A bird of prey. As a vulture or a prehistoric Pteranodon.
I just had to as it was amusing.

Without being pedantic vultures are scavengers and Pteranodons were flying lizards

Villa losing and Chelsea drawing tonight. Lots of teams all taking points off each other combined with our good run has really put us back in the mix for European places. Top 4 really does seem a step too far, but if we can keep our last 6 from over the next 12 then we would be in for top 4

Actually a bearded vulture is a bird of prey. A buzzard is more of one. But Pteranodons did go after what they wanted.

I stand corrected on the bearded vulture. As for the Pteranodon, I may be knocking on a bit but I've never seen one in action. Perhaps Hoy or LTG can enlighten us?

I’ve watched all the Jurassic Park films. Does that count?

Crikey. Nice one Sheff Utd. Let’s hope that we can repeat that result on Saturday.

Good news on the Aubameyang front

MU losing at home to Sheff Utd, a shocker. Though we've been there many times this season. And all the dropped points from other teams bodes well for us. Time for Arteta to instill stronger belief in his players. We need to go on a strong run.

If it wasn't for City, I'd say we still were in contention for the title. None of the other teams is the least bit convincing. For example, if we beat United we'll be only 7 points behind them, and they could easily go on a run similar to Liverpool's. I'm also not convinced that Liverpool, Spurs, or Chelsea is going to find consistent form this season.

Not that I think us making the top four is likely. We also still fall into the 'not convincing' category. But it is still interesting!

The other qualification would be not having a fear of heights. If I was a bird of prey I would be hopeless at circling ominously (vertigo) and wouldn't be able to swoop on my prey without losing my lunch.

2008. Wall Street banks and companies targeted the average consumer. They used vague language in fine print all the way out to outright fraud. Rating agencies were bribed or pressured financially to give better ratings for toxic investments. Yet, they were bailed out, not the victims, the American people. Rewarded for fraud. The only one who went to jail was Madoff. Why? He robbed the 1%.

If you target the 1% or elected government officials that is the line in America these days. The government has known that for at least 20 years far right wing individuals and groups in a concerted effort, infiltrated institutions in America. Specifically, police departments across the country both large and small. And all the branches of the military. Despite being about 40% ethnic minorities of the military in general, the elite forces (SEAL teams, black ops of the various branches) were visibly bereft of much of them. There was a concerted effort to keep them out. Its a brotherhood that has a special bond not unlike the SAS in the UK.

They have also become teachers in order to shape thought at a young age and target others for failure. There has been a huge rise of latinos and blacks in the early grades, kindergarten, 1st grades, actually suspended from schools. 40% or more than any others. They have also attempted to infiltrate Google, Yahoo, etc. They are often the administrators that determine what can or can not be in the comments area. Yahoo News specifically has had bots, fake accounts, etc, that will target certain articles for comments so that it goes viral, for many years and only since a year ago has Yahoo stopped comments on articles. Youtube has long had this issue as well.

The government didn't bother to address the issue since the targets of these far right militant groups are ethnic minorities, Jews, immigrants, Moslems, etc. Now that they have turned their ire towards the governors of states, the Congress, even the former VP, all of a sudden its an issue. The CEO of Twitter has phalanx of security.

A recent article made the same observation I did. 75 million people voted for Trump and presumably support the Capital building attack and if not believe or at least sympathetic to the various conspiracy theories. A Republican congressperson or two have carried guns to the capital building and refuse to go through metal detectors. I don't see them doing that at the airport but....

The split is too big to address adequately I fear. Who knows how many in the FBI are going to be charged with investigating groups they secretly belong to or are sympathetic to.

No governor or mayor has ever been denied national guard requests in times of emergency ,ever, except once. The mayor of Washington D.C, while the Capital building was being invaded. It hasn't been fully investigated why. My guess is because 'they' don't want to know how far up it reaches. Similar to the 911 commission when an FBI agent who investigated the curious actions of certain Saudis taking flight lessons, members of militant groups, etc. and somewhere up the chain of command the agent's request to increase investigation was rebuffed. Someone had to have been the final no. We have never been told whom. Presumably it was someone high up who no one wants to embarrass.

The country is a mess and its an unfixable mess I think. It's a tinder box and history tells us there will be some event. Some arcane event that will trigger it. George Floyd was such an event for the BLM protests. There were other suspicious police shootings, with far more egregious circumstances (Breonna Taylor in Louisville for example) but his was the one that set things off.

The Covid19 response is rightfully the most important issue to address right now. However, the potential domestic terrorist events will need everyone to face hard truths once we hold up a national mirror. The government, I suspect, won't address this issue with the honesty and severity it requires.

Little thing that bugs me, but he got around 74.2 million votes. People need to stop rounding that up to 75 million.

I don't know the exact rule on shin pads, I thought it was just that you had to wear them but no stipulation on size. I think Grealish and Smith-Rowe do wear shin pads but they are miniscule and probably only protect the 4-5 inches above the boot.

Man City look in tremendous form just as those around them seem to be faltering. I thought they were dangerous earlier in the season for the simple reason that Pep seemed to move away from his first principles and played a lot more pragmatically. I think after that 5-2 defeat at home to Leicester he realised too many teams could take them apart on the counter and he went very defensive (for him) and ground out a series of 1-0's in pretty uninspiring performances.

Dias has been the leader at the back they've missed since Kompany, Stones is a man transformed and Cancelo has been quite excellent at either right or left back. Now they have that base they have started moving back towards the City we know going forward, Gundogan has been brilliant recently.

I have a terrible feeling about the United game, which I rarely do. I can just see us playing really well but failing to capitalize, and then seeing the midtable quality title contenders that they are scoring a goal or two on the counter.

Whatever happens, it's a lot more fun checking the results of teams in the top 6 than those of West Brom and Fulham, like we were just a month ago.

Financial Fair Play is, as we have all known for ages, a complete nonsense.

I have just read that Barcelona’s recently released annual report shows debts of £1.1 billion. Quite stunning really.

We've been ok against Man U recently. 5 games unbeaten in the league. I would agree that I always feel nervous against Man U mainly because it often feels like we get hard done by against Man U - and they haven't had a penalty for a while.

The biggest concern I have if the few knocks we have. Tierney, Partey, Smith-Rowe, Aubameyang all doubts for one reason or another.
Cédric has given us confidence he can stand in for Tierney, Pépé did a good job on the left in lace of Aubameyang and Martinelli could play there. Can Ødegaard come straight in if Smith-Rowe isn't fit? Partey would be the biggest miss because we have no one near his quality.

The good news is in the game at Old Trafford whatever Arteta did was spot on because we smothered them, dominated midfield and subsequently the game and didn't give Man U a sniff on the counter attack - their main weapon.

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/crystal ... verein/873
Crystal Palace have 19 players out of contract this summer - and Roy Hodgson.

and we thought our contract management was bad. I can't see many in there who would move to a bigger club but Tyrick Mitchell, English left back, 21 years old could be a useful free transfer for a bigger team who might need a back up left back.......

That one seems like such a no-brainer. Apart from being young, proven in the PL and English, he's actually pretty good. Worst case scenario is he doesn't have what it takes and we sell him for 15-20m.

The one I never really understood was how Glasgow Rangers went almost a decade without paying any tax. If it was a small business it’s owners would have been pinned to the wall about something like that.

The working man the lifeblood of our country is held to a higher level of accountability. Our society is truly corrupt.

Still struggling to work out what’s going to happen here with our Benfica tie. It seems illogical for one leg to be at a neutral ground and one not, especially since there would still be travel between the two countries.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/news/ar ... d=msedgntp

Once again, the Man Utd game becomes massive for both clubs. This game is a pretty good barometer of where we are. If we lose to City or LFC at home it wouldn't be a shock. Both are more than capable of beating any of the other 18 sides away. Man utd has been a mixed bag.

Any of the 3 possible results have a fairly decent chance of happening. Both clubs will be up for it.

So. You’re saying that we could win or draw or lose then?

The practice of rounding Biden's tally down -- to any number less than Trump's --should also be frowned upon.

That part is clear and indisputable.

I'm less sure that he's right about the game being "a pretty good barometer" of where we are. Generally a good barometer (in the metaphorical sense) is something that is relatively stable, so one can measure other things against it. As he acknowledges, United don't qualify. They are a "mixed bag". They are about as good a 'barometer' of other clubs as an elastic band would be a suitable substance from which to fashion a tape measure. If we catch them on a good day (or when one or more of Pogba, Fernandes, Cavani, etc, produces some moments of magic) and they get the breaks, they could beat us and it would not be a good indicator of where we are.

Someone should also point out to him that Liverpool's halo has slipped a bit. Liverpool failing to win has lost its shock value.

lol...

I actually spit up a drink laughing....but as games go, we'd expect to lose at home to City or LFC, a win would be a shock. We'd expect to win at home to relegation zone clubs. Another result for either the top of the table or bottom of the table would be a surprise, but with Man Utd, any of the possible results...on the day in our both our present forms, its a tough call.

Test message ...

Perhaps the game will be postponed?

And then there is the referee factor too

The referee for Saturday's United game is Michael Oliver. Some may know this already, though.

My first real look at Moller. Big lad. Will be interesting to see how he turns out.

Exactly, and when you have a very good £25m left back and a right back who seems like he can cover as well you don't want to be blowing any budget you do have on a back up left back.

Save any money we do have for a pair of central midfielders.

One of the better refs in the league, I'm not uncomfortable with him reffing. Unlike refs like Moss, Mason, Atkinson and Dean

For me, Michael Oliver is the best referee currently in the Premier League.

MOTD showed that Sian Massey, or Sian Massey-Ellis as she is now, made an error yesterday. That’s a rarity in itself.

Surprised Oliver was chosen for the United match actually. Agree that he's usually less biased than other refs mentioned. Siam Massey does quite well on decisions majority of the time.

Cracking game at Shite Hart Lane. Kane off injured - nothing trivial hopefully.

Salah 3-1

Or maybe not.....bugger

Now that is 3-1.