The Fish

CT man, this is a family website!

Aye, similar for me. Sometime there are no green peppers, other times there's no cherry tomatoes, there was a week or so where you couldn't get a grab bag of Beef flavoured hula hoops for love nor money.

Just a quick point of order, if I was wanting to illustrate how filled with holes something was, and wanted to use a cheese to make that point... I wouldn't use Gruyere. Emmental maybe?

Nate Dogg and Pharoah?

And the rest when they go down. @Gemmill they are going down, right?

Read something that said, for all he's 6'1" he doesn't really impose himself physically and that he loses more than half of his aerial duels. Agree about stats not telling the whole picture, certainly at his age.

No, but the flip of that is that some jabroni says "check out this kid, I think he's great"! I don't disregard having my analysts check out his performance stats. I use stats to assess his performances over time, I use a boots on the ground scout to assess his character, his attitude, his personality. You read the Nowhere Men? It talks about the importance of both approaches and neither is more or less important than the other.

Nah, this is a free hit. After this we've got 4 games where we can get points.

This young player's stats don't blow me away OMG HOW CAN YOU SAY HE'S THE WORST PLAYER EVA. HICKEY ARMY UNITE!! FUCK STATS! ONLY THIS VAGUE TRANSFER RUMOUR SAYING HE'S MINT CAN BE RELIED UPON! Children.

Where did I 'write him off' you plum? Not being blown away, isn't the same as saying he'll never blow me away.

Because you boys are so mean, I had a quick google for scouting reports on Hickey and they seem to say similar to me; he looks like he's got some talent, but he's nowhere near the finished article and there are questions marks over his creativity, low progressive passes, defensive actions and so on.

I also enjoy not reading a post properly and leaping to a conclusion with hilarious consequences.

Hasn't stopped journalists getting to critics of a regime in the past. Some journalists have paid a high price for getting a story in the past mind you.

I'm not writing the lad off, I'm just saying that, some of the key stats for a fullback who's playing regularly in a top division are... uninspiring. Progressive carries or passes are below average or... shocking Tackles, interceptions are poor. xA and Shot creating actions aren't great either. Hard to see, from stats alone, exactly why he's highly regarded.

Can't say I'm blown away, mind you.

See, if he was going for the actual event, I can kind of understand it. He can report on the things unseen, talk to the bottom of the rung workforce, talk to minority groups whose lives have been made unbearable by the Qatari regime, against the backdrop of this gaudy celebration of wealth, plurality and inclusivity. But this is the World Cup draw. What the fuck is he going to learn from this? Apart from which teams are in which groups?

The understanding he has with Pacqueta man, if we can sign him (or someone like him) his game will be next fucking level. Think Yorke and Cole, but not cunts.

at least. Put 3 coats of 'frost white' on the wall in the 2nd bedroom but could still see the faintest hint of the pale terracotta the previous owners used. I mean, sure that subtle hue was actually just a reflection of the redbrick from the neighbour, but still.

There all Colins from Gillingham and Clives from Lincoln, aren't they? As soon as your club side is doing better than plodding around the lower leagues you sharp bin off the national side.

Burn it down, Diego. BURN. IT. DOWN.

So would Quinn.

a twofer

It can only be greed or pettiness/spite, it's not like he can be doing anything for them. Him joining us doesn't impact their own DoF recruitment. He can still stay abreast of the latest ways of working, the latest trends and ideas in his field. He can still receive reports on players, scouts, coaches, without breaching his gardening leave as long as he doesn't overtly act on them to Newcastle's benefit.

Aye we're all here thinking he's mint, but that mask is hooked up to a tin of Dulux Once.