. If that wasn’t what you needed, ask for something else, take that. You definitely aren’t alone, even if, in your case, that includes clowns on an Internet forum. Oh and drink will never be the answer. Short term fixes don’t work, they just lead to longer, more challenging recovery periods. Sorry if this all reads a little preachy. I’m not claiming to be an expert and I doubt I’ve written anything you don’t already know yourself, even if you’re ignoring some of it as we all do. I can’t sleep tonight so I might as well distract myself with lengthy replies on an Internet forum. I might not have helped you much, but you’ve helped me. Be kind to your mind.

My Lab high fiving

Villa away. A complete refusal to not walk away with the three points. It was all a countdown after that.

In his defence, I reckon Usher was pissed when he wrote that.

Results back already, negative. Izzy is in school today and not happy.

Paul Gorst 19th September 2020 Liverpool FC are bewildered at recent media reports linking them with Kylian Mbappe. Jurgen Klopp feels signing the French World Cup winning international would block 16 year old Oakley Cannonier’s pathway to the first team. Something about Michael Edwards’ transfer record, yada yada yada, the academy is moving to one big site with the first team, all that stuff. Just copy the rest of it from the same article as usual. Ta.

Report by Dave Usher Not really sure what to think about this. First and foremost I’m relieved we won and contrary to what many seem to be saying, it was completely, totally, 100% deserved. We were by far the better team and created a shitload more chances than Leeds did. We made it unnecessarily hard for ourselves but as this team so often does, they came through to take the points. So that’s a good thing. The ability to just ‘find a way’ is great and that’s what separated us from Man City last year. When the going gets tough, they lose matches whereas we win them. It would be nice if we didn’t make it so hard for ourselves so often though, and just what the fuck has happened to the defence? We’ve gone from being by far the tightest unit in the league to looking like Brendan’s 2014 vintage. Since lockdown the amount of goals we’ve shipped has been alarming. At the back end of last season we could put it down to the lack of intensity after winning the league, but what’s the excuse for this one? Rustiness maybe, but I think it’s deeper than that. We’re conceding loads of goals since fans were no longer allowed in to stadiums. It’s hurting us more than anyone and I don’t just mean the ‘Anfield atmosphere’ thing either. Even having a hostile crowd helps with focus, intensity and concentration. With no fans these games look like training sessions at times and as a result we’re making stupid mistakes and generally not being as switched on as we normally would. That edge that everyone has when playing in front of a packed stadium isn’t there and it’s causing a casualness and lack of focus. The lack of intensity in games also doesn’t help us. We’re great when we’re full throttle but when we drop off a touch we’re not as good with or without the ball. I just don’t think this game plays out like this in front of a full house, but there’s no way of proving that one way or the other I guess. In fairness to Leeds, two of their goals were excellently worked. I can pick holes in how we defended them but it was nice football by them. One of their goals was a gift though, an absolute disgrace in fact. There’s been a real stench of complacency about our defensive play since football returned a couple of months ago. I’m not sure if that’s going to go away until fans are back, but hopefully this serves as the kick up the arse that we need. The back four looked ropey for all of the first half and parts of the second. It wasn’t just because of them though. Leeds players seemed to be picking the ball up in space between our midfield and defence much too easily. There were gaps everywhere and the absence of Fabinho was noticeable. Why that was I can’t say. Maybe Hendo was a little rusty or maybe it was because Naby was in the midfield three? Fabinho not being selected didn’t surprise me at all. Normally it would, but as I wrote in the diary this week, Klopp had a right go at him last week against Blackpool and subbed him at half time. I wondered if there was something to that, and him not starting this game tells me there was and that a message was being sent. The message might have been more effective if we hadn’t had to send him an SOS to go on and shore up the midfield, but hopefully whatever issue there may have been has been sorted, because we’re a better team with both him and Hendo playing rather than just the one of them. This is just a teaser, click here to view the full report Please note that Match Reports are only available to website subscribers. Subscriptions cost just £2 a month (you need to register first) and can be purchased here.

Guess this was posted before your promotion to King Arthur’s table

Yeah but he will be bragging about that to his other mates "Lad even the redshite are terrified of us, my mate whose a red some RS foreigner who I roundhouse kicked into New Birighton told me" Proper bloos don't have RS mates.

The difference in attitude between Ramsey and Giorgio Locatelli. Over 10 years ago Locatelli insisted on paying even his pot wash staff at least £16k a year.

Spy Bee is still posting complete and utter bollocks in this thread?

She's even worse on the inside

Top, top patio set analysis there, Dave.

Leicester win for me. We were amazing that day and I think it just killed off City for good. The win against the Mancs was just the icing on the cake for me, Clive.

Speedo Mick is in decent shape these days.

I think it needs to be framed by a freshly battered seal pelt, even as a vegetarian it just feels right.

Well, I've almost finished our front garden, after posting about doing it around 3 (?) years ago! We wanted a butterfly and bumblebee friendly garden. It's a raised bed thing. It was all full of builders' rubble and covered with nicer aggregate. We got a tree surgeon to get rid of the massive shrub, and we emptied the aggregate ourselves. Left rubble/ aggregate outside for people to nick but no one did (possible problem with living in quite a nice area, or just the limp-wristed southerners). It's been brilliant for me and my wife to work on this. After the chemo and adrenal failure I'm fucked for energy all the time. This has been a step-by-step thing, and quite a grind, but gradual progress is such an antidote to all the negative feelings that come with this shit. I used to do gardens for friends, or for social services residential projects with the clients, and did the heavy lifting, but my (truly) better half knows how much it meant to do something creative - other than building settlements on Fallout 4. This is going to sound made up but as we planted the last sedum, a white butterfly showed up. Obviously I killed it - little twat molesting my garden - but it was good to see. Just got to add a bit more weed suppressant and gravel. Will post some photos tomorrow, for Champ's fair but brutal perusal. * Hopefully makes sense.

It was too late once Thatcher got her feet under the table. Said it before, and I'll say it again. We're still living under the systems she put in place.

Dele Alli is one of those special breed of cunts that if he was on your team and one of the opposition players went straight through him and kicked up in the air, you'd seek the fella out at the end of the game, shake his hand and thank him.

I knew the league was won when I noticed that fewer and fewer people were calling each other “cunts” in FF threads.

Born there. So was my wife, and one of my kids, the other was early so we had to be flown in a chopper to Truro (Treliske Hospital) just in case anything went wrong. Where are you? Sometimes I realise that, sometimes I don't agree. You need money to live here properly and be able to afford to get away regularly enough. When the freight boat doesn't arrive in the winter for 5 days due to big seas, and the shelves are basically bare in the Co-op, you get frustrated. Like never being able to have a MacDonalds, or a Chinese, or a curry, or a KFC, or a decent coffee shop, or a trainer shop, or go cinema, etc. It's the small things that sometimes bug you, especially when you have kids, sometimes you just want to take them to a toy-shop, or a proper playground, or take them to watch a footy match. Obviously during pandemic it's all fucked, but in normal times you just wish it was cheap enough to get away for a few weekends a year, but it's not. Are you a bird-watcher then? It's that time of year now we get hordes of them coming here hoping to find stray rare birds that have gotten lost in Atlantic storms. I take it you mean the black RIB speed boat sea safari? That's my mate Richard who runs that, with his amazingly MILFY wife. Now THEY have a fucking amazing lifestyle. Just chilling in their beach-hut on Porthmellon from May to September each year. Tresco is fucking great though. Some people complain that it's too manicured and perfect. That's a mental thing to complain about. Just enjoy it. My arl fella has a hobby-sized fishing boat (he used to be a proper fisherman with a proper fishing boat and then retired and sold it) and he takes us across to Tresco so we can take the kids swimming in one of their outdoor pools. It's mad that it's free, the guy who owns the island just doesn't care as long as you don't be a dick.

Mourinho is bang-on there to be fair.

He’s such a wet blanket but he is pretty smart and his heart is in the right place. No leader though.

Never trusted them, NV. Just because I don’t vocalise it all of the time doesn’t mean it always hasn’t been there. It just annoyed me seeing him revel in the team’s achievements but not backing a great manager even for a modest amount. I decided to have a little vent.

if Brewster has to go out on loan, we could do much, much worse than sending him to Leeds United. Firstly, it would teach him to massively up his pressing game. Second of all though, there is absolutely no doubt that he would score goals for them and that would favour us as they will take points off our rivals.

Beat villa on Friday and we go top...

£5 for a tomato - pay your staff properly and fuck off with the gratuity

First bowl and see how this goes Chickpeas, lemon, garlic, mustard, tomatoes. Grated carrot Cavallo nero Red pepper Steamed beetroot Mange tout Sweet potato Pickled cauliflower Hot sauce, lime and pepper

A walk in the woods with Buddy dog. Woods, walks and dogs = improved wellbeing. IMG_2863.MOV

Gove Himmler

Not in a pandemic. Keep your powder dry until next summer though...

Looks like's spent more on wine than transfers.

Thanks guys, I don't even remember typing that above last night. Completely on auto-pilot. Really appreciated though x

You're mad, Stig. Lamb is great because it has a strong flavour that can compliment mint. Great on a winter roast with the vinegar mixing with the cabbage a bit too. The bit I don't get is people buying the stuff, mint spreads like [hilarious but insulting simile - fuck off it's Monday and I'm tired], it's just mint and vinegar, make your own.

Ha ha. Nah, I love books, me. I’ve read a number of Beatles and Lennon books in the past but probably haven’t done so since the early/mid 00s. One of my more recent books, this. A Christmas present. A signed copy. Purchased from Waterstones, I believe.

You dirty bastard

Ha ha, that's brilliant. Your wife had a heart attack & you played some blues licks & bought a Les Paul before sauntering off to the hospital.

The man’s spot on, D. It sounds like grief. Find something, other things, anything but drink to see you through this. It will pass. Here any time

This is too precious to expose to the bus wankers. I can't believe The Rock will be in my House!

Neymar is one snide fucking cunt. Can’t stand him.

As you’d expect. I didn’t venture across the threshold but the house smelt like dogs and a four year old boy answered the door.

Yeah, I’ll sort something out mate, don’t worry. I’ve got some of those vacuum packs but I’m not sure if they’re big enough. I just took a load of polystyrene to the tip last week which would have been perfect. It’s robust enough that I reckon it’d survive being folded in half but there’s some excess adhesive still around the edges so I don’t really want to do that. It’s taken nine long months to get to this point so it needs to arrive at your gaff in pristine condition and take it’s rightful place on that wall. £70 went to the food bank in the end and now we bide our time and see what Amy’s next venture is.

Nirvana - the last, great rock band. New music has basically been shit and lazy since 1994. And the only good rock star is a dead rock star. Nevermind and - in particular - In Utero are classic albums. They had a reputation as a great live band. MTV Unplugged is brilliant. Throw in a rock and roll wife and a suicide and it's all wrapped up as a classic rock and roll tale.

Sounds like we still have Mignolet in goal.

I’d happily never watch a modern film again. Far too many old favourites to rewatch and loads of films from the 50s, 60s and 70s that I’m yet to watch.

Lol I've never forgotten how great Hypia was. He doesn't get mentioned all that much but what a defender he was. Not up with the true greats like Jockey and Van Dijk but a hell of a player.

Combination of factors. Teams focus on our right hand side; either runners down that flank in exposed space, or swinging crosses towards the area between Gomez and TAA. We'd be even worse without Salah, whose defensive work often goes unnoticed. Trent's young, and has run himself absolutely ragged over a couple of seasons. His positional sense was never the best, but he had the legs to make up for it. With a slight drop off, it exposes Gomez more. Gomez has many positive attributes, but he can be enticed out of position much like Lovren was. Yesterday was a particular example. Leeds would ping the ball towards a forward with his back to goal forty odd yards out, and Gomez would leave VVD's line and look to engage. The player was never going to turn with the ball, instead looking to play it back then run off the defender; it's designed to lure someone out. With our fullbacks so high, we're frequently left with VVD as the deepest player, and all the pressure on him to stay cool. At times he tries too hard, and mistakes creep in. Ideally our midfield cover those holes, but there's been a drop off there too. Coupled with us trying to find a slightly different dynamic to it, that can accommodate more forward runs from the likes of Keita or even Henderson, and the holes become more apparent in their frequency. A lot of this can just be put down to a team that's been highly wound for two seasons finally winning the biggest prize. What should have been their off season was instead an interminable wait to find out if all their endeavours - inches from making history - would be voided without another ball being kicked. There's a reason no side has maintained the standard of near 100 points for three seasons though. Cracks appear when you demand absurdly high standards continually, which is why a decent transfer or two to freshen things up and keep some players on their toes wouldn't go amiss.