RoystonFoote'snephew

It's coming up to the end of the season and I was musing about the summer and friendlies while thumbing through past community match programmes when some familiar but not so familiar names got me thinking again about poor signings. Every team ofcourse has made poor signings, and we're certainly no exception, but the 2016/17 programme for our match with Bristol Manor Farm contained a City squad with no less than 3 players that we'd signed (not loaned) who were never to wear a 1st team shirt in a competitive fixture, namely Tin Plavotic (now with Austria Wien in the Austrian Bundesliga), Paul-Arnold Garita (now with Al-Faisaly in the Saudi 1st Division) and Diego de Girolamo (now with Buxton in National League North). None of these players were blighted by injury just (presumably) deemed not good enough. I wonder how many other signings, not loans, there have been.

After a very late stoppage time equaliser at Dortmund, Leverkusen remain on course to become the 1st team in Bundesliga history to go through a season unbeaten. Under Alonso they have now gone 45 games unbeaten in all competitions and scored an incredible 26 goals after the 80th minute in games.

You surely haven't just worked that out. VAR had done nothing to enhance the game, made worse by the fact it's now being used for incidents beyond its remit. It's purpose was to correct CLEAR AND OBVIOUS ERRORS, not to pick up all and sundry. It should be scrapped or at least be limited to clear and obvious errors viewed in real time and decided upon within 2 minutes. If you can't decide within 2 minutes it ain't clear and obvious. The offside rule has to be one of clear air, it shouldn't be determined on the size of someone's footwear.

FA has already announced they'll be investigating the statement. I'm not sure what action Forest think they can take but if they're suggesting the ref in the VAR booth was biased he might have an action against Forest for defamation of character.

I wasn't wound up. Just making an observation which is provably a, symptom of the modern era I just don't remember seeing players wear gloves in April back in the 70s etc.

I'm not always fussed about the PL, but on this beautiful spring day in April I find myself watching Wolves v Arsenal to find 3 Wolves outfield players (Gomez, Traore and amazingly Doherty) wearing gloves!!!

A 19 year old kid called Ashford with a massive deflection off Jan Bednarek.

Yes, but what a great goal as Southampton are winning at Cardiff

They don't really want less games. They want space in the calendar so they can sod off to the Emirates or South East Asia for lucrative exhibition games. No real concern for their players or, given the air miles, the global environment.

Given the clear strength of feeling I'll be disgusted if City don't condemn this move. Clubs are rightly pointing to their history and ours is no different with winning at Leeds in 1974 a great highlight. I'm not entirely surprised by the actions of thoughtless few as their downplaying of the cup in recent years is testament to their 'money is God' attitude. No thought whatsoever has been given to the damage that's being done to the reputation of English football among lovers of the beautiful game and the FA should hang their heads in shame and charge themselves with bringing the game into disrepute.

Seems like your Isewater(ing) too much Major.

Mehmeti has shown improvement but this shouldn't come as surprise with a coach who shows more faith in him and gives him more game time. Tanner and Roberts are the big plusses for me.

Expect to see Oxford United on the list which, if away I'd go to as a new ground.

For me it's all the things that Secret Sam and ExiledAjax have said plus that its one I want to go to and look forward to going to not just that I go to through loyalty to the team.

This is true but points are a reality whereas performances that satisfy are subjective. I'm old enough to remember Jack Charlton's Boro, one of the most boring turgid sides I ever saw but they won every week and you didn't hear much moaning around Ayresome Park.