Messages

1

General discussion / Re: Man Utd Thread:

« on: March 04, 2021, 04:09:39 PM »

Remember Utd are second but Liverpool are having a shocker, as are Arsenal and Tottenham and to a lesser extent Chelsea who have just turned a corner. It won't be easier for Utd next year, it will be far, far harder.

Yeah, they're on course to finish on about 70 points as things stand. That would probably secure a top four place given how others have struggled, but overall it isn't much progress from any other season since Ferguson left.

They've consistent hit around 65-70 points every season since then, with one exception - the second place in 17/18 with 81 points that Mourinho likes to crows about. But it really does actually stand out a mile compared to what has been achieved before and after.

Solskjaer looks to have been no worse than his predecessors, and certainly hasn't been out of his depth - as was the fear. But neither has he done anything to suggest that he's any better than them. Moyes, Van Gaal & Mourinho were all given the road within a couple of years after overseeing this level of underachievement - why should Solskjaer be any different?

The style of play was the stick to beat his predecessors with, Ole isn't much different in that respect to be honest.

2

General discussion / Re: China Coronavirus

« on: March 04, 2021, 01:23:29 PM »

Sky News headline here over 80s with both doses of the vaccine are breaking the Covid rules.

Let them get on and enjoy what is left, they've been through enough.

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General discussion / Re: China Coronavirus

« on: March 04, 2021, 12:25:29 PM »

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-56277669

Swanny growing on me

Will it be a case of wait and see what happens % wise (vaccine uptake) when we start getting down into the Twitter / Facebook age profiles? Vaccine passports for travel will definitely happen imo, so overall % adults wise should be high

Much as I suspected. It'll be difficult to enforce on the service industry but he hinted strongly at Vaccine travel passports.

Got mine yesterday due to Asthma (Was really surprised to get the call as it's only mild). Was delighted as I honestly think it will be required for travel this year.

Do you think you'll be going anywhere the year though? I wouldn't have thought it was on the table really? Unless you've a right few quid about you 👀

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GAA Discussion / Re: Jim McGuiness - 10 Years On

« on: March 04, 2021, 10:42:33 AM »

Of course, I see him going to league of Ireland to eek out a handy few quid. There is more structure to it than GAA and probably less headache.

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GAA Discussion / Re: Jim McGuiness - 10 Years On

« on: March 04, 2021, 10:24:06 AM »

Listened to his interview with Joe Molloy and it sounds like something really wasn't right out in Carolina and that he has some kind of NDA to make sure he keeps his money.

He'll be able to defend himself for that and put his best foot forward in whatever interview he goes for I would think LoI or Irish League or something like that could work out for him.

That is par for the course in any professional sport when you get the road.

I reckon McGuiness would get a LOI job no bother if he wanted it, but there is still a few more branches to grab on the professional circuit before he goes to LOI surely - that's one that will always be there for him now, someone, somewhere will always take a gamble.

Really? He's had one managerial job that lasted 15 games at a small club in a pretty low paid, semi-professional league that is, at very best, of a similar standard to the LOI.

And he made a complete balls of it.

Why would that experience land him a LOI job 'no bother'?

Just for additional reference, a larger team in the same division as Charlotte is managed by a Scottish fella called Stephen Glass. His previous job to that appointment was as an assistant coach in the LOI.

And that's before you even get into the suspicion and general enmity felt by many LOI types towards bogballers.

Take into account the publicity factor, football is full of these oddball appointments.

I can see a LOI club take a gamble on McGuiness, if that's what he's up for why not? Really - what is there to lose? At the minute there is no crowds anyway so defensive football isn't a problem. Alternatively, the hype that would surround him taking over a soccer team in Ireland would possibly sway a chairman of a club in not exactly great financial shape when crowds are allowed back in.

It would be a gamble obviously, but it wouldn't be the oddest thing to ever happen in football either.

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General discussion / Re: Man Utd Thread:

« on: March 04, 2021, 10:13:53 AM »

"Ole Out" has now been trending on twitter after the last two games. Seems Ole is going back to the familiar back against the wall position.

7

General discussion / Re: China Coronavirus

« on: March 04, 2021, 09:48:56 AM »

Are they not look looking at it on the 18th?

They are.

But what are they looking at and what are they measuring it against on this date?

As said before it can't really be that hard to reveal the KPI's that need to happen before certain measures are relaxed, i.e. the R number, number of vaccinations of certain cohorts, hospitalisation rates etc etc so that when people act the bollox at house parties or travelling in from god knows where or a new strain comes along and impacts some of these things in a negative way then we know to expect either a slowing of the relaxations or a tightening again.
We are adults (well some of us are).

Robin Swann would have been better saying nothing last night, really came across as someone who had a script and not able to vary from it. I have zero time for Nolan but he asked the basic questions everyone is asking, what is the data? Robin Swann sept saying its a number of things but then wouldn't say what the numbers were for those things, I think the simple reason being with the vaccine rollout and how the numbers are going things would be opening up very shortly.

On the variant thing they keep talking about, im worried about this being used as a way of keeping people from asking too many questions, its already been stated by virologists that it would be more unusual if a virus didn't mutate and change.

as much as Boris is a clown he at least seems to be taking advice from a number of different experts in different areas and using them to blend together a plan, I think in Englands case the biggest thing they have done is said that the cases aren't going to be the driver going forward it will be the hospital admissions given that the vaccines main job is to limit the effects of the virus if you do catch it, to me that is def the most reasonable approach going forward.

Anytime he talks he gives off the attitude of how dare you question me.

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General discussion / Re: China Coronavirus

« on: March 03, 2021, 04:00:08 PM »

NI's interim mental health champion Prof Siobhan O'Neill on the podium with Robin Swann and CMO McBride here now.

Wonder if there is any significance to this

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GAA Discussion / Re: Defensive football

« on: March 03, 2021, 03:21:34 PM »

With the lockdown and ban on training, I don't think we are going to see any innovative, attacking teams come to the fore this season anyway at county level. It's just going to be easier for coaches to sell the packed defence and blame the pandemic.

Stuck for time or ideas? 5 or 6 man half back line will do.

In fairness this year, I know most fellas at the top level are tipping away but there simply is no substitute for full on collective training. It's going to be another war of attrition with similar type games. Playing defensively you expend less energy, less chance of injuries, less wear and tear. I think we should steady up and hope for a few off the cuff novel clashes really.

We can only hope Cavan keep doing what they are doing, Cork continue their upward curve and that there are a few clashes where style just goes out the window. Tyrone might try something new, but I would imagine it'll be fresh packaging on same product.

Generally I'm not against defensive football as a 'needs must'. I understand why some people look to implement such styles in games or even during the opening of their tenure, depending on circumstances but it's the jokers at club level that you see doing the rounds at the clubs, same stuff....wingbacks on the wee board narrowed in beside 6 and the wing forwards quickly following down to there the 5 and 7 moved. I'm sure you've all come across "that type". Them paid a fortune too. But the ethos of the game is and always will be, whoever scores more win the game.

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GAA Discussion / Re: Jim McGuiness - 10 Years On

« on: March 03, 2021, 03:12:54 PM »

Listened to his interview with Joe Molloy and it sounds like something really wasn't right out in Carolina and that he has some kind of NDA to make sure he keeps his money.

He'll be able to defend himself for that and put his best foot forward in whatever interview he goes for I would think LoI or Irish League or something like that could work out for him.

That is par for the course in any professional sport when you get the road.

I reckon McGuiness would get a LOI job no bother if he wanted it, but there is still a few more branches to grab on the professional circuit before he goes to LOI surely - that's one that will always be there for him now, someone, somewhere will always take a gamble.

11

General discussion / Re: China Coronavirus

« on: March 03, 2021, 03:08:38 PM »

3 hospital admissions in the north over the last 24 hours which is very positive.

Trailer I agree with a lot of what you say but I really don’t know what you see in Eastwood.

It's great news, it appears the vaccines are paying off big now. Assuming these drops continue, at this kind of rate we are surely looking at "normal" end of April in the North.

Rossfan, I'll take you for a pint and show you around Tyrone....we aren't all bad up here.

12

General discussion / Re: Russophobia

« on: March 03, 2021, 02:36:30 PM »

Question for some of the men posting in this thread.

Have you ever been to Russia?

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General discussion / Re: China Coronavirus

« on: March 03, 2021, 01:55:53 PM »

Brazil is hitting a new peak for deaths

1,726 deaths announced yesterday which this graphic doesn't cover

This has happened in what are the summer months for the majority of the country




Here one of Brazil's top scientists describes how the country is becoming a massive laboratory for new variants

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/03/brazil-covid-global-threat-new-more-lethal-variants-miguel-nicolelis

Bit worrying considering the Brazilian population in Southern Ireland.

14

General discussion / Re: China Coronavirus

« on: March 03, 2021, 12:37:18 PM »

I'm confused with the line of thinking behind the document issued by the Executive. Outdoor sports can start without spectators at level 2. Leisure centres and all indoor sports facilities including gyms can open in level 3 but spectators are only allowed back into outdoor sports at level 4. That means that I can go indoors and sweat, breath heavily and produce aerosols before I can go and watch a club match in open spaces. Who thought this up?

"Mass gatherings" v individual training. The latter being a lesser risk presumably.

There is a lot doesn't make sense at the moment, the only thing is numbers are steadily going down, they have no choice soon but to start to open up.

15

General discussion / Re: China Coronavirus

« on: March 02, 2021, 04:51:01 PM »

Frustrating with no clarity. Very disappointing.

There was never anything else coming but this.

In one of my weaker moments earlier I thought it wouldn't even be that bad if we had Boris ruling it here, at least he's willing to stick his neck on the line for his beliefs instead of a whole pile of wait and see what happens here.

Essentially nothing now until April 16th. Won't be surprised if this manifests itself in an increase of blatant breaches now. People are angry.

And another leak to the media, Cool FM fit to tweet about it before it was actually announced. I despair. I really do.

There's a review on the 18th I think so you'd expect movement then. Are people adhering to the restrictions? Roads are far busier and I saw pictures of Newcastle at the weekend and it was packed. Certainly going against the stay at home message.

I've written that off as another nonsense waste of time moment in front of the cameras.