JRC

Yeah, I just checked an old You Tube favourite - Rush's fantastic hat-trick at a frozen Villa Park - and that was a televised Friday night game from 1984, so I was well out about 1989.

Probably. I'm sure there was something in the constitution of the League that it was not authorised beyond the Friday date - based on the contract between the FL and the FA to run a competition, possibly? - which was enforced rather than waived. Not sure ITV would have had much leverage in those days - in fact a Live televised League match was a one-off in 89, surely? Maybe not, all a long time ago now.

The Friday night was down to the FA not being prepared to let the season run past that date - so we played 3 games plus 30 minutes in 6 days, while Arsenal had not played for 2 weeks. Never forget what b*****ds the FA were in all of this. They had had a fixture backlog though, as they took advantage of the open invite for all clubs to cancel post-Hillsborough matches for a short period. That their postponed matches happened to match exactly with their top goalscorer's injury (Alan Smith) was entirely coincidental. FWIW, I smirked recently when the Hull City manager - Liam Rosenior - was sacked. I blame his Dad - Leroy - who scored a late goal for West Ham on the Tuesday to make 4-0 into 4-1. Without that dent in GD, we win the league on the Friday with ease. My abiding memory was how awesome we were that Friday - absolute heroes. We were out on our feet, understandably so, but so nearly won it against a savvy, tough Arsenal team, having hunted them down remorselessly from about February - and this only 6 weeks or so after Hillsborough. I've never been prouder of them

He reffed us against Arsenal a few years back, and was excellent to the point I shared a video of how well he did to give the penalty against David Luiz on Salah - he sprinted past the Arsenal players getting back and then steadied himself in just the right position to call the foul -, but that seems years ago compared to the clown show of arrogant ineptitude he has become.

Yeah, as with Newcastle, what I'm taking is that we went away to difficult grounds and without playing well we dug out performances that took us within seconds of a gritty win. In both we managed leading the game pretty well until the final second - neither Newcastle nor Everton equalised because they were battering us at the end, more the usual combination of contingent, fine margin s*** dropping the wrong way. A draw was probably fair - and a result I would have probably taken beforehand - but a win if that shot misses would have been a real characterful and thus deserved one.

Everton's results have been good, no doubt, and fair play to them and Moyes. But the 3 teams they beat are genuinely terrible at the moment, which we knew with Spurs and Leicester, and Brighton confirmed yesterday. Not sure Dyche wouldn't have won those games anyway - albeit with fewer goals. Agree it's better to go there with them thinking they can match us at football rather than to a hellish dogfight.

Didn't Abramovich think that was who he was buying from flying over the old ground?

I'm there, but Twitter has long been my vehicle of choice for in-match updates - I can't watch or listen live. So I still use it for that, firstly because Bluesky doesn't seem as immediate or concentrated, and secondly, superstitiously not wanting to change a routine that has been good for us this season. But even in match, and when we're winning, there's still some utter s***ehawks on there.

Yeah, you hear individual calls about him, both when he does something s***, but also when he gets the songs and love from the crowd as a whole - that triggers some people by me. Ronay's article in The Guardian is even more self-indulgent than usual - although I think the point he is trying to make is not a bad one, and very apprecative of Slot and us in general - but I quite liked this about Darwin - "He resembled, as ever, and at all moments, a footballer being chased around the pitch by a swarm of invisible bees. He also came away looking on the metrics like a precision stealth weapon deployed at just the right moment."

Enjoyed that more than I expected. Played some nice stuff and scored good goals. They didn't try to clog us in classic 'magic of the cup' s***show with an underdog pass. Didn't make a show of themselves, but an easy run out for us and minutes for the kids. No poverty or tragedy chanting that I heard. Competent, unfussy Ref - especially for blowing spot on 5 minutes injury time despite their goalie being down for 2 of them. Love to watch a smart pro like Endo just do smart things. And a goal for Fred Church.

When we won in 2020, we had Arsenal and City away, and, iirc, Chelsea at home late in the run in. Like it mattered by then.

It's a s***e rule, but I think you're right, given the first instance of this interpretation I recall was the Lovren to Kane (penalty) one years ago. The defender has to try to play the ball, it seems unfair they are punished when it's never really in their control. Fwiw, I think they should apply the same criteria as for a pass back, needs to be more deliberate or intentional to count

Such a weird season. Top then, week before Christmas, despite some performances not at the 19-20 standard, like conceding 7 at Villa away, but still title-winning form for the 1st third of the season; then a relegation form 2nd third of the season - but even that was mainly due to that unimaginable home form, we still went away to Arsenal and Spurs and won (and the Leicester away defeat was bizarre - missed penalty, scrappy and undeserved latish goals from them to win); then, slowly and unexpectedly, putting together a title-winning level run for the final third, with that amazing night at Old Trafford, and probably the season highlight from the big feller at West Brom

As far as i am aware, them's the rules. If there is a potential advantage called, it cant be DOGSO, so not a red.

If you play an advantage it shouldn't be a red card

That was Slot's view. 'Maybe' still feeling the effects of the foul. For someone normally brutally direct, that's quite a bit of leeway.

Didn't he score against us at Anfield last season?

Just broke out in a cold sweat again seeing it written down, thanks

Martinez may be a t***, but he's good. Mo just sat him on his a*** and dinked it past him. Great finish.

Statement win that. Maybe the first full 90 to show that we fully get Slot's theories of how to play and just go out and do them on the pitch. No half time changes to sort things out, no subs coming on not clear what's expected. True of the fans too, we've moved from respectful appreciation to ful throated support. Loving it.

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He's in that elite class of players who, when you still need something out of the game, you don't take off, no matter how poor or anonymous he may seem. Notwithstanding the other team always needing more than one player keeping an eye on him, he is still likely to produce a piece of magic like that yesterday. See also Dalglish, so absolutely up there with the Gods

I suspect the 4 he lost were all in the first half as well. Handled Mitoma really well second half, although never comfortably. Saw him off eventually.

Bit of a Curate's Egg i would say. First half it felt like he was giving them a foul for any challenge when theyvwent to ground, but compensated later by giving us a few. Much more robust 2nd half even though our intensity was higher, and actually awarded Mo 3 fouls, which is usually his quota for about 10 games. But not great on the keepers time wasting and their rather obvious s***housery. The lad going down for no obvious reason as we had a spell just before half time and were rushing to take a quick throw in was particularly egregious.