Duck Egg

^ What about Aussie rules?

Wide men were so frustrating today, Oz was pretty poor and Olkowski is not hitting the heights he was earlier in the season. We were a lot better today though after that poor opening 15 minutes. Magennis, Hobbs, Wheater and Williams were all excellent for me. If it all comes together (big if I know) we'll be ok

I read a piece on that expected goals site the other day that said Derby deserved at least a draw last week and 'probably more'. I'll find it hard to take that site seriously anymore

Perfectly summed up sir. Would be lovely to watch us play in an open expansive attacting style but most important thing is - win the fecker first. A free flowing 2-2 draw today would be good. Would I take it over a battling backs to the wall scrawpy 1-0 win? Would I balls

Whereas when she fails to get Chequers through parliament, she'll be secure in her position? Either way she's heading for a challenge to her leadership unless she can sell chequers. That's why I just don't buy this theory that she (a remainer) knows it's all going to fail & she is sitting back waiting for the fall out with her scape goats at the ready.

That is feckin brilliant!

Then she's stark staring bonkers then. If she's a remainer at heart and knows it's going to be a disaster surely it would be easier and more beneficial for her to go down the Vince Cable route. Tell everyone she thinks it's wrong for the country and she either won't recognise the result of the referendum or will opt for a 2nd ballot. She'd be more likely to stay in power than in the plot Cheese is suggesting. I actually think she believes she can make a success of Brexit. Whether that confirms her being bonkers depends on your point of view

So May knows Brexit will be a disaster and is choosing to go down this path to protect her position? Like I said. Bizarre. May might be an incompetent bint but I do believe she's (a) trying her best and (b) not the machiavellian genius you're implying

Bizarre. You're suggesting May, a remainer, is taking the option of going down a path she knows will fail and ultimately end her career? Why would she do that?

Isn't that contradictory? If we go hard Brexit and neither us or the EU are willing to install a hard border, what will happen? Fuck knows is probably right! Doesn't necessarily mean it will be a disaster does it?

Christ on a bike, there's some talent in that Stoke side, however poorly they may be playing at the moment. I'd take a point all day long right now. Their forums are very similar to ours during our first year back in the championship, swinging wildly between those glad to be out of the prem, those upset at the wasted opportunities and those who have just fell out with football altogether! Our best chance, as ever, is to get that first goal. Can't see it mind. 0-2 loss

Forgive my ignorance then but if we don't agree a deal with the EU and WTO won't accept us having a soft border, what happens then? To trade, would we have to negotiate individual terms with each nation or is there another WTO type alternative?

I didn't know WTO rules insisted on a hard border. It's chequers or hard border then. Either way, there's going to be a lot of unhappy folk

You can see what Lampard is trying to do. You have lots of movement in the side and particularly in the first half, passed it well. There was a real lack of creativity though and no team with Carson in goal will win promotion imo. Lowe motm for me, just shading Hobbs. Olkowski can get to feck wearing those pink boots!

There was a time I could remember pretty much any scoreline and scorers of any of our matches in the previous 20/25 years. Obviously a sign of getting old but I have no recollection of either match mentioned above. I remember a 3-1 home win in about 1981. Alan Gowling scored two iirc. I was at the Baseball ground (85?) when Asa Hartford scored a beauty after a neat one two with George Oghani. Still lost mind..

I don't know enough about the process as to whether it's feasible, but that's the approach I would take. A soft border with a wait and see approach. Does anyone know what benefits asylum seekers get in Ireland?. In the UK it's temporary housing and £37 a week. Applicants who landed in the south would have to have their application processed there. The overwhelming majority (surely? ) will wait on that outcome rather than risk it all by moving into the north for such a princely sum?

I get the impression hard core remainers are hanging onto the Irish border question as a way of preventing Brexit. We don't want to go back to the days of a hard border there and checkpoints but we are leaving the EU so some form of compromise is necessary. Despite the rhetoric I don't think it's a particularly big issue for most leavers. If 6 or 12 months in, we've a flood of illegal goods and people crossing the border it might need a re think?

Our luck against them has to change sometime. 2-0 win

That was my thinking. It's a problem certainly, but I don't see why it should necessarily hold up the Brexit process. Admittedly, I've no idea since this process has no precedent so I'll not be like others and pretend to know what can and can't be done. At one point, a refugee who arrived in France via central or eastern Europe and claimed asylum could be sent back to their point of entry. I've a feeling that rule changed as Italy, Malta, Spain & Germany were most impacted given their geography. We currently process asylum applicants who present themselves once they've got through the channel tunnel. Those that make it to Ireland and cross a soft border would just be dealt with the same surely? Same as someone crossing from Croatia or Montenegro into Slovenia?

Most asylum seekers/refugees come via airports and the channel tunnel. It's a difficult problem for the Govt to solve but will it be that big a problem? All the boats from north Africa heading to Lampedusa and the like aren't going to suddenly set sail for Cork or Dublin

It's a while since I saw that. Shocking performance from Knight. The Whitlow sending off and the first penalty decision, in particular. Him allowing our first goal to stand would suggest incompetence rather than any bias

It's bullsh*t like this that just turns people off the whole debate. The referendum result surprised everyone and to be fair to May and the EU, they're now trying to broker a deal that protects both parties interests and respects the result of the referendum. As in any negotiation both sides are going to be blamed for either intransigence or giving in too easily. To suggest the Brexit camp had some secret blaming strategy all along, conveniently ignores the fact that they have a remain supporter in the driving seat! It's a tough gig for both sides. Let's hope to God something reasonable can be worked out

Javi Merino

Finally got round to watching Fargo the TV series. Loved the film but had never fancied this previously. That was a mistake. Cracking first series with an absolutely outstanding performance from Martin Freeman. Hope seasons 2&3 match up

We appear to be readying ourselves for an aerial bombardment. I expect Josh is going to be pretty isolated this evening