The Fish

So we're just going to let this slide? Whoopsies? Of the few people I know who are likely going to be in a position to retire early, they're all the kind of people who would go fucking mental if one day they just stopped. My Dad's one of them, the first year or so of his retirement was awful for him. So he ended up filling his life with stuff like the charity, occasionally doing some consultancy, driving my mam around the country so they can sit doing nothing somewhere other than home. A mate of mine could be in a position to retire by 40, but honestly, he'd lose his mind if his days weren't 7 o'clock starts packed through the day and he didn't "just need to answer this email" at 10:30 at night.

It's a similar siege mentality, one that Mourinho has failed to really perfect again.

That implies they're there by design, which they're definitely not. What it says to me, is that their squad is more often than not made up of hard working but limited players who, when the chips are down, pull together and get themselves into a position that might be enough to survive. Look at the years that they finished around 17th, compare their points tally to those of the relegated sides, sunderland are rarely comfortably clear, there's usually only a couple of points in it, which is as much about the failure of the other teams to perform when it comes to the crunch. Which literally just made me wonder if Leicester's remarkable title win was helped by having limited players pulling together in a fashion not too dissimilar from how they did when they dragged themselves to safety the year before?

I know there'll be a desire to try and be positive, but didn't Reid & Bruce both have them in a much better state?

Was another thing being a fat, opinionated mess?

Throw some leftovers in a tupperware box the night before, reheat it at work; Robert's your mother's brother.

I don't, but I do remember Gimme 5

Haven't suffered this yet but I suppose I'm only in 2019.

Most of my lunches are just leftovers from some evening meal, or, if I'm feeling decadent, a cheese & pickle sandwich.

Mate of mine is an Arsenal fan from Southport (familial ties) and he hates the majority of his own fanbase. Far too many ArsenalFan TV types for his liking. There's plenty of bellends in amongst the Newcastle fans, but I'd say the overwhelming majority were good lads, can't imagine holding the majority in contempt as he does.

Haven't been, but will probably do it soon. Putting a 2-1 prediction for every match is no hassle really.

Guest "... and this a picture of our new puppy" Gemmil "Dogs are shit, Cats are where it's at" Guest "Yeah, so we managed to get a good deal on a Landr..." Gemmill "Doesn't matter, get a Ford Focus! A-B is all that matters" Guest "Fancy a Negroni?" Gemmill "Urgh, for fucks sake. That's it, I'm off, see you cunts never!"

Weddings don't get really good until late on anyway,

Lad I worked with used to come in with a Starbucks every day, buy his lunch from Pret/Eat or the like every day and he'd more often than not pop to the snack machine for a Twix or whatever. Nigh on a tenner a day on food, or £200 a month spent on pretty bang average food and drink. He wasn't exactly raking it in either.

Why am I not surprised. You were definitely stuck on the table of misfits, weren't you? The old teacher, the 2nd cousin, the bloke from work that overheard the bride inviting others.

There's definitely a sense that some fans know they have to have a negative opinion of another team, so they'll accept any claim without consideration as long as it's easily digested/repeated. Considering form, on and off the field performances, public relations and so on is too much for a Spurs fan to handle, when it comes to Newcastle it's easier to recite the cliche.

Was my dad's 70th, so I was up there and being paraded around as his greatest achievement. Better than his charity work and the job he retired from 10 years ago. Went to a restaurant and there were 50 odd friends and relatives there to surprise him. Good times. To be honest I spent most of the weekend avoiding his bigoted cousin, the same one who genuinely asked why a mate of mine "Couldn't find a nice white girl" to marry.

Some heroes don't wear capes.

No, you pack of cunts, that is not me. @Gemmil is having a lovely old time at my expense and for that he should be ashamed. Oh, and no, I'm not going to post a picture of me holding todays paper and a sign saying "I'm not Paul Wynn", either.

Yeah, it's clear. It's because he's a cockney, right?

What?

Someone put his 2016 win % on twitter; 28%. His 2016 win % without cup games? 15%.

Burton have just one win from their last seven games; At home to Rotherham.

It's Vic and Bob.