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Messages - Rufus T Firefly

#16
Bumping this thread after a few years.

Thinking of getting myself a new smartwatch, for doing a bit of walking. Given my price range, the two I have narrowed it down to are the Garmin Vivoactive 4 (£199) and the Samsung Galaxy 5 watch (£239).

The Samsung appears to have the much better spec but I've read reviews where people are complaining about the accuracy of the info it gives, e.g. steps, heart monitor etc.

Anyone with first hand experience?
#17
Quote from: RedHand88 on May 21, 2023, 01:53:25 PM
Holy crap Everton might actually be relegated this time.

Very unlikely now. They live to fight again.
#18
Quote from: seafoid on May 21, 2023, 03:40:57 PM
3-1
Suboptimal

;D  Suboptimal - I like that.

Not really an awful lot to be said. Poverty stricken performance against a side whose minds were elsewhere. Big Sam in his post match press conference basically alluded to a squad with many flaws.

Someone put up on Twitter that since Bielsa was sacked in February of last year, Leeds have won eleven league matches - absolutely damning stuff and ultimately the responsibility rests with the Board and Orta and Raddrizzani in particular.   

It's unbelievable that with 31 points from 37 games, Leeds go into the last game of the season with a long shot of staying up. It's been death by a thousand cuts. And to be honest, we don't deserve to stay up. I've been resigned to our fate for a couple of months now, so the pressure is off!   8)
#19
Quote from: seafoid on May 14, 2023, 02:55:09 PM
Bookie pricing is crazy
Everton are 1 point ahead of Leeds who are 18th.
Everton are being hammered by Man City and are priced at 3/1 while Leeds are priced at 1/4 to be relegated.

https://www.oddschecker.com/football/english/premier-league/relegation

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2023/05/16/former-leeds-boss-marcelo-bielsa-named-head-coach-of-uruguay/

I'm no expert on punting, but I can see logic in it. On paper, Everton's last two games are eminently winnable - Wolves away and Bournemouth at home. Before the City game, they gave a very impressive display away to Brighton and the bottom line is that they are now, at this moment, in a position of safety. That puts the onus on Leeds to get something from their games.

My hope is that four points will get us to where we need to be. My fear is that it will take two wins to get us safe, which might be too much of an ask. 
#20
Quote from: seafoid on May 08, 2023, 10:02:53 PM
Wins for Forest and Everton

And both huge victories. A real sense now that the walls are closing in. Forest was always likely to happen, but the fact that Everton went to Brighton and won 5-1 was a shock. The pressure is now on Leeds to take at least four points - which obviously includes a win - and even then it is likely to not be enough. Leeds really have to try and match Everton and beat Newcastle at home this weekend. A very tough ask.
#21
Quote from: An Watcher on May 07, 2023, 09:19:42 AM
Didn't see thus but a 2-1 away defeat to the champions isn't bad.  Goal difference not really affected and not a morale sapping hammering

Exactly. A morale boosting performance, with a lot of heart displayed, particularly when City went two up in the first half. Indeed the manner in which the squad gathered in the middle of the pitch at the final whistle, and then walked to the supporters, applauding, which I'm glad to say was reciprocated, gives hope for the last three games. A further week with Big Sam before the Newcastle game should help to improve the mood and hopefully defensive resilience, but the reality is that Newcastle still represents a huge challenge in footballing terms. 

A massive day for Leeds this afternoon and this evening. Victories for Fulham at home to Leicester, Brighton at home to Everton and Southampton away to Forest, are needed big time. The reality though is that Leeds will almost definitely be in the bottom three tonight which confirms the need for three points at the very least from the remaining three fixtures, to survive.
#22
The reality will be that Leeds get defeated this afternoon. What Leeds' fans will be looking for is evidence of an improved attitude and approach, where Leeds become more difficult to break down and are a bit more resilient when they concede. Such signs would give hope for the last three fixtures which in reality are what Leeds should be targeting.

My fear here is an absolutely crushing defeat which devastates the goal difference and essentially means a dropped point. In such a scenario, there might be no way back, particularly of Forest - as they should - beat Southampton at the City Ground.

Fingers (and toes) tightly crossed.   
#23
Quote from: seafoid on May 02, 2023, 07:02:43 PM
Bournemouth are no longer a sure thing. They will beat Everton.
Meanwhile
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/65453934

This apparently is the final straw that broke the back in terms of Orta's tenure. Orta would be a bit of an idealist and wants football played 'the right way'. Big Sam actually put his own name forward for the job in February and apparently Orta was very energetic in dismissing it when it was discussed, threatening to resign if he was brought in. He went for Gracia and Gracia is now regarded as his man. The majority of the Board now recognise that Gracia is a busted flush, with 0% chance of keeping Leeds up and that some change was needed to increase that 0% to something marginally bigger. Apparently Orta was adamant that Gracia should stay and was dead against Allardyce. That is what ultimately led to the parting of the ways yesterday.
#24
Quote from: seafoid on May 02, 2023, 03:00:27 PM
Latest odds have Everton and Forest at 4/7 with Leeds at 10/11.
Obviously if either of the 2 win a match the odds change.

Really? That genuinely shocks me!

Everton have Bournemouth home on the last day. Forest have Southampton home before that. I'd be working on the assumption that Leeds would need at a very bare minimum three points to stay up - and more likely four or five - and I just cannot see where they can win. But, hope springs eternal!  :)

One thing's for sure - someone is likely to survive with a low points total.
#25
Quote from: seafoid on May 01, 2023, 05:06:56 PM
The 4 other teams in danger of relegation are crap.

Maybe so, seafoid, but what they do appear to have is a wee bit of heart and determination alongside a bit of organisation. Hand on heart, after recent 6-1, 5-1 and 4-1 thumpings, I'm not sure Leeds have. 


Quote from: seafoid on May 01, 2023, 06:49:07 PM
Thanks but no thanks

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2023/05/01/leeds-consider-sacking-javi-gracia-and-hiring-third-manager-of-season/

In the words of the Undertones, It's Going To Happen. Big Sam ( :o) looks to be odds on favourite to come in for the last four games of the season. As Phil Hay described it, a Hail Mary option. It's not likely to be the only move either. Director of Football, Victor Orta - who many will see as the reason for the malaise - also looks like he will be packing his bags.
#26
Quote from: Wildweasel74 on May 01, 2023, 07:12:54 PM
Best fans in Ireland, what draws you to that conclusion, there a certain element come out of Lurgan I wouldn't want at any game. thought Mayo got the best fans myself.

I'd actually would agree with you on that point about Mayo. They've been through thin and thin and yet stick loyally with their team.

The issue of who has the best fans is always going to be very subjective and is likely to be influenced by who you like / dislike. Armagh always had a core support of I'd guess 3-4,000 supporters and when things start going well the bandwagon really does grow.

However in the last two years or so that core Armagh support has really grown in size, with many more now regularly attending all matches and many prepared to travel long distances. That culminated in the match down in Kerry when it was estimated that there were between 5-6,000 supporters present in Tralee for a league game.
#27
I'm afraid that yesterday all but confirmed our relegation, despite the bizarre fact that at the time of writing we are still sixteenth. How that is still the case is simply a reflection of the desperate overall standard at the bottom, but there are too many teams in the bottom five playing against each other for us to remain above the safety line for much longer.

The rapid deterioration in terms of the standards of performances has been at a dizzying speed. Up until just before half time in the Palace game, they were was no need to be particularly alarmed. However it has caved in catastrophically since then and it really begs the question what the hell happened at half time in that game - with allegations of a dressing room bust up - and indeed how have the squad become so mentally fragile since.

How did it all come to this? I've said it here before. The genius of Bielsa, getting a Championship side to ninth in the Premier League, created a false sense of security and that has been reflected in the recruitment strategy since, which emphasised the need to get young talent in for the future, when the actual need was the here and now. Never has such an awful strategy been summed up by the presence (or absence if you like) of one player than Georginio Rutter. A record signing who is getting little game time despite the dire need the Club is in. Desperate.

Phil Hay - as always - summed it up in a brilliant article in the Athletic, (which is unfortunately behind a pay wall) when he said,

"Bournemouth attacked sporadically and bagged four goals, a masterclass of football in third gear, of getting there without being forced to sweat buckets. Nobody is interested in the nuance beyond those points because scores on the board are all that carry any currency in these circumstances, and maybe that is the biggest lesson the past two Premier League campaigns have taught Leeds: the long game is no game at all unless results stay at a level that keeps the peace. Anything less and the long term plans - Gnonto, Rutter, aims beyond the immediate horizon - are more likely to benefit someone else."

I actually feel strangely stress free now about the whole thing. They're going down and they deserve to go down. It's as simple as that.
#28
Quote from: SHEEDY on April 30, 2023, 11:09:39 PM
On the hill today and have to say Armagh have some of the scummiest 'supporters' I've ever seen at a gaa match, following club and county for years up and down the country and never seen as many people put out of the ground by the guards ever. Throwing flares and smoke bombs, firing plastic bottles at opposition fans, fighting and general soccer style chanting, it definitely wasn't a comfortable place to be at times. Most will have to watch the match again on Monday cos they've no idea what happened today.

Never ceases to amaze me how this narrative gets thrown around so often, i.e. the implication is that there is one set of supporters doing it. I was stood a few yards from Down supporters holding smoke flares and was nearly choked by the smoke. A middle aged slug beside me, from Down, his opening gambit (two minutes in) was "f**king Armagh tramps!" when Down were awarded their first free. He wasn't there for the last fifteen minutes. Another group to my right were so pissed up, that they dropped and smashed a full bottle of wine and a bottle of beer on the Hill - the beer exploded sending glass scattering.

I have no doubt that what you described happened - there were many Armagh fans I saw doing similar - but try and not be so one-eyed about the thing. It just makes you look bitter.

As for the match, ideal scenario for Armagh. A win over the neighbours but plenty still to work on, which should hopefully concentrate minds. If I'm honest, I think we will be really up against it in the Final - Derry look to have really improved from last year and are playing with the confidence brought on by being Ulster Champions.   
#29
Quote from: seafoid on April 26, 2023, 03:07:08 PM
Leeds have to beat Bournemouth and Tottenham may be generous.
None of the other laggards have an easy run in

Events overnight have served to underline your point, with Forest beating Brighton, bringing them up to 30 points. They still have to play Southampton. My guess would be that Leeds need 5 / 6 points and I simply cannot see where they are coming from. Sunday though (at Bournemouth) has all the hallmarks of a must win game. 
#30
And so the season limps on. Although the defence was a lot tighter at Fulham, still beaten comfortably with another insipid performance, where Leeds scored thanks to an OG following a goalmouth scramble, but already had been undone thanks to two bad errors by Meslier.

That left last night's home match against Leicester with the feeling of a must win game. Took the lead in the first half thanks to an excellent finish by Sinisterra, following good work by Harrison. However, fell away badly in the second half and were undone by a quick counter and cool Vardy finish. We were lucky not to go behind when Leicester (and Vardy) butchered a two on one (with a goal correctly ruled out for off side) and should have snatched the game at the death, when Roca's point blank header was kept out by the keeper (somehow) and then Paddy missed the mother of all open goals in the dying moments.

We move on now to Bournemouth away - probably now the last chance saloon, with a win needed. The absence of Wober was major last night. Meslier was lucky to retain his place in the side but responded with a very good performance. Midfield got overrun in the second half and Gracia is coming under serious criticism for his lack of response in terms of reinforcements, with only Aaronson coming off the bench.

The reality is that the team and players are not good enough at this level, which is very much on the Board and Victor Orta in particular. Although he did not play badly overall, never was the lack of quality more encapsulated by Bamford's miss, which undoubtedly cost two points that could so easily matter in four weeks time.

Those in the know seem to suggest 35/36 points will be enough to stay up but I'm struggling to see Leeds getting there. For me, staying up is likely to depend on three other sides performing abysmally between now and the end of the season, and Leeds somehow getting 3/ 4 points to scrape survival. It ain't a good look out.