Zoob

20 years ago he was pretty junior, as I was. Surprisingly, since then he's managed to eek out a career at Microsoft, where he has been for 15 years or so. I had Microsoft as a client for many years when I was working for an agency here in Seattle. They are known for employing a lot of super smart people who are kinda terrible at interacting with other humans. For example, they have a high proportion of ASD folks employed. But what I found was they they ended up hiring a load of people who actually weren't very smart at all, AND were terrible at interacting with other humans. It was as if the being terrible with other humans made the recruiters think they must be smart. They were not. This was kinda the sense I got with Rashid when he interviewed me.

My memory is crap these days so I may have mentioned this already, but I crossed paths with Rashid in real life, twice in fairly bizarre circumstances, and 20+ years apart. We used to work for the same company in London in the late 90s, and I'd see him rabidly mashing away at his keyboard just as his posts appeared on TLW forum, and then 20+ years later, he interviewed me for a job, and he was just as crazed as ever, swearing away and being pretty unhinged. I withdrew my application. BTW - I am definitely not Rashid. But then that's exactly what Rashid would say.

I can't just upload the screenshot, but if you look here, it's a bit disturbing how many people are apparently Fyds. The image diagonally down from the first one definitely looks like it could be Fyds with make up and a wig. And I remember the whole (actually bogus) discussion about whether his partner was real or just him). Also saw this response on Twitter "Had some some good discussions with Jan, he always had time and patience when I was seeking clarification on football and politics." - and this seems exactly the sort of thing Fyds would say about himself.

I just mean it's weird that two different posts on Twitter have mentioned Fyds being 'hounded out' of this forum. It's weird to mention that at all, let alone given how long ago Fyds stopped posting here.

Haha! well played. It's weird that there's multiple folks out there who seem to hold a grudge about how Fyds left this place like he was Jesus cast out into the darkness. Think he left a good 12+ years ago , and I can't even remember why he left. But some people hold weird grudges

That we actually got money for him is the weirdest thing about Brad Smith. I think we must have had blackmail material on Bournemouth given how much they gave us for Smith, Ibe and even Solanke. Brad Smith played for the Seattle Sounders for a couple years, and is still knocking around in the MLS. Another for this thread, Ryan Kent, who did pretty well at Rangers but was released by the Turkish club he signed for a year or so ago may now be coming to play for the Sounders.

It prob got posted here already, but Trent, unsurprisingly, is one of the most dribbled past players in the league. The whole thing with him stepping into midfield made him think he was even less required to tackle and defend.

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I'm sad to hear about Fyds. We exchanged a few emails over the years, and although he was a bit Walter Mitty, I can't recall him being a dick, and he was an interesting guy to chat to. RIP.

I think there's a more wrong way, if that makes sense, and while the club isn't without blame, I think running down your contract so you can leave on a free, avoiding saying anything (other than 'I'd rather win Ballon d'or than Champions league with Liverpool' FFS) when you're vice captain of your boyhood team, is definitely more of a wrong way...

Kelleher and Tsimikas also likely to leave. Morton and maybe Bajcetic too, so that's another 40-50 million at least if they all go.

Yeah, Frimpong does even less defending than Trent. He's almost more of a Salah replacement than a Trent replacement.

If he goes, which seems far more likely than not, I don't think he's leaving for the money (even if he's obviously he's gonna end up with more $ since he's on a free). Think they've got in his head about helping him win Ballon D'or, and his mate Bellingham has tapped him up too...The appeal of Barca and Real is still massive. c***s.

I see what you did there.

Really was a fantastic header. And his celebration shows how much it still means to score at Anfield.

The thread has evolved into something different, weirder and sometimes darker, but I approve. The young guns and former record breakers: Jack Robinson Ben Woodburn Jerome Sinclair The old guns: Brad Jones Ricky Lambert

I do think Dundee is in a special category of his own given quite how bad he was, and how obvious that became in the few times he played for us. Like I'd never put him along with Le Tallec who at least did have talent and even contributed an assist in a big game for us. Vignal of course had that run that led to the Gary Mac free kick (after some useful stolen yards). And Insua was ok, just not good enough for us. Dundee was legendarily s***. George Weah's pretend cousin type of s***.

Oh totally. I just much prefer to think (because I hope) what you posted is is the case rather than what Buttles posted (also in good faith). It's been this way all the way through where one minute I am hopeful they will get what they deserve, and the next I worry that the most convenient way for the authorities to deal with it is in a way that makes a mockery of the whole thing.

I'm choosing to believe this version of events.

I wouldn't be hugely surprised if this was the case, but would be an absolute disgrace, and every (non City) fan would know it. Going back to Tour de France, it would be like letting Armstrong keep all his titles and prize money, but saying he's not allowed to enter it the next year.

Fair enough. I think we all know what we want, and what we feel should happen. Hopefully those who make the decisions have the balls to make the right one, even if it results in making one of the biggest scandals in world sport more official, despite the full ramifications.

Maybe, but in terms of money, worldwide viewership, prestige etc, I don't think they are comparable. Maybe that doesn't make a difference, but my gut tells me it does...

Even putting aside potential governmental / international relations stuff, this is so hugely complicated. If City get a fine and "just" relegation (followed almost certainly by bouncing right back) then it shows that a decade of cheating and a huge number of trophies would more than justify the relatively small punishment. i don't think they will strip titles, but that's the only thing (along with huge maybe ongoing points deductions over a period of time) that would make sense to me (even if they didn't give the titles to those that City cheated out of wins), but obviously this would also be of huge damage to the Premier League 'brand' , so I could see a lesser punishment being given. The whole thing has been so shrouded in darkness, that I don't know whether the independent board are able to force a punishment on City, regardless of whether the PL wants that or not...

Ref didn't help at all, but they won so many more duels, in the air and on the ground. They didn't play good football - they attempted about half as many passes as us, had only 60% pass completion, but bullied the f*** out of us all game, which is why it really wouldn't have hurt to have Endo playing (particularly given how absolutely goosed Grav was - he offered nothing attacking or defending). Endo was fantastic in the final against Chelsea last year for 120 minutes. Slot has got so much right, and been so much better than most of us expected, but definitely the weird decisions / lack of rotation catching up with us now.

Amazing quite how much goes back to that Soton game. They're among the worst teams ever to play in the Prem. Rest more players in that game, and I think we would have had enough to beat PSG (before extra time) and then the players have more left in the tank (physically and mentally) for a cup final. Easy enough to say now, and we would have been outraged had Slot rested players and we didn't beat Soton, but I still think it holds true. Newcastle just bullied us. They didn't really out smart us or out tactic us. They played mostly long ball football, and their players had more energy, and won far more duels than we did. Our team looked much the same - like a ghost team full of people imitating footballers, which is exactly what happened a year ago. Still work to do to make sure we don't f**k up the league.