MarkBRFC71

Why should it be a strength?? They are both converted midfielders who were our number one partnership last time we slipped out of this league. A number of us on here said our priority signing on promotion should've been a proper, old-school, blood and thunder centre half as Mulgrew/Lenihan aren't up to it. Being proven every week. Number one rule in football, you build a team from the back on a solid defence that doesn't give away many goals - you don't spunk £7m on a young striker with 'potential' unless you are Man City or Liverpool.

The Doors - Five To One

Team selection - wrong Not buying a proper Championship level centre half in summer - wrong Spunking £7m on a striker with potential when you needed a defender - wrong Thinking you’re Pep Guardiola and Dack is the English Messi - wrong Thinking that Williams is a Championship level LB - wrong

Dack has had a total shocker. Think he’s believing his own hype a bit too much these days.

Williams is a liability.

Smallwood and Armstrong off for Brereton and Graham for me at half time. May as well go for it now.

Stupid team selection. You can play a ‘false 9’ when you’re Pep and you’ve got Messi. Not only has it cost us the game having no outlet up front, what is it saying to your strikers that you prefer midfielders in their position. When Mowbray gets it wrong he gets it totally and completely wrong. Blame for this lies totally at his door.

The Killers - Smile Like You Mean It

The Housemartins - Happy Hour

Agree entirely on Mulgrew & Lenihan. A lot of people seem to forget that they were our CB partnership for a good chunk of the relegation season. They looked good last year but let’s not forget that was at a lower level, Mulgrew is another year older and both are susceptible to injury. To not bring in someone to challenge or replace them in case of loss of form or injury - especially when they are not a proven Championship CB pairing by any means - was a huge mistake for me.

Not even that far back - I saw Paul McKinnon - that was the nadir surely?

Definitely a dream as he's on 65k a week ?

If you insist. A prime example of a great coach who just never had it in him to be a manager. Signed Ashley Ward and stuck with him when most weren't even convinced he was a footballer, let alone a Premier League striker. Was probably too honest - can't imagine the 'rubber dinghy men' comment did a whole lot for morale. At the time of his appointment seemed a good decision; hindsight now says not.

Lots of talk about Sterling - Alli has been worse for me (he doesn't look fit). I'd leave Sterling in and put Loftus-Cheek in for Alli, who I think has been good when he's had the chance. Maybe Rashford if we really want to have a go at the Swedes. Oh, and how come no-one has mentioned Ashley Young? He's been very poor IMO - nothing good, either offensively or defensively has come down our left side - and the set-pieces he's taken have been very hit and miss (mainly miss). We've got two vastly superior options in Rose and Delph both fit and ready, one of them deserves a chance.

I think most of James, Falcao, Cuadrado, and Zapata would walk into our squad, if not our starting line-up. They've also got Mina who Barcelona splashed out 12m on so he must be decent too. As for England, we've done OK but only just beat Tunisia - and were pretty average and predictable for two-thirds of that game - and yesterday we put an extremely poor side to the sword thanks to some excellent set pieces, one cracking goal, a lucky deflection and Panama thinking it was a WWE match and not a football one. I think there's more to come from England, and we'd give Colombia a good game but I'd say it was at best 50/50 as to whether we'd beat them. Also, I'd drop Ashley Young and Sterling, both of whom have done eff all in the first 2 games and replace with Rose or Delph and Rashford. And James was poor at BM and RM? 28 goals in 77 games, at Real and 7 in 23 at Bayern from a midfielder is pretty decent in my book.

Freddy just ended a Chris Brown-esque 3 year goal drought ..... now playing one level down from the MLS in Las Vegas. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/44380883

Decent line-up there (apart from shite like Whatsapp Ricky ), I would definitely go and see The XX and Sampha too. I've seen Everything Everything 3 times and they've been great every time. As for Liam, love or loathe the man - as a live performer he's still a must-see. Seen him twice over here in the last 12 months and he was superb both times.

Just because 3-5-2 works OK for you on FIFA doesn't mean it will work in real life ..... And you'd be happy with the two CBs that got us relegated last time round in the Championship, plus the LB from the same side - but playing out of position?? Wow. Said it before but the first signing we need is a proper experienced, blood and thunder, proven Championship CB. It's become a cliche (but it's nevertheless true) - you always build a team from the back.

The squad is about the best he could have picked (arguments around one or two players aside), but let's not kid ourselves that it's good in relation to the any of the teams being talked about as likely winners. If we get to the quarter finals with that squad, we've done extremely well. Any further than that and I'd call Southgate a miracle worker.

I agree he's a decent player, but he hardly ever completes 90 mins. https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2018/may/12/gareth-southgate-will-be-playing-russian-roulette-if-he-picks-wilshere "Wilshere has managed 10 90-minute performances for Arsenal in the Premier League this season, though only two since 20 January. Last season, there were 15 on loan for Bournemouth and, before that, the last occasion was September 2014. For England, he has managed it only six times. On average, each of his performances in a 34-cap international career has lasted 56 minutes. " So you'd have to say he's been involved in 40 games, if only partially. I guess Southgate wants players he can rely on to get 90 mins out of .....

Compared to ours, their midfield options are frightening ..... Midfielders: Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Sami Khedira (Juventus), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Sebastian Rudy (Bayern Munich), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund), Leon Goretzka (Schalke), Leroy Sane (Manchester City), Julian Draxler (Paris Saint-Germain), Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City), Julian Brandt (Bayer Leverkusen) Every one of those would walk into our first 11.

Saw Noel Gallagher's HFB in Houston in March - luckily over here he's not that well known so it was at the House Of Blues which is a pretty small venue, certainly way smaller than the arenas he's probably doing back home. Great gig, but definitely a more restrained audience than for his brother .... and yes, the French woman playing the scissors was there Also recently went to see Jean-Michel Jarre here in Dallas, who - even though I wouldn't call myself a fan - was excellent. It was in a smallish theatre (prob about 2000 capacity) and even then was less than half full - I guess he's just not that well known over here. The light/laser show was unreal, and for a guy of 69 so was his energy! A couple of weeks later he was at Coachella, probably playing to a small crowd of hipsters A few days later, also in Dallas, we saw Foo Fighters who were - as usual - brilliant. I've seen them 6 times now and you can pretty much guarantee that it's gonna be a good gig every time. Dave Grohl strikes me as someone who is exactly the same on as off stage - would be a top guy to go for a few beers with no doubt. Last Thursday, was in San Francisco and saw Liam Gallagher & Richard Ashcroft in a double headline performance. LG was great - the usual bluster, anger, attitude and a great mix of the best of his solo album and classic Oasis tracks (Rock 'n' Roll Star, Morning Glory, Supersonic, Slide Away, Cigarettes & Alcohol). Ashcroft did an acoustic set and it was incredible - what a voice - proper 'hairs on the back of your neck' stuff. Good mix of The Verve classics/solo tracks, plus a cover of Little Red Corvette thrown in for good measure. The venue (The Masonic) was also top notch - a great night! Got Hooky doing both JD and NO substance albums in Dallas next week, then Royal Blood (also in Dallas) early June. Oh and got tickets for Arctic Monkeys in October - love their previous stuff but listened to their new album and I'm still unsure about it .....

The White Stripes - Apple Blossom

Not seen the new one yet but the original is a classic. If you can, get the Final Cut which best represents Ridley Scott's vision for the film and was supervised entirely by him - the Theatrical Cut was overseen by studio suits (and has the terrible voiceover plus the 'happy' ending), while the Director's Cut was actually done by someone else using some notes the studio had from Scott but with very little involvement from him.

Saw Depeche Mode supported by Warpaint in Dallas last Friday - never seen either before. Liked DM in the 80's, and dipped in and out of their stuff from Violator onwards but have never seen them live. Have to say they were excellent, Dave Gahan is a way better frontman than I ever thought he would be. Warpaint were also very good. Off to Cal Jam a week on Saturday - basically Foo Fighters have set up their own one-day festival in San Bernadino, California. Pretty decent line-up with the Foos, QOTSA, Liam Gallagher, Royal Blood, The Kills and a few others. Also just booked tickets for Noel Gallagher's HFBs in Houston next March - they're playing the House Of Blues so it's a small venue (no more than 1000 capacity) - no way I'd ever get to see him in anything smaller than the MEN in the UK so it should be a good one!