polymerpunkah

Thirty years ago. I remember distinctly the feeling of optimism I felt when the Berlin Wall fell (along with surrounding events). And then the despair as five years later we sat and watched this happen. We're good at sitting and watching.

VAR: "Headed, for me. Possible foul on defender." Ref: "No. Not for me, mate." VAR: "Checking for possible penalty." Ref: "Yeah. I think the ball is in the middle and he just tries to play the ball and there might be some contact." VAR: "OK. So that angle's good. Can you just go slowly, I just want to establish if... So, there is clear contact on the ball by Doku. So here's the ball and then there's a coming together. "Just give me one more that shows Mac Allister coming in. He turns his body." RO: "What do you want to see, sorry?" VAR: "Yeah, so he plays the ball. The ball's high, they both come in high. I don't think there's enough evidence there for a penalty kick. You happy with that?" AVAR: "Let's have a look, mate. Just showing it on broadcast as well. Here we go." VAR: "He plays the ball." AVAR: "Are you happy he definitely plays it?" VAR: "He's definitely touched it. Mac Allister's then coming into his space. Mac Allister turns his back into him, it's a coming together. Ollie [Michael Oliver, the ref] confirm on-field decision of play on. Check is complete, check is complete." What did Howard Webb say about the incident? Michael Owen (presenter): "Was this a penalty? I thought it sort of wasn't at the start. I see it again and I'm thinking it is. I'm really 50-50 on it." Howard Webb: "You're not alone, this has split a lot of opinion. It's one of those, for sure, if it was given on-field it would have been a check complete by the VAR, and equally having not giving it, it is also a check complete. "You hear Michael Oliver saying the ball is in between and two players going together. "The ball is too low to head. Doku lifts his foot to play the ball and he does make contact on the ball. Yes, we know there is contact on Mac Allister as well. As Mac Allister comes in, he is not playing the ball either. "I understand why it has split opinion. I think it would have been check complete either way, not wanting to re-ref the games in situations that are not really clear which is what we think VAR is for. "In this situation VAR stays out of it and that is what we would expect."

Him getting a touch only works if the ref doesn't give the penalty, as an after-the-fact excuse to cover their own asses. Not enough to create an obvious error and trigger an over-rule. It leaves a massive hole in the rules, and the integrity of the sport.

175 million, without even knowing what the process was. All in a bid to get his name in the national news. Trump seems to have the ability to appeal to both stupidity and hubris in equal measure.

Needs more Hendersonian grimace.

They're still proposing the relocation of over a million people from Rafah to tents in the desert north of the city so they can go in and destroy whatever's left, and kill whoever's left. But hopefully the reaction to these latest murders will lead them to decide not to murder another ten or twenty thousand innocent people.

hahahahaha

They'll start buying both.

3-2 down and Pocchetino puts on Trevor Chalobah. Can't think of any circumstance under which I'd put Trevor Chalobah on the pitch, but it appears to have worked. So hats off to the chubby hamster for a brilliant substitution.

At this point, play him wherever you have to play him and he'll do the job. A rock.

Useless fucking count.

He's a decent shot-stopper, but his positioning is usually poor, and he can't distribute the ball to save his life.

Who's getting giddy? I just want Guardiola to have to play both Haaland and De Bruyne so they suffer a little more wear and tear going into the end of the season.

City's back four do look there for the taking. 1-1. Guardiola may have to get the troll out from under the bridge for this one after all.

Is Martinez injured, or has the Count decided to rest his first-string keeper just to even things up a little? Working as planned as City take the lead on ten minutes.

Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish football federation (RFEF), was arrested on Wednesday as part of a corruption investigation. He was released soon after being detained on arrival in Madrid from the Dominican Republic. He is suspected of receiving illegal commissions when negotiating a lucrative deal to stage the Spanish Super Cup competition in Saudi Arabia. Prosecutors are seeking a two-and-a-half-year jail term. Mr Rubiales denies any wrongdoing. What a surprise. Though I'm pretty sure he's not alone.

Well, that one's over. Watch a little Brighton/Brentford before watching however long it takes City to take a two-goal lead vs Villa. I'm saying 15 minutes.

That's Lara, Eric's wife. She's also a recording artist.

Right down to the part in her hair. Spooky.

Actually, hockey is quite similar to the unmentionable. Goalies, offside, a net, defenders, attackers, passing, shooting, scoring, goals, assists, referees and linespeople, etc etc etc. The game is also played in the same manner, with teams going from offence to defense using the same players, without stoppages in play, and possession of the puck/ball changing hands freely between both opposition teams and players.

Great substitution Eddie.

Breaker Morant Another from 1980, and another great film. Three Australian(ish) soldiers face a British kangaroo court during the Boer War. I remember it as being quite slanted, but it actually does an excellent job of showing the moral ambiguity of both sides of the trial, and the war at large.

Strongest shape in nature, so they say.