Craig

Sounds like the Epstein files are beginning to deliver some of their secrets.

Yeah I was about to say it's more about the party rules than anything else. You can absolutely hold a cabinet position without being an MP - see Cameron being made Foreign Secretary and hastily being sworn into the House of Lords. Make a fucking mockery though.

I was trying to remember the match where this had happened before. Completely forgotten it was with us and in their favour.

Someone is clearly gobbing off in number 10 like. But seriously, can you see him stabbing Starmer in the back? I can see Rayner doing it.

I think if Starmer was to announce he was stepping down, Streeting would be one of the first to put his name forward. He definitely sees himself as the natural successor. Being Brutus to Julius Caesar? Nope, can't see it.

I've admired Burnham for a long time. Cameron likes to spin that the quashing of the 1st Hillsborough inquests was on him, but Burnham started that when he gave that speech at Anfield on the 20th anniversary. He'd have been the perfect candidate to take over in 2015, but we had Corbyn-mania.

The moment they try to find Burnham a seat will be the point where you can start putting bets on Starmer being replaced. As you say Streeting is so far up Starmer's backside it's not going to be him.

They'd be in as much shit for that as Palace were for the Marinakis one so bring it on...

Fucking Webb has come out and said it wouldn't have been unreasonable to overturn the decision. Dippers are going to hang on to that bullshit with ridiculous dedication.

Wonder if it'll be a cardboard one as a tribute.

The Tories jumping on this and saying it's a demonstrable of what the BBC are outlines just how much they're sucking Trump's pipe BTW.

Aye, that's the level I'm on about. He referred to it as 'the continental disease' and 'had no place in the English game'.

Well at least we're getting an insight into what you consider a 'lovely subject'

This is why the international break is shit. Match theads degenerate into discussions around Gemmill's felching habits to keep his protein levels up.

Nailed on for Spurs allegedly.

I think between them they're balanced and extremely knowledgeable. The only people who truly are against them are the extremes of the political spectrum.

My lass keeps breaking into song with "let's get physical" every time she sees him in possession of the ball. Was mildly amusing initially, I'm glad he's got injured so it's put a stop to that nonsense. Although, thanks to Gemmill, Mambo No. 5 seems to miraculously get played through the sonos every time MGW appears

Appreciate you've played to a much higher level but what's your view on punching? When I was playing, the GK coach's mantra was collect the ball at all costs - "you punch the ball, I'll punch you until you don't do it!" was muttered on a regular basis.

It's the hope that kills you. I'm electing for the 'expect fuck all and I won't be disappointed' approach.

I was told surgery for me would be a waste of time as there's fuck all they can do with it given it's deep in the pelvis. I was told they can inject shit into the joint which replenishes the membrane but that this is both very temporary, extremely painful and expensive so probably not worth my while.

Indeed. Which makes the BBC's decision to splice the speech all the more baffling and unnecessary. You only need half a brain to be able to understand the rhetoric - leaving it open to interpretation was sufficient. Instead, they've provided him with ammunition to weaponise it as a witch hunt against him. Fucking clowns.

Aye, as much as Trump is a cunt who was clearly well up for inciting the riots, the splice was unnecessary and has given him ammunition to go after them. Fucking idiots IYAM

Each half, at least.

It also ably demonstrates that Jay Bothroyd is thick as pigshit and, in spite of being Sky's choice as the ex-player expert, hasn't got a fucking clue what VAR is for or how it should be invoked.

The Ref Watch thing Sky do with Dermot Gallagher and Jay Bothroyd deals with it perfectly. There wasn't a clear and obvious error either way for VAR to overrule or send the ref to the monitor. In other words, had the goal been given by the on-field ref, VAR still wouldn't have intervened.