Colly

Appeal was successful. VA ruddy shite more like.

Presenting this thing of beauty without context.

I'm curious as to whether any clubs/coaches are actually complaining about them significantly? At PL level they've got the squad size to cope (I looked at Man City's team that played Huddersfield and thought it looked strong, then you realise it was essentially a reserve side. As ridiculous as that sounds considering the cost of said reserves), so there's almost two bisecting lines on a chart between teams who can cope anyway and teams where the welcome extra revenue more than outweighs the issue. Presumably the middle of that chart is somewhere in the Championship/League One where the extra revenue isn't enough to make up for the extra game?

Aargh, which wrestling theme was that, it's driving me mad.

I think you'd have to do it that way, but then you're depriving lower league fans of the chance to ever have an away trip to Old Trafford etc. Or a stadium that isn't falling to bits where you won't be fleeced on ticket prices...

I've a feeling we had this discussion recently, while I get the fixture congestion argument I still don't understand how it's "old fashioned". There's far more sporting merit in taking the tie back to your home ground than the League Cup "go straight to penalties" routine. If you're desperate to avoid a replay just go gung ho and play to win, Newcastle showed how to do that when we frantically ran away from the Europa League last month... Ooh it's on page 1 of this thread, I'll fall back on that.

Completely disagree on this, unless they start giving the lower league side a big chunk of the gate receipts and tv money regardless of whether they're home or away. Even away from that I quite like the concept in principle, far better than instant extra time and pens. While we're on kits (from yesterday), while I like the Arsenal thing I do wish they'd make the numbers black. I've a feeling I said the same thing last time though...

Pretty rare that we play in away kits at Sunderland. Just look at the socks and you'll be fine...

Muting @Lineker today just in case.

They'll appeal that surely. Once again the obsession with studs showing overrules anything sensible.

There are practical ways of doing it too. Traditionally Rowan Atkinson with a stick.

It was. They deleted it very quickly. Lineker power.

The Joelinton one is arguable, you can't book a player for stopping a promising attack when the promising attack still happened, but I think you could still book him for the daftness of the foul (should have just pulled his shirt...). As Neville said though that's the only complaint Liverpool could have, despite Drury not knowing the difference between Bruno and Joe. That second pen gets worse on every viewing though, he puts the right leg (the one there's contact on) down to step, then goes down on the left. The slight problem is that media/refs etc have made it so difficult to give a pen when you don't go to ground (ever since that one Gerrard got against Stoke), so players are encouraged to dive. And that was a dive. We were shite again though, shouldn't have been in it at 80 minutes and deserved the loss, just annoying the manner of it.

While we were tonked, this sums up my current thoughts. What's the point of VAR?

Luton 0 vs. 2 Chelsea (Sat 12.30pm, TNT) Aston Villa 3 vs. 0 Burnley (Sat 3pm) Crystal Palace 2 vs. 1 Brentford (Sat 3pm) Fulham 1 vs. 1 Arsenal (Sun 2pm, Sky) Tottenham 2 vs. 0 Bournemouth (Sun 2pm)

I've watched the first 2. First one is good, basically Nebula in a Blade Runner ripoff (with some added Highlander 2...). Second one okay if a bit throwaway and just hoying a load of previously seen characters together. I can't tell if it's going to do what they did last time and draw them all together at the end or whether they're properly separate this time.

Four minutes wasted for that stupid VAR review.

I liked

Can't use fatigue as the excuse here, we were 1-0 up fortunately but had no control over the game whatsoever. Just really naive tactically, and poor squad selection given the bench. God knows what the Hall contract situation is since we're suddenly giving him minutes, he'd have been useful to bed in two months ago. We lack any plan B, if Bruno isn't controlling play he's a headless chicken, and that doesn't help the 17 year old next to him. Almiron being the only right winger in the world to not even own a right foot never mind one he can kick with isn't ideal either. Forest by far the better side, and our away form has finally infected the home.

Bournemouth 2 vs. 1 Fulham (Tue 3pm, Prime) Sheff Utd 0 vs. 0 Luton (Tue 3pm, Prime) Man Utd 1 vs. 2 Aston Villa (Tue 8pm, Prime) Chelsea 2 vs. 1 Crystal Palace* (Wed 7.30pm) Brentford 2 vs. 1 Wolves (Wed 7.30pm, Prime) Everton 0 vs. 3 Man City (Wed 8.15pm, Prime)

That, but rejected by Star Wars.

Baffling how shit we are away.

West Ham 2 vs. 1 Man Utd (Sat 12.30pm, TNT) Fulham 2 vs. 0 Burnley (Sat 3pm) Nottm Forest 2 vs. 1 Bournemouth (Sat 3pm) Tottenham 2 vs. 0 Everton (Sat 3pm) Liverpool 1 vs. 1 Arsenal (Sat 5.30pm, Sky)