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How's all the new year stuff going 1 week in?

Dry January proving easy, or was it broke over the weekend?

Dry January still going good for me. I drink every weekend, so first hurdle passed. A few pangs for it, mild enough. Next weekend will be the tester.

Not a dry January,  just a drier one!  Pint of Guinness yesterday when out for Sunday dinner and that's been that. Heading away this weekend so will have pints but that will be it till the end of the month. 3 runs done in 7 days so that's more important to me!

How that game went ahead is beyond me but what do you do?  I don't think it had a bearing on the outcome. Glen were excellent in the first 40 minutes and held Walsh in particular very well. Their style is very good for this time of year and they are exceptionally well conditioned. What is very telling is how good everyone single player is on the ball. Inevitably Crokes would always come back into it and Mannion was unerring and Walsh showed his calls with the burst and pass for the goal. Big players, big moments. I thought at that point with the momentum behind them they would finish it out but Glen showed a lot of character to get the next score to push them back head after Crokes drew level. It was hard to determine on the TV who played well but Warnock, Glass and McFaul were great leaders at key times.

Crokes are a really good team. People will maybe question them because of the whole Walsh transfer etc but that's been their model for as long as I have known and he is not the first and won't be the last. A second All Ireland would have out them into the 'great team' status so that will be a disappointment I'd say.

On another note congratulations to Cullyhanna in making the final. Not a bad yet for my home parish and hopefully they'll finish it out in the final.

Whiskey drinkers are always arseholes. Waistcoats with jeans and stupid beards. Wear those converse or vans trainers even though they're over 40. 
Sorry, but you all know this to be true.

Bordeaux reds are the best. Californian reds can be lovely as well. Love a nice Chablis. Also like the odd Australian Syrah.

BC1 has a really stupid beard.

Ye wanna see my waistcoat collection....

I have to say I love my drink and live my nights out but I'm trying to go drier for a while. We like heading for afternoon food on a Saturday and then trying to get the last bus home ( that is generally dependent who we fall in with in Maddens!). The thing is though I can take it or leave it. I drink to enjoy it. Generally too we are at live music somewhere so they're not big drinking sessions.

As for favourites definitely Chateauneuf de Pape for red. Like whiskey and gin and picked up a few bottles of Islay single malt in Scotland recently which are deadly and always have a variety of gins,  with Dingle a particular favourite.

Monday night football generally sorts out any weekends as does Sunday rooting about the garden or going for a good run.

LLS was shite and you knew it wasnt filmed live as there more atmosphere at a bloody wake

Was poor alright. Paddy struggles with reading an autocue. 

As for the Tumbling Paddies....Nathan Carters pet project at the minute so they'll go places. Rest of the guests were poor,  the whole influencers tipped it for me too. Jools was streets ahead. All the music,  bar Rod, was fantastic. The Wallopers are really going places, great band and lovely people. Great for Da Town! 

Hard to believe that these shows are recorded weeks ago and no one bats an eyelid on the whole 'live' show charade!!

Missing haaland, Dias and pretty much stones all night the last night. Grealish needs more central too if he's to be played. I'd be surprised if they don't push on. Arsenal faltering already and Liverpool without salah unlikely to do the same damage points wise.

The good thing for LFC is that January there's only 2 PL games that Salah will miss, Bournemouth and Chelsea.  There are 2 League Cup games and FA cup versus Arsenal. He is unlikely to have started these anyway. Egypt will likely qualify for the last 16 at least so he will miss at least 1 more PL game,  but that's against Arsenal. I actually think Endo will be just as big a lose as he is key to how the team is set up. The Asia Cup basically follows the same sequence as the African Nations Cup

[Confidence far exceeds his ability.]

HOW do the Everton defenders not throttle Pickford?!
He jumps around like a lunatic shouting every time any shot is taken, yet along a goal.
Then he forgot his mirror for the 3rd goal so didn't know who to shout at...

A real Beano w**ker. Slicked back hair, sleeve tattoo. Confidence far exceeds his ability.

And also the reach of his arms...

Honestly don't think Nunez is gonna make it at Liverpool, wouldn't be surprised if he is sold in the summer.

I think Gakpo in with a fair chance of starting as false 9 on Saturday with Nunez missing out, just not happening for him at the moment. Would be a big lift coming off the bench against tired legs on Saturday.  Gakpo can also occupy Rice at the base of the Arsenal midfield and hopefully stop his influence.  Would like to see: 

Ali,
Trent, Konate, VVD,Tsimikas
Szobo, Endo, Jones
Salah, Gakpo, Diaz

I reckon that team starts. The options then off the bench are Nunez, Harvey, Jo Go with Trent to MF (which really works when a game opens out), possibly Gravenberch if fit. The thing about Arsenal is that they will come to play football and win the game as opposed to parking the bus. It won't be easy but would be a nice position to be in for Christmas

That's brilliant. Wonder would he fire a few quid at Casement while he's at it lol.

The JP McManus Casement Park...imagine that all over the TV screens during the Euro's.

Some investment and says a lot about the man

I see Arlene and Michelle have been publicly found to have something in common ie a willingness to destroy any records that might show how inept they were in power.

They're a pair of c***ts, on the same level as Boris.

My understanding is that the ministers didn't wipe anything. They handed back the phones when they were no longer service as ministers.
Civil servants then reset them to factory settings.
I can see why they'd do this, but I also beleive that if there was official communications done via Whatsapp or other means then those records should have been retained.
Sounds like a break down in process again.

Yeah, heard Naomi Long on about it this morning and that seems to be the case. Don't think this sits at the door of Arlene or Michelle. Civil service are responsible for this.

Not their fault but the facts never get in the way of a good headline. Bad press that phones where wiped and that's probably all most people will hear.

Would we really want to read Snarlene's (alledged) flirty texts with her chauffeur?

'Oh baby I can't wait for you to drive your big limo up my traditional route!'

All set up for a United win at Anfield on Sunday!!!  Nothing to lose,  pressure off,  all pressure on LFC we table toppers...United will take great pleasure in being party poopers!!

I see Arlene and Michelle have been publicly found to have something in common ie a willingness to destroy any records that might show how inept they were in power.

They're a pair of c***ts, on the same level as Boris.

My understanding is that the ministers didn't wipe anything. They handed back the phones when they were no longer service as ministers.
Civil servants then reset them to factory settings.
I can see why they'd do this, but I also beleive that if there was official communications done via Whatsapp or other means then those records should have been retained.
Sounds like a break down in process again.

Yeah, heard Naomi Long on about it this morning and that seems to be the case. Don't think this sits at the door of Arlene or Michelle. Civil service are responsible for this.

Was it not a double bounce?

Seen the swapping of hands too, thought it was decent call if that was it..

Yeah clearly a call on swapping hands. Good call in fairness in the heat of battle!

I didn't notice that in the heat of the battle.
Does the ref have some hand signal to indicate a foul for a swapping of the hands?

He seemed to make a movement of his hands similar to an over carry but more of a side to side motion. Rare you see that called by refs but I think given that McCarron had been static enough it was easier maybe for him to see.

Was it not a double bounce?

Seen the swapping of hands too, thought it was decent call if that was it..

Yeah clearly a call on swapping hands. Good call in fairness in the heat of battle!

this was them being back though.

Yeah,  the lose to us in 2015 took a lot out of them. Yesterday might do the same. The team that started yesterday has lads who have been playing together for over 10 years. Beggan, McArdle, Caulfield, the Hughes, Morgan, Carey, Carville, and Hamill all were playing in 2012 when I was coaching them.  McCarthy was just breaking out of minor that year too. That's 2/3rds of this team have been on the road with an awful lot of miles on their legs when you include county football. They'll struggle to get back to this level unfortunately