Jonesy7211

He does not care that we know he's a liar. That's why he does it. All the time for years and years. Just like Cummings didn't care that we knew he was lying about his road trip. Just like Hancock lies continually over track and trace. He does not care. They're corrupt. Not incompetent.

Not sure if this should go in funny pics...

I don't understand why the rioters aren't being treated like the domestic terrorists they blatantly are. This goes far past patriotism. If this was a gathering of BLM supporters there would have been tanks by now.

My wife is a social worker. There are loads of reasons why vulnerable kids need school access unfortunately, none of them positive. I've purposely not gone into this with specific detail as it makes me too angry and upset. For what it's worth I think schools do a great job of assisting social care with managing vulnerable children. The wider point about more keyworker kids in school, I don't know about everywhere else but my kids schools have called us to ask us what we do and identified for themselves that we're both keyworkers. I wonder if this is happening in other areas where there has been an increase in numbers of kids staying in school?

I think this is a key point. Hancock has been especially evasive on dealing with questions about the vaccine rollout timeline. He's already started mutterings about not knowing how quickly and in what volumes the Oxford vaccine can be produced. If we do go into lockdown all resources must be provided by the government to assist the manufacturer. Surely there's ways to assist? Resource, manpower, technology? Surely?

Absolutely not, perhaps my point isn't clear. I think the whole framework of "acceptable" is wrong, and it bothers me greatly that anyone could use that in an argument against saving lives. I think the use is entirely wrong and is used by people such as her to play down the number of deaths in the face of financial loss. What I do hope for is that we change this to an understandable level of deaths, as I believe the government would come in for far greater criticism. They are simply not doing enough to reduce the number of deaths to a more understandable level, in my opinion. Ideally there would be no deaths, and no pain of losing a loved one to this awful virus for anyone else. However that simply won't happen, but what we can do is try to prevent the number of deaths being so high by making it the highest priority, and not financial gains for a corrupt and greedy shower of MP's currently occupying government.

I think the term for the level of deaths shouldn't be acceptable, but understandable. For example, a lot of elderly die each year from the flu, and the levels of death are never acceptable but are rather more understandable when we consider other factors associated with the deaths including age, underlying health conditions etc. It's the same with driving. I don't think anyone gets into a car with the intention of having a serious accident, but deaths relating to driving are more understandable when we consider speed of the vehicle, condition of the driver, condition of the vehicle etc. Certainly the number of deaths in relation to these things become a lot less scary when we understand there are other factors. What the Tory MP said about acceptable levels of death is abhorrent and shows just how little she values life. There should never be an acceptable level of death, even with Covid. However there will always be an understandable level of death so long as those in charge are doing all they can to manage the situation.

I think most sensible Villa fans realise we're performing way above expectations at the minute. We very nearly went down and it's like watching a different team this season. Like most, i was hoping not to be in a relegation scrap this season, and to carry on improving year on year. I'm still sticking to that as we're only a couple of injuries away from a crisis, like we experienced last year. Anything else is a bonus and another reason to be proud of the club. I'd argue the fans on twitter probably aren't as invested as the majority of sensible villa fans, and should stick to winning the league this season firmly on FIFA or football manager.

Goal from Andy Carroll

I hope things are different now. I'm generally a cynic, but teachers are already exhausted because they're already covering for staff shortages when another teacher has to isolate; they're being asked to test potentially infected children and further risk themselves; and people now know more about the relationship/cronyism between the press and the government.

I don't think even the Torygraph or Daily Heil would run negative headlines against teachers and their unions for demanding information that has influenced a decision that could cause so much harm. Even before the 1st lockdown parents were removing children from schools because we had no information. I would fully support the teachers against the government, as would so many other people. This government is so out of touch with the country every decision over the last 9 months has been greeted with derision and suspicion. The papers know this, even the Heil. We should have been moving to remote learning as soon as the new strain was discovered. Typical tory mess, we'll probably do it in two weeks when thousands more will have died and the figures keep getting worse. We're nowhere near getting the vaccine to all those who want or need it. The fear people have along with the contempt they have for the tools in charge means the teachers will be backed. Look at the outrage over the way the NHS has been treated. If there's any outpouring of positivity for teachers in public in the next few weeks I fully expect Boris Johnson to jump on the bandwagon...

With Barkley missing so many games I also worry about his motivation for us once he's fit. When he came there was talk about his main driver being making the England squad for the Euros. The more games he misses the less likely it is he'll be included. I may be underestimating him but I wonder if we'll see the same player when he does return. I agree that we shouldn't be signing him based on his current injury record with us. Our squad does not have enough quality to cover frequent absences.

A football journalist, Martin Samuel, regularly reminds his readers that he, and his colleagues, write more articles on Man Utd than any other team as those stories generate far more hits than any other team. So, in my mind, I feel there is going to be bias from the FA towards utd for a similar reason as to why the reporters write so many Utd stories. Considering the size of their fan base around the world, to me it seems logical that the FA want them to be as successful as possible due to the revenue they bring in to the league. I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but we're all aware that elite level football is all and only about money now. Everyone involved in the Premier League makes more money with a successful Utd. It's for that reason VAR can always be viewed with suspicion as any on the pitch event is always open to interpretation with no comeback once a decision is made.

She said they got promoted because they had a rest during the covid break, and they wouldn't have gotten promoted otherwise. In the seasons preceding the promotion, Leeds' promotion chase did fall away leading some to speculate they couldn't maintain the intensity in their performances over an entire season due to tiredness. Carney's comments do have merit depending on your opinion, which is the job of pundits to have. No excuse from Leeds for keeping their tweet online despite all the evidence it was leading to the abuse of Carney. Nothing wrong in disagreeing with her views but there's a right way to do it. I don't get offended easily but the response from the 'fans' abusing her on Twitter smacks of sexism, I don't recall many male pundits getting this level of abuse for giving an honest assessment using historical evidence.

Completely agree. Makes the other players around him better too.

The pressure is all on United tonight. Let's see what that does to them. They flaked earlier this season when they needed a draw in the Champions League. Whatever happens, this season has been brilliant so far. Much better than I think anyone expected.

I've seen it on twitter, so big pinch of salt, that the mutated strain is more transmissible in children than the strain we've struggled with all year. If true now more than ever there needs to be a real alternative to getting kids crammed into a stuffy room. And that's children of all ages. Not suggesting a full lockdown but what other choices are there? Until the vaccine is delivered to as many people as poss (which the Tory tools will absolutely definitely bugger up), I don't know how else we can keep people safe from the new strain.

Very good point, I'd forgotten that.

In the post match interview today Deano was asked outright by Le Saux and Townsend if we'd be bringing anyone in. To paraphrase him he said only if the deal was right. But then he added when it comes to transfers we've always got our finger on the pulse. Sounds likely to me.

Another good performance. McGinn MoM, but I thought Cash had a top game too. Onwards and upwards. Still can't believe how far we've come so quickly.

They've not given all the details yet, Amazon said it was for Covid reasons and more details to come. Edit - Started responding before TreeVillan had answered, apols.

Everton City game postponed for Covid reasons

Love it. Since commenting last night I've been on the Sunderland and Newcastle forums. They all say the same things we do. It's not that he's defensive, it's that he's so negative and inept, and will never offer any reasonable excuse for his sides shortcomings other than remove himself from any blame. I stop short of feeling sorry for the Newcastle fans, but it must be awful knowing he'll never get the sack as long as he's keeping them in the league.

I was at the QPR game and we just didn't turn up as an attacking force. Eze and their left back at the time (I forget his name) ripped us apart. They had carte blanche to come forward as we just sat so deep.

How do people not see it, or is it only the fans of the clubs he manages that do? I've watched Newcastle quite a few times since he began his tenure, and I honestly can't tell you how they've picked up so many points. Going forward his team offers nothing, and it's very similar to when he managed us. Having one of the most expensively assembled championship clubs seriously papered over the cracks for a long time. Goodness knows what would've happened should he have taken over instead of Lambert when we only had the kids and the bomb squad. And I say that as someone who watched in horror at Lambert's regression. I don't wish him any ill will, but he's so out of place in the modern game. From what I can make of it his tactics only consist of sit deep, don't press, and hope he nicks something on the break or on a set piece. It's a waste of some capable players such as Shelvey, Saint Maximin, and Almiron. It was the same when he was here too, there were so many games where we wouldn't attack seriously inferior teams. The game against Bolton when it was snowing sticks in the mind. He doesn't improve players either. Look at the difference in the players still in the squad that he bought in. I'd argue all improved significantly after being coached properly by Deano, which ultimately ended with promotion. He's always had excuse after excuse as well. When we lost, it was the players. When we won it was him. They hated him at Sunderland because he's a Geordie, he wasn't liked at Villa because he managed the noses, he's not liked at Newcastle because he managed Sunderland. It's never him. Not to go all holier than though but I don't think personal growth is possible without recognizing your flaws and working on them. And not to jump in to the earlier argument, but Benitez is hands down a better manager than Bruce. Both incredibly defensive managers, but Bruce is far more negative. I do blame Benitez though for introducing 2 defensive holding midfielders to the Premier League, I don't remember anyone doing that before he did at Liverpool I think you only have to look at their achievements in the game to see who is the better manager. His Valencia tenure is as impressive as it gets.