Just returned home, slightly the worse for wear. Baffling by England. They take the lead after 55 minutes. Then, for some reason, they decide to defend very deep for the last 35 minutes - an eternity in football terms. So Messi, unmarked, drifts out to the right, quite deep and away from the England defence, and dictates the game. There follows a multitude of chances for Argentina, with England barely touching it let alone passing it, and a couple of goals are scored. Could easily have been 4-1 or 5-1. Like I said - baffling tactics.
There is defending deep and there is defending deep. Any deeper and they would have been out the back in the car park.
Just returned home, slightly the worse for wear. Baffling by England. They take the lead after 55 minutes. Then, for some reason, they decide to defend very deep for the last 35 minutes - an eternity in football terms. So Messi, unmarked, drifts out to the right, quite deep and away from the England defence, and dictates the game. There follows a multitude of chances for Argentina, with England barely touching it let alone passing it, and a couple of goals are scored. Could easily have been 4-1 or 5-1. Like I said - baffling tactics.
There is defending deep and there is defending deep. Any deeper and they would have been out the back in the car park.
Not even having one quick player up on the halfway line astonished me. It would drag at least one defender back too - you wouldn't leave a quick target one on one. It's one bad aspect of Jane's game. When there is a lack of service he drops deep to get touches.
This was totally on Tuchel. A squad with too many duds and crocks and missing obvious selections who could turn matches around. Even when he had a chance to rectify with Livramento out, he brought in Chalobah and never played him.
It was as if he rewatched England vs Italy in 2021 and decided to emulate Southgate.
Spain defend by keeping possession. He thought a poor England defence could hold out for over 30 minutes by sitting in their box inviting crosses in. This was a beatable Argentina.
He should be sacked. At least years of watching England and Swindon, have numbed the pain of expectation and inevitable defeat.
A typical well suited whimper of a bookend to the Starmer premiership.
A fellow Robin! We have suffered my friend, we have suffered!
Oh the pain. Unfortunately I see no end to it. This was just an appetiser for the misery of the season ahead I fear. I wish you the best.
We simply stopped playing. Even when we had a chance for a bit of possession, instead of playing the ball out from the back to eat up a bit of time and slow things down, we just lumped it forward, Argentina won it back and we retreated to our own box again.
In the first half the game was played in midfield. After we scored, that part of the pitch was vacated by England.
This was totally on Tuchel. A squad with too many duds and crocks and missing obvious selections who could turn matches around. Even when he had a chance to rectify with Livramento out, he brought in Chalobah and never played him.
It was as if he rewatched England vs Italy in 2021 and decided to emulate Southgate.
Spain defend by keeping possession. He thought a poor England defence could hold out for over 30 minutes by sitting in their box inviting crosses in. This was a beatable Argentina.
He should be sacked. At least years of watching England and Swindon, have numbed the pain of expectation and inevitable defeat.
A typical well suited whimper of a bookend to the Starmer premiership.
A fellow Robin! We have suffered my friend, we have suffered!
Oh the pain. Unfortunately I see no end to it. This was just an appetiser for the misery of the season ahead I fear. I wish you the best.
We simply stopped playing. Even when we had a chance for a bit of possession, instead of playing the ball out from the back to eat up a bit of time and slow things down, we just lumped it forward, Argentina won it back and we retreated to our own box again.
In the first half the game was played in midfield. After we scored, that part of the pitch was vacated by England.
I didn't understand why there wasn't someone stepping on Messi's toes every time he got near the ball.
We simply stopped playing. Even when we had a chance for a bit of possession, instead of playing the ball out from the back to eat up a bit of time and slow things down, we just lumped it forward, Argentina won it back and we retreated to our own box again.
In the first half the game was played in midfield. After we scored, that part of the pitch was vacated by England.
Yep the few times we had possession in the late game, we gave it away far too easily and cheaply.
But the England WC business model continues, out to the first big team we meet.
Anyway got Argentina at 4.4 to qualify after we scored so that's a slight consolation, and it's matches likes these that remind me why I don't generally watch football, and apart from the England teams, don't support anyone, outsourcing your mood to football results will often not end well
We simply stopped playing. Even when we had a chance for a bit of possession, instead of playing the ball out from the back to eat up a bit of time and slow things down, we just lumped it forward, Argentina won it back and we retreated to our own box again.
In the first half the game was played in midfield. After we scored, that part of the pitch was vacated by England.
I didn't understand why there wasn't someone stepping on Messi's toes every time he got near the ball.
It worked for 70 minutes. Why did we stop?
What Argentina did do, and would have done more if they were ahead, foul Bellingham every time he gets the ball until the ref books the player, then you rotate the player marking fouling him.
Although individual Labour MPs may have principles, the Labour Party collectively do not have governing principles (and I think have not had them for some time). This is especially true of the Starmer Ministry.
But they are in power.
In the absence of principle the government metastatises, with each minister generating policy according to the whims of whoever is the minister that week. Sometimes I like the results (eg transport). Sometimes I do not. But it's like listening to a choir where everybody is singing different songs in a different register.
My sympathies, folks. Don't forget that if you were offered a year ago to get to the last four you would have bitten their hand off. This isn't as bad as it feels.
We would not have bitten anyone's hand off for a semi-final place. That is the minimum expected based on our tournament record in the Southgate years, our FIFA ranking and (since this is pb) our place in the betting. And Tuchel recognised this: he was brought in to take us past losing semi-finals and finals. And yes, it is as bad as it feels because every fan, as witnessed even by postings on pb, could see that parking the bus after the one goal lead was an accident waiting to happen.
Russian sources: major part of Crimea will have the water supply halted. There is no power to pump fresh water.
50% of the electrical power to the Crimean peninsular comes from one power plant in Sevastopol - the Balaklava Thermal Power Plant - and it has been destroyed. It is a key 496-megawatt natural gas power station and is still burning. It will take months to repair. If there was any point - Ukraine would just hit it again if it came close to going back on line.
The nobile phone service there is also limited to a few hours a day.
As a holiday destination, Crimea sounds even less appealing than Blackpool...
But what this German has done is ensure Burnham starts his reign in a period of national depression rather than celebration. It does not bode well for the king in, or perhaps now from, the north.
But what this German has done is ensure Burnham starts his reign in a period of national depression rather than celebration. It does not bode well for the king in, or perhaps now from, the north.
But what this German has done is ensure Burnham starts his reign in a period of national depression rather than celebration. It does not bode well for the king in, or perhaps now from, the north.
We can still blame Starmer.
We can blame Starmer's team, Arsenal, for running their players – Rice, Eze, Saka & Madueke – into the ground last season.
The Falklands, as Matthew Brown, Professor in Latin American history at the University of Bristol, sits at the “sweet spot” of Argentinian national unity; to the right, it has long been a matter of patriotic pride; to the left, it fits into an anti-colonialist worldview, in which the troops who died were “victims both of the British and Argentina’s dictatorship.”
The Falklands, as Matthew Brown, Professor in Latin American history at the University of Bristol, sits at the “sweet spot” of Argentinian national unity; to the right, it has long been a matter of patriotic pride; to the left, it fits into an anti-colonialist worldview, in which the troops who died were “victims both of the British and Argentina’s dictatorship.”
Good morning, everyone.
Ironic, as settling an uninhabited land is not the same as colonialism, unless all nations are deemed colonial.
So Tuchel stays in charge and then does the the same thing at the next tournament . This was a great opportunity to get to the final which he handed on a plate to Argentina. The last 30 minutes was embarrassing and he refuses to accept that .
You go 1-0 up in a tight game with few chances and need fresh legs.
You bring on one or more credibly two forwards with pace and use that pace to give you an "out ball" which means you stretch the pitch and force the opposition to have to sit deeper.
It's not rocket science
By bringing defenders on and sitting deeper ourselves you invite pressure. That was exacerbated by the fact we (we didn't go 5 at the back in actual fact) went 3 at the back and 5 in a deep midfield block. The key space that created was in their right wing our left back area which Messi and the winger they bought on exploited to the full.
Kane and Bellingham who had carried the team team through 6 games were running on empty, understandably so, but to only introduce pace in the 96 minute was simply unfathomable.
Tuchel should have withdrawn the bitterly disappointing Rice and Roberts or a tiring Gordon after 70 minutes, bought on Saka and Rashford and given the back 4 and Pickford a very simple old fashioned "out ball" everytime on either flank.
The reality is we have 2 world class player who scored 12 goals between them, emerging talent on Gordon and Spence and Anderson and basically the rest of the team carried by Kane and Bellingham are completent but no more than that.
We were beaten by a team who can em[loy every dark art for 70 minutes but who when they need to paly flowing football, are far superior at that too.
We've overperformed on the back of our 2 stars and some great bottle and battle, until sadly the gas ran out.
But what this German has done is ensure Burnham starts his reign in a period of national depression rather than celebration. It does not bode well for the king in, or perhaps now from, the north.
But what this German has done is ensure Burnham starts his reign in a period of national depression rather than celebration. It does not bode well for the king in, or perhaps now from, the north.
We can still blame Starmer.
He should resign.
It is a period of national celebration in Scotland!
(obviously not for me - I'm disappointed though not excessively)
SKS said today in his last PMQs that Labour was "found to be institutionally antisemitic", presumably by the EHRC.
This is a total and complete lie. Straightforward fabrication. As a lawyer, he must know it's a lie.
He really is the most execrably dishonest man, who seems to have forgotten he's been forced out of power discredited by his association with Mandelson, disgraced by his complicity in genocide and so reviled by voters that his Party has to find a new leader from outside of the PLP to try rescue his government from electoral oblivion.
Incidentally, in case anyone thought BJO was telling the truth, here's the report he claims does not exist:
The EHRC report which led to Corbyn's expulsion does not use that language, but here is its report which describes Labour as 'at best, did not do enough to prevent antisemitism and at worst, could be seen to accept it.'
Corbyn said that was a lie, but it was not true - he's just massively racist. The problem is, like rather too many in Labour, he doesn't realise it.
You post a BICOM report
Wiki says After the outbreak of the Second Intifada, British Jews founded the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre (BICOM) to promote a more supportive environment for Israel in the UK, principally through work with the media.[1]
In 2005, Ruth Smeeth joined as director of public affairs and campaigns.[2]
In 2009, it was criticized as "one of the most persistent and slickest media operations in the battle for influence over opinion formers".[3]
IGNORE
Do you deny that it is a report that says what Keir Starmer claimed to have been said in PMQs which you said he must have known was a lie?
Or do you ignore it simply because it was written by Jews, which seems to be the essential thrust of your comment?
It is hardly remarkable to a normal person that a report on anti-semitism is published by an organisation that specialises in studying it. Just as my work on Welsh history is published in the Welsh Historical Review not the Annales journal.
Its not an Independent report its written by we believe in Israel types and is a perfect example of Political opponents exaggerating AS as Corbyn says BICOM is a Pro Israel organisation so by definition not in the least independent
You are surely more intelligent than this The EHRC report and the Forde Report are both respected independent reports this one is a perfect example of the scam Mandelson and his mates tried to pull off.
I think you are right. It was very striking how soul less his response to the murder / assassination of Anne Widdecombe was and he wasn't much better in the Commons on Wednesday. Striking as to how many times he used the you / your constructions to refer to AW. He could have totally transformed what he said just by using our / us.
Just let it go bankrupt and wipe out shareholders and bondholders.
If nobody else offers to buy TW with shareholders and bondholders wiped out no reason the taxpayer can't for £1 as a last resort. But there's no need to do so prematurely and definitely no need to compensate shareholders and bondholders.
The Falklands, as Matthew Brown, Professor in Latin American history at the University of Bristol, sits at the “sweet spot” of Argentinian national unity; to the right, it has long been a matter of patriotic pride; to the left, it fits into an anti-colonialist worldview, in which the troops who died were “victims both of the British and Argentina’s dictatorship.”
Nothing has changed. Argentina was arguably even more for retaking the Falklands under the Peronists and Kirchners than it is under Milei who at least only focuses on the diplomatic route
But what this German has done is ensure Burnham starts his reign in a period of national depression rather than celebration. It does not bode well for the king in, or perhaps now from, the north.
Not really, England hasn't reached a World Cup final for 60 years let alone won it. Indeed even reaching the semi final is better than we have done in most World Cups, some of which we didn't even qualify for or get out of the group stages
Just let it go bankrupt and wipe out shareholders and bondholders.
If nobody else offers to buy TW with shareholders and bondholders wiped out no reason the taxpayer can't for £1 as a last resort. But there's no need to do so prematurely and definitely no need to compensate shareholders and bondholders.
No, there isn’t
That’s the risk in being a shareholder and bond holder.
2. Took over a Ministry of Defense with zero budget, took a risk, reallocated funds from payroll from the end of the year, and effectively invested them in mid-strike capabilities, fiber-optic FPVs, low-cost reconnaissance, ground robotic platforms, interceptor drones, and deep-strike drones.
3. Launched "Logistical Lockdown", this cut off enemy logistics and initiated the isolation of Crimea.
4. Continued the funding program for the Drone Line.
5. Launched a support program for modern drone-assault units that rely primarily on advanced technologies in combat.
6. Introduced a 70% advance payment policy for procurements made via e-Points on the Brave1 Market portal.
7. Fundamentally overhauled the procurement system.
8. Procured thousands of pickup trucks, buggies, and ATVs for the military for the first time—and did so through open tenders.
9. The drone interception rate rose from 83% to 91%, and the cruise missile interception rate soared from 47% to 87%.
10. Contracted Patriot PAC-2 GEM-T missiles for the first time, and submitted an application through an EU loan to purchase PAC-3 missiles.
11. Launched a baseline drone supply system for brigades and corps.
12. Launched a massive grant program for manufacturers of explosives and missiles.
13. Initiated an unpopular but vital transformation of the military.
14. Conducted three UDCG meetings, where we successfully broke through the Russian information trap claiming our defeat, restoring partners' faith in Ukraine. This secured $40 billion in support announced for this year (excluding the EU loan).
15. Launched the mechanism to utilize the EU loan for our military priorities.
16. Found a way to scale cheap missiles against jet-powered Shaheds and signed a record-breaking contract.
17. Our domestic ballistics. We radically revised the technical specifications, maximized accuracy, and reduced the cost by 30%.
18. Signed a contract to procure Gripen fighter jets.
19. Collaborated with the military to plan and execute Operation Auchan, which halted the enemy's mechanized offensive for six months.
20. Opened up exports under the Drone Deal program to attract investment and scale up domestic defense-industrial complex (OPK) production.
21. Launched the Trophy Lab, providing partners with the opportunity to study captured Russian military technologies.
22. Launched the Defense AI Center A1 to accelerate the integration of artificial intelligence on the battlefield...
As someone who knows nothing about football and wouldn't support England anyway, I don't think you would get to number 3 or 4 in the world without being a very good team and the manager probably has something to do with it
I am surprised it was as high as 12%, felt more like 1.2%.
And yet England looked dangerous in the second half, when running forwards. Killing that stone dead for the last 30 mins doesn't seem to have been the best of choices by the manager.
But what this German has done is ensure Burnham starts his reign in a period of national depression rather than celebration. It does not bode well for the king in, or perhaps now from, the north.
Not really, England hasn't reached a World Cup final for 60 years let alone won it. Indeed even reaching the semi final is better than we have done in most World Cups, some of which we didn't even qualify for or get out of the group stages
Under Southgate we reached a World Cup semi-final and two Euros finals iirc. Under Tuchel we have also reached a World Cup semi-final.
But what this German has done is ensure Burnham starts his reign in a period of national depression rather than celebration. It does not bode well for the king in, or perhaps now from, the north.
Not really, England hasn't reached a World Cup final for 60 years let alone won it. Indeed even reaching the semi final is better than we have done in most World Cups, some of which we didn't even qualify for or get out of the group stages
Under Southgate we reached a World Cup semi-final and two Euros finals iirc. Under Tuchel we have also reached a World Cup semi-final.
Indeed and when Thatcher and Blair were PM we never even reached a Euros final. Didn't do them much harm electorally and we only got to one World Cup semi final under Thatcher which was after her 3 general election wins in the year she left No 10
2. Took over a Ministry of Defense with zero budget, took a risk, reallocated funds from payroll from the end of the year, and effectively invested them in mid-strike capabilities, fiber-optic FPVs, low-cost reconnaissance, ground robotic platforms, interceptor drones, and deep-strike drones.
3. Launched "Logistical Lockdown", this cut off enemy logistics and initiated the isolation of Crimea.
4. Continued the funding program for the Drone Line.
5. Launched a support program for modern drone-assault units that rely primarily on advanced technologies in combat.
6. Introduced a 70% advance payment policy for procurements made via e-Points on the Brave1 Market portal.
7. Fundamentally overhauled the procurement system.
8. Procured thousands of pickup trucks, buggies, and ATVs for the military for the first time—and did so through open tenders.
9. The drone interception rate rose from 83% to 91%, and the cruise missile interception rate soared from 47% to 87%.
10. Contracted Patriot PAC-2 GEM-T missiles for the first time, and submitted an application through an EU loan to purchase PAC-3 missiles.
11. Launched a baseline drone supply system for brigades and corps.
12. Launched a massive grant program for manufacturers of explosives and missiles.
13. Initiated an unpopular but vital transformation of the military.
14. Conducted three UDCG meetings, where we successfully broke through the Russian information trap claiming our defeat, restoring partners' faith in Ukraine. This secured $40 billion in support announced for this year (excluding the EU loan).
15. Launched the mechanism to utilize the EU loan for our military priorities.
16. Found a way to scale cheap missiles against jet-powered Shaheds and signed a record-breaking contract.
17. Our domestic ballistics. We radically revised the technical specifications, maximized accuracy, and reduced the cost by 30%.
18. Signed a contract to procure Gripen fighter jets.
19. Collaborated with the military to plan and execute Operation Auchan, which halted the enemy's mechanized offensive for six months.
20. Opened up exports under the Drone Deal program to attract investment and scale up domestic defense-industrial complex (OPK) production.
21. Launched the Trophy Lab, providing partners with the opportunity to study captured Russian military technologies.
22. Launched the Defense AI Center A1 to accelerate the integration of artificial intelligence on the battlefield...
To be continued.
Fedorov failed to fix the conscription crisis (he probably made it worse) and fell out with everyone's favourite Russian general Sir'skiy so he was a gonner after that no matter else he did or didn't do. The probable successor, Klimenko, favours a harsher conscription regime which is probably all that Zelenskiy is looking for at this point.
We simply stopped playing. Even when we had a chance for a bit of possession, instead of playing the ball out from the back to eat up a bit of time and slow things down, we just lumped it forward, Argentina won it back and we retreated to our own box again.
In the first half the game was played in midfield. After we scored, that part of the pitch was vacated by England.
Yes, we gave up after the 60th minute.
I'm still immensely frustrated about it, especially since I really wanted Argentina to be taught a lesson they wouldn't forget, but what can you do.
The Clacton byelection has completely dropped out of the news. Is it going to return? Parliament closes down for six weeks. Europe has lost interest in hourly Trump news because he is stuck over Iran and even ICE killings hardly register. Reform's poll lead will be gone by October.
There is a mood shift going on. What rough beast and fresh hell is going to emerge?
The Clacton byelection has completely dropped out of the news. Is it going to return? Parliament closes down for six weeks. Europe has lost interest in hourly Trump news because he is stuck over Iran and even ICE killings hardly register. Reform's poll lead will be gone by October.
There is a mood shift going on. What rough beast and fresh hell is going to emerge?
All news of the Widdieslayer (pbuh) seems to have dried up too.
The Clacton byelection has completely dropped out of the news. Is it going to return? Parliament closes down for six weeks. Europe has lost interest in hourly Trump news because he is stuck over Iran and even ICE killings hardly register. Reform's poll lead will be gone by October.
There is a mood shift going on. What rough beast and fresh hell is going to emerge?
All news of the Widdieslayer (pbuh) seems to have dried up too.
The Clacton byelection has completely dropped out of the news. Is it going to return? Parliament closes down for six weeks. Europe has lost interest in hourly Trump news because he is stuck over Iran and even ICE killings hardly register. Reform's poll lead will be gone by October.
There is a mood shift going on. What rough beast and fresh hell is going to emerge?
The Bin for the Win.
And a maiden speech talking about how he's the one in the bin but all the parties are the ones full of rubbish.
(This is a joke, for the avoidance of doubt. Nobody should be betting on Binface except as a trading bet.)
The Clacton byelection has completely dropped out of the news. Is it going to return? Parliament closes down for six weeks. Europe has lost interest in hourly Trump news because he is stuck over Iran and even ICE killings hardly register. Reform's poll lead will be gone by October.
There is a mood shift going on. What rough beast and fresh hell is going to emerge?
It was 5 minutes away from being a tactical masterclass. That's football...
People who think Ingerland should have played attacking football for 90 minutes have clearly never played the game at any serious level. Against a peer opponent no team at any level can sustain that.
'The economy expanded by 0.1%, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, driven by growth in the UK's service sector, although this was offset by falls in the production and construction sectors.' About the weakest cheer up ever
One place I worked, most of the people on my floor played bridge. Bridge night was Tuesday. Wednesday mornings were always a nightmare as last night's hands were replayed & replayed.
'The economy expanded by 0.1%, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, driven by growth in the UK's service sector, although this was offset by falls in the production and construction sectors.' About the weakest cheer up ever
Time for my monthly post asking what the +/- uncertainty range is on the size of the economy.
One place I worked, most of the people on my floor played bridge. Bridge night was Tuesday. Wednesday mornings were always a nightmare as last night's hands were replayed & replayed.
The Clacton byelection has completely dropped out of the news. Is it going to return? Parliament closes down for six weeks. Europe has lost interest in hourly Trump news because he is stuck over Iran and even ICE killings hardly register. Reform's poll lead will be gone by October.
There is a mood shift going on. What rough beast and fresh hell is going to emerge?
All news of the Widdieslayer (pbuh) seems to have dried up too.
The Clacton byelection has completely dropped out of the news. Is it going to return? Parliament closes down for six weeks. Europe has lost interest in hourly Trump news because he is stuck over Iran and even ICE killings hardly register. Reform's poll lead will be gone by October.
There is a mood shift going on. What rough beast and fresh hell is going to emerge?
All news of the Widdieslayer (pbuh) seems to have dried up too.
Because it’s now sub judice?
no-ones been charged yet
In the age of online media, that's not necessarily the deciding point.
Another five mins + stupid stoppage time and everyone on here and the wider UK Internet would be hailing him as the greatest.
It was so obviously coming though. Just like Italy in Euro 2020.
A few months ago, LAFC lost in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup in Toluca, Mexico.
At home LAFC had won 2-1.
And they went to Mexico and decided to park the bus for 90 minutes. Basically, a low block, with no obvious intention of scoring on the break.
And, perhaps inevitably, they went 60-odd minutes without conceding, and then boom... Toluca scored. And then it was all over.
If you aren't threatening when you get the ball, you will be put under ever greater amounts of pressure, and it will -eventually- result in a goal.
Forget not threatening. England couldn't even hold onto possession for a few seconds. Everyone was behind the ball, so there was no-one to clear the ball towards who could retain possession and relieve pressure. Even the RTE commentator could see that was trouble.
Nobody is magical or irreplaceable, but in a contest between Fedorov and Syrski, most Ukrainians would back Fedorov every time. There are protests in Ukraine over this today.
It was kind of England to let Argentina win yesterday, And perhaps good diplomacy in the long run, now that Argentina has a reasonably good leader, after so many terrible ones.
It was like giving a cookie to a little boy who has been raising hell, when he finally settles down for a while.
(Of course, whoever in the UK government thought of this ploy deserves some credit, but will never be able to admit it, publicly.)
Comments
@Keir_Starmer
Gutted. Tonight wasn’t the result we all hoped for, but this England team has given it their all.
The passion and energy they’ve shown representing the badge has made us all proud.
10:20 PM · Jul 15, 2026
253.3K Views"
https://x.com/Keir_Starmer/status/2077503718044443108
Churchillian
In the first half the game was played in midfield. After we scored, that part of the pitch was vacated by England.
According to his biographer he will now retire to cut his father-in-law's hedges.
We held the 1-0 until the 85th minute.
Another five mins + stupid stoppage time and everyone on here and the wider UK Internet would be hailing him as the greatest.
It worked for 70 minutes. Why did we stop?
But the England WC business model continues, out to the first big team we meet.
Anyway got Argentina at 4.4 to qualify after we scored so that's a slight consolation, and it's matches likes these that remind me why I don't generally watch football, and apart from the England teams, don't support anyone, outsourcing your mood to football results will often not end well
https://youtu.be/4Ra9bCL71p8?is=FdXRVHPXrb0OHzcW
markingfouling him.At home LAFC had won 2-1.
And they went to Mexico and decided to park the bus for 90 minutes. Basically, a low block, with no obvious intention of scoring on the break.
And, perhaps inevitably, they went 60-odd minutes without conceding, and then boom... Toluca scored. And then it was all over.
If you aren't threatening when you get the ball, you will be put under ever greater amounts of pressure, and it will -eventually- result in a goal.
12% - 🏴 England
88% - 🇦🇷 Argentina
I am surprised it was as high as 12%, felt more like 1.2%.
12% - 🏴 England
88% - 🇦🇷 Argentina
I am surprised it was as high as 12%, felt more like 1.2%.
‘The Malvinas are Argentine’: Players celebrate with banner after win over England
I'm sure FIFA will issue a big fine. /s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tih4VFr09uo (15:37)
That is all.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/haaretz-podcast/id1440719849
"Dropping litter like crisp packets could see you fined £750 as fresh crackdown on rubbish-strewn streets launched"
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/39767371/litter-fines-packet-crisps-crackdown-streets/
But they are in power.
In the absence of principle the government metastatises, with each minister generating policy according to the whims of whoever is the minister that week. Sometimes I like the results (eg transport). Sometimes I do not. But it's like listening to a choir where everybody is singing different songs in a different register.
50% of the electrical power to the Crimean peninsular comes from one power plant in Sevastopol - the Balaklava Thermal Power Plant - and it has been destroyed. It is a key 496-megawatt natural gas power station and is still burning. It will take months to repair. If there was any point - Ukraine would just hit it again if it came close to going back on line.
The nobile phone service there is also limited to a few hours a day.
As a holiday destination, Crimea sounds even less appealing than Blackpool...
https://observer.co.uk/news/sport/article/england-v-argentina-an-old-conflict-rears-its-head-in-song-and-on-the-world-cup-pitch
This is an interesting point:
The Falklands, as Matthew Brown, Professor in Latin American history at the University of Bristol, sits at the “sweet spot” of Argentinian national unity; to the right, it has long been a matter of patriotic pride; to the left, it fits into an anti-colonialist worldview, in which the troops who died were “victims both of the British and Argentina’s dictatorship.”
Ironic, as settling an uninhabited land is not the same as colonialism, unless all nations are deemed colonial.
You go 1-0 up in a tight game with few chances and need fresh legs.
You bring on one or more credibly two forwards with pace and use that pace to give you an "out ball" which means you stretch the pitch and force the opposition to have to sit deeper.
It's not rocket science
By bringing defenders on and sitting deeper ourselves you invite pressure. That was exacerbated by the fact we (we didn't go 5 at the back in actual fact) went 3 at the back and 5 in a deep midfield block. The key space that created was in their right wing our left back area which Messi and the winger they bought on exploited to the full.
Kane and Bellingham who had carried the team team through 6 games were running on empty, understandably so, but to only introduce pace in the 96 minute was simply unfathomable.
Tuchel should have withdrawn the bitterly disappointing Rice and Roberts or a tiring Gordon after 70 minutes, bought on Saka and Rashford and given the back 4 and Pickford a very simple old fashioned "out ball" everytime on either flank.
The reality is we have 2 world class player who scored 12 goals between them, emerging talent on Gordon and Spence and Anderson and basically the rest of the team carried by Kane and Bellingham are completent but no more than that.
We were beaten by a team who can em[loy every dark art for 70 minutes but who when they need to paly flowing football, are far superior at that too.
We've overperformed on the back of our 2 stars and some great bottle and battle, until sadly the gas ran out.
(obviously not for me - I'm disappointed though not excessively)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y680w62wno
Thames Water next?
herhis approval of the costs?If nobody else offers to buy TW with shareholders and bondholders wiped out no reason the taxpayer can't for £1 as a last resort. But there's no need to do so prematurely and definitely no need to compensate shareholders and bondholders.
The costs are coming whether or not water is in private or public ownership.
What could,possibly go wrong.
That’s the risk in being a shareholder and bond holder.
https://x.com/FedorovMykhailo/status/2077469728004510174
It has been a great honor to serve the Ukrainian people as the Minister of Defense.
Here is what our team managed to achieve:
1. Disabled Starlink access for Russian forces.
2. Took over a Ministry of Defense with zero budget, took a risk, reallocated funds from payroll from the end of the year, and effectively invested them in mid-strike capabilities, fiber-optic FPVs, low-cost reconnaissance, ground robotic platforms, interceptor drones, and deep-strike drones.
3. Launched "Logistical Lockdown", this cut off enemy logistics and initiated the isolation of Crimea.
4. Continued the funding program for the Drone Line.
5. Launched a support program for modern drone-assault units that rely primarily on advanced technologies in combat.
6. Introduced a 70% advance payment policy for procurements made via e-Points on the Brave1 Market portal.
7. Fundamentally overhauled the procurement system.
8. Procured thousands of pickup trucks, buggies, and ATVs for the military for the first time—and did so through open tenders.
9. The drone interception rate rose from 83% to 91%, and the cruise missile interception rate soared from 47% to 87%.
10. Contracted Patriot PAC-2 GEM-T missiles for the first time, and submitted an application through an EU loan to purchase PAC-3 missiles.
11. Launched a baseline drone supply system for brigades and corps.
12. Launched a massive grant program for manufacturers of explosives and missiles.
13. Initiated an unpopular but vital transformation of the military.
14. Conducted three UDCG meetings, where we successfully broke through the Russian information trap claiming our defeat, restoring partners' faith in Ukraine. This secured $40 billion in support announced for this year (excluding the EU loan).
15. Launched the mechanism to utilize the EU loan for our military priorities.
16. Found a way to scale cheap missiles against jet-powered Shaheds and signed a record-breaking contract.
17. Our domestic ballistics. We radically revised the technical specifications, maximized accuracy, and reduced the cost by 30%.
18. Signed a contract to procure Gripen fighter jets.
19. Collaborated with the military to plan and execute Operation Auchan, which halted the enemy's mechanized offensive for six months.
20. Opened up exports under the Drone Deal program to attract investment and scale up domestic defense-industrial complex (OPK) production.
21. Launched the Trophy Lab, providing partners with the opportunity to study captured Russian military technologies.
22. Launched the Defense AI Center A1 to accelerate the integration of artificial intelligence on the battlefield...
To be continued.
But hey.
Killing that stone dead for the last 30 mins doesn't seem to have been the best of choices by the manager.
Pick up a firm in liquidation and you don't.
It would be insanity for taxpayers to nationalise Thames Water before it gets liquidated.
Liquidation means shutting down a business and selling off the assets...
I'm still immensely frustrated about it, especially since I really wanted Argentina to be taught a lesson they wouldn't forget, but what can you do.
This is why I don't watch football.
Now you guys know what being a Blues fan is like
There is a mood shift going on. What rough beast and fresh hell is going to emerge?
And a maiden speech talking about how he's the one in the bin but all the parties are the ones full of rubbish.
(This is a joke, for the avoidance of doubt. Nobody should be betting on Binface except as a trading bet.)
People who think Ingerland should have played attacking football for 90 minutes have clearly never played the game at any serious level. Against a peer opponent no team at any level can sustain that.
But at least World Cup football isn't every week.
P.S. I'm so sorry they lost.
https://youtu.be/AGs22rgGqIY?si=DubmUlUC6dabYCqB&t=102
Thames Water gets shut down and its assets get sold for £1 (or whatever) to a newco that gets the assets but not the bonds or shareholders.
Business operations do not need to get shut down, they just transition to the new owner of the assets, which owns the assets but not the liabilities.
NEW THREAD
It is hard to imagine a worse decision by Zelensky than removing Mykhailo Fedorov from his hugely successful tenure as Minister of Defense.
https://x.com/grandparoy2/status/2077529478998450252?s=61&t=LYVEHh2mqFy1oUJAdCfe-Q
I don't think I'll bother.
Ar least last night's result ws good news from a PB prediction competition perspective for a few of us.
It was like giving a cookie to a little boy who has been raising hell, when he finally settles down for a while.
(Of course, whoever in the UK government thought of this ploy deserves some credit, but will never be able to admit it, publicly.)