The Importance of Sport (NEW CONCEPTS)

[Mick Harper]

They'll never be able to afford Burnley's leaving fee. No, wait, the Burnley board is discussing a vote of confidence.

[Mick Harper]

It is though worth considering Vince's managerial track record. He did brilliantly well with Burnley in the Championship but it is hard to know how much this was his own work and how much his predecessor's. He did moderately well, all things considered, with Burnley in the Premier League. That is not nearly sufficient to get him the Bayern gig.

Wiley's thesis that he is a deliberate stop-gap while Klopp has a breather certainly bears examination. But surely Bayern would only have done this if they had had the nod from Jurgen but, if so, would Klopp have allowed Kompany to take the poisoned chalice without giving him a head's up? If I was Kompany I would have accepted such a deal.

[Mick Harper]

It's the First T20 of the season, against Pakistan. It's on Wednesday at Headingley. It gets rained off. They could play it on the Thursday. Or the Friday. But no later than that because they've all got to be at Birmingham by Saturday for the Second T20. Or they could all sit around playing darts on the Thursday and Friday, give all the money back to the spectators and tell Sky and the BBC 'Sorry, but what can we do?'

I just don't get it. If Headingly's needed for a Yorkshire cricket match, tell them to play it in Bradford or Scarborough. Goddamnit, play the T20 in Bradford or Scarborough. I just don't get it.

[Mick Harper]

I was genuinely puzzled. Even more so after I read this

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Postponing a cricket match to the next day due to rain interruptions is not always feasible for several reasons:

Scheduling Conflicts: Cricket matches are typically part of a series or tournament with a fixed schedule. Postponing a match to the next day might clash with other matches or events already scheduled for that day. Doesn't apply

Logistics: Cricket matches involve a lot of logistical arrangements including ground preparation, player availability, security, broadcasting schedules, and ticketing. Postponing a match to the next day would require reorganizing all these aspects, which may not always be possible at short notice. Does apply but footling

Player Availability: Players have busy schedules with commitments to their national teams, domestic leagues, and other tournaments. Postponing a match to the next day might not be feasible as players may have other commitments on the following day. Doesn't apply

Venue Availability: Cricket grounds are often booked for various events and activities. Postponing a match to the next day would require ensuring that the venue is available on the following day, which may not always be the case. Does apply but footling

Broadcasting and Sponsorship: Broadcasting rights and sponsorship agreements are usually tied to specific match schedules. Postponing a match to the next day could have financial implications and contractual obligations that need to be considered. Does apply but footling

Weather Forecast: While rain interruptions are common in cricket, there is no guarantee that the weather will be better on the following day. Postponing a match to the next day does not guarantee that the weather conditions will be conducive for play. Three days of rain? OK, then it applies.

[Mick Harper]

Re the entire England/Pakistan series:

Match One: rained off
Match Two: I watched the highlights on the BBC
Match Three: rained off
Match Four: was on the BBC so no highlights were shown.

Watching one out of four was not an unprecedented experience. Why Sky persist in never showing highlights of 20/20 matches remains a mystery. It would never occur to the BBC to do so unless they only had the highlight rights.

[Mick Harper]

Speaking of which, TNT Sport refuse to show highlights of important football matches which includes the Champion's League final so this will have to be an impressionistic account of a double-speeded watched ninety-minute version of the game.

It looked streets ahead of the Premier League and I think we will have to get used to the idea that the other major markets have now caught up and we no longer have an effortless superiority. I couldn't tell how influential either Sancho or Bellingham was but in any case, after reading a full page encomium in the Guardian about Bellingham's life and times, I have withdrawn my support for him to be made England captain and British prime minister. No way I'm having Mother Theresa in charge.

[Mick Harper]

Bosnia & Herzegovina: Muslim
St James Park: Muslim

Do I have to spell it out?

[Mick Harper]

England 0 Iceland 1

A good showing by the lads, I thought, because a bad dress rehearsal is traditionally followed by a triumphant First Night. Though I still think giving them a rest is better than training exercises in front of 80,000 critics. Here are my notes:

1. We must have Bellingham in the side.
2. It is folly taking Ramsdale along as cover. He might be the second best English goalie but not having played all season is hardly the best preparation for an oops! position.
3. There are now too many better players that have to be crammed in to make Saka an automatic.
4. Kane is looking suspiciously Hunnic.
5. I'd love to have Trent-Alexander in the side and in a position to ping passes but at the back of the midfield he leaves us sparse.
6. What was the point of two friendlies neither of which featured anything like the team that's going to play Serbia?
7. Who was the ISL that Channel 4 had us playing against?
8. We do need to know who the subs are, Channel 4. Honest.
9. We do not need twats on the pitch for expert comment. We need talking heads in studios.
10. I remain confident that England will win the lot. Not like the other times, this time I really mean it.

[Wile E. Coyote]

England have problems when attacking down the left, Southgate's solution during the qualifiers was to play 4,3,3, with the left sided forward as either Rashford, Grealish, or Maddison, unsatisfied he now has left out all three. At the back Southgate's preferred option left back, Shaw, is currently injured and at Centre back his preferred option, Maguire, is not just injured, but also out of the tournament.

Southgate also has been unable to get the best out of Foden, a genuine world class talent.

He almost certainly needs to fix some of this for England to win.

[Mick Harper]

My theory is that the England players will fix it among themselves once they are in a training camp for a month. This is why I am always opposed to making centre forwards captain, they just don't know what's going on.

Your own effusions ignore the fact that it is scoring goals at one end rather than letting them in at the other that is the main problem. Though if Iceland can make merrie, I agree the defence is a problem too. Also the midfield. In fact we haven't got a prayer. Which is why I've arranged for a Te Deum to be sung at St Paul's. Be there or pass square.

[Wile E. Coyote]

My own theory is that Southgate will not be able to get a talented team to play well, they never really do under Gareth. He cannot, however, do his normal thing (which he is good at) of organising them so they don't play badly. So they will get to the endstages, much as before, and Gareth will send them out as always, not to make mistakes. It is penalties!

[Mick Harper]

Yes, Gareth does not believe in flair apart from some trousers he won't let his wife throw out 'in case they come back into fashion, darling'. Though I think she was right to throw Grealish out.

I wonder if it's worth reminding Gareth that in penalty shoot-outs, when unfamiliar people are taking unfamiliar penalties, that the goalie should be ordered to stay fixed to his line (without betraying it is his fixed policy) because non-ordinary penalty-takers tend to either (a) blast it down the middle or (b) put it not far enough in the corner to prevent it being saved without an anticipatory dive. There are pizza-makers everywhere hanging on the decision.

[Wile E. Coyote]

I think Wharton is an interesting pick, not many games, assists or goals for club let alone country, not that quick. Brian Clough would tell him to pass it along the ground, instead, he has a rather unique style of mid range lofted passing, and one touch flicks aimed towards forward running players. High pass success rate, for what is a very risky way of playing, ie when he could have instead just safely passed sideways or back. Better probing midfield option than Trent.

[Mick Harper]

Never heard of him. Crystal Palace, I see. That stretch of south London, from Peckham to Croydon, has long been a breeding ground for young, unheralded blacks that burst into world prominence. Wharton, being white and from Lancashire, is the exception that proves the rule.

[Grant]

Eze looked good for the few minutes he was given.

I think this will be Palace's Euros