Winter News

Portsmouth 0 - 0 Derby is tonights result. That's two of the top 6 to have dropped points this weekend so far. Probably from our point of view it was the best result there could have been irrespective of what we do tomorrow.

 

The World Cup is upon us....and my interest is not sky high.

Twelve years after Qatar unbelievably won the right to stage it....the problems are just mounting up day by day.

Beer was banned for fans attending World Cup matches yesterday after FIFA was forced into an about turn by Qatari leaders. Two days before the host nation faces Ecuador in the opening match.....it changed its mind about allowing alcohol to be sold at venues.

What strangle hold have Qatar got over FIFA that they can change the rules at the eleventh hour.....it wouldn't surprise me if the final will be between some nation versus Qatar and the result will be a comprehensive 10-0 win for Qatar.

It was going to be sold by the can (which I doubt is a pint anyway) for the staggering amount of £11.50 per can.....only millionaires can afford to get drunk.

Okay we don't want to see drunken yobs causing chaos....but isn't a pint or two part of the experience of following football.

I think teams should walk away now and tell them what to do with there fixed World Cup.


Gianni Infantino FIFA president will get another four years as president....because no one else has put themselves forward for the job.....why does that worry me that there are no challengers for the top job ?

I'm surprised that Qatar haven't nominated their own man for the job.

 

It's degenerating into a shambles.

Beer won't be sold to ordinary fans but there will be wine and champagne in the hospitality boxes. I could understand if that was being done to prevent disorder - corporate guests don't start fights (as a rule )- but it's not, it's a religious objection to alcohol generally. I could respect and understand a 100% ban but not a partial one. Also, as one fan pointed out, they've had 12 years to think about this. Why get people over there on very expensive flights to very expensive hotels expecting to be able to have a couple of beers sensibly with their mates only to get there and be told they can't?

Then there's this.

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/12750789/gianni-infantinos-bizarre-speech-on-world-cup-eve-today-i-feel-qatari-i-feel-gay-i-feel-disabled#:~:text=Gianni Infantino's bizarre speech on World Cup eve&text="Today I feel Qatari, I,feel gay, I feel disabled"

What is that all about?

 

It seems that Qatari leader.....Tamin bin Hamad al Thani....decided at the last moment to stop alcohol being sold to the general public.....end of subject....no one disagrees with their lord and master.

You can buy Budweiser Zero of course.....I hope that isn't £11.50 a can.

That speech of Infantino's......who wrote it for him.....and how big was the brown envelope that came with it......FIFA make UK politics look clean and wholesome in comparison.

 

It's not just FIFA that is rotten to the core....it's elite football as well.

We all agree that Cristiano Ronaldo has been a great player of this era....but he is coming to the end of his career......I don't know the rights and wrongs of his second spell at Man U....but it does look to me that he saw a big pay packet and that they would bow and scrape to his every whim to just have him back.

But...he has refused to play at times and left the stadium once when he was on the subs bench before the match was finished......okay I don't know the facts of all his grievances....but at the end of the day at 37 years of age...he is still being paid £500,000 per week.

Now it seems Man U are trying to find a way of getting rid of him before next season.


PS.......Some of my letters on my keyboard are fading badly with use....my E is looking like a second F.....and of course they are quite near each other....also my R looks like a P and I do at times have to correct my spelling because of it.

 

It’s been a busy day. Last GP of the year. Burton v Argyle of course. Someone else laying our new kitchen floor.

But also Exeter v Ipswich. What can I say? Men against boys. Exeter 0-2 Ipswich and it could have been 0-4.

 

James Wilson picked up an ankle injury Friday in training....became obvious Saturday morning that he couldn't play....hence Gillesphey promoted to start.....luckily he covered well in the end.

Why do we get so many injuries.....and why are they always major time outs ?

 

Re recruitment in the January window.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63701339

 

Away trip to Accrington on Jan 7th will be cancelled.....because of them still being in the Cup.....an horrible mid-week game to be arranged there.

PS.....Getting games push back to later in the season could benefit us.....it will give us time to get our walking wounded fit and well....plus any incoming January players.....permanent players preferred....because we have as many loanees already that we are allowed to play at any one time.


Also talk of Whittaker maybe being sold by his parent club in the January window....possibly to our league opponents Ipswich.......but would he get regular games there....Panutche Camara although starting injured...hasn't been used much by Ipswich.

Being out of the FA Cup could benefit us...giving us a break at an important time before the Christmas and New Year matches.......we do have a run of winnable games coming up....having players returning from injury will give us the best possible chance to continue our unbeaten run.....we will never have a better chance of promotion as we have now.

 

Swansea had I believe confirmed they would not be recalling Whittaker. Now in the sort of business I’ve been involved in, you always honour the contracts & commitments you acquire and expect the other side to do the same. But this is football and professional standards don’t always seem to apply.

 

Lets hope the season loan is upheld.

Whittaker was the only bright spark I saw at the Valley when we capitulated....scoring our only goal.

 

Change of date for the away League trip to Bolton.....which was going to be 25th March...2023.

We are both out of the FA Cup so the game has been pulled forward to Saturday Jan 7th... 3pm.....which is a FA Cup weekend.

 

another one in the blatter mode ,, they are all full of **** . as long as they get their watches and envelopes they dont care . it was good last night when the cameras panned on him inside the stadium to a round of boos .. what a miserable looking twat

 

So would you.be miserable if you were close to the richest man on earth with every gold plated thing you wanted, unfettered power and absolutely no backchat from her indoors. No wait…..

 

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/63823934

Would I be right in interpreting that as "do you want a new contract Danny?"

 

With Azaz and Whittaker scoring goals.....Mayor is a luxury we don't need at present.

 

Updates on injuries.

1.....Mickel Miller has come through his introduction to the first team and is ok.

2.....Danny Mayor is know fit and available.

3.....James Wilson is also ok now and fit.

4.....Dan Scarr is progressing well and could be available by Dec 10th.

5.....Finn Miller is still recovering from his broken ankle.

6..... James Bolton hasn't been mentioned ?

7.....Macaulay Gillesphey seems to be ok after his hasty introduction last week.

 

James Bolton has an oedema within his foot apparently. Absolutely without having to look that up, it is of course a build up of fluid around the site of the injury. Doesn’t sound nice and clearly long term medical treatment hasn’t solved it.

 

I assume it isn't easy to drain this fluid away....or they would have done it.

 

Charlton sack their manager:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63864853