Ged Rea

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@Declancarr96 @Murlio @henrywinter He has. I was talking about others in the British media who panned the player on a daily basis stating that he wasn’t good enough. Leaves Liverpool and suddenly he is.

@ged0407 @Murlio @henrywinter To be fair to Henry, he’s constantly pushed for TAA to be included more in the England setup.

Few players could conjure up a cross as Trent Alexander-Arnold did for Kylian Mbappe against Bayern in the Bernabeu. Few could see the perfect place to put the ball for Mbappe let alone execute the pass. Alexander-Arnold could. Vision and technique. Other countries would celebrate such a talent. He’s won the Premier League and Champions League with Liverpool. He now starts for Real Madrid. Yet can’t make a 36-man England squad for a couple of friendlies. Neither of which England won. Alexander-Arnold did show why the watching Thomas Tuchel has concerns about him defensively. Few expect England’s head coach to pick him in his World Cup 26. Reece James, fitness permitting, and probably Tino Livramento are Tuchel’s right-back picks. But Alexander-Arnold showed the huge reward that goes with occasional risk. His dead-ball delivery and crossing are world class. Can Tuchel really leave such a game-changing talent behind? He probably will. And there will be crunch moments in the knockout stages, late on in tight games against far more testing opposition than England swanned past in qualifying, perhaps even in a penalty shootout, when England will regret not having Alexander-Arnold's right foot to kick-start their recovery. His club-mate, Jude Bellingham, showed at the Bernabeu why he has to start at 10 for England at the World Cup. Big-game player, came on and brought more menace to Real. His strong personality, technical and physical qualities are needed in pressure situations. Tuchel has exceptional options at 10, and Morgan Rogers is a Tuchel favourite, but Bellingham is world class. He has to start. #ENG #RMCF #RMABAY

@LenovoGuru Very true. elite sport is decided by millimetres and milliseconds and if you are slightly off you really suffer. Those are the fine margins. So many players cannot all fall off a cliff at the same time without something serious having happened. What has followed are consequences.

Because they’re focused on outcome. And once you start from outcome, everything else gets forced to fit that conclusion, even if the underlying conditions don’t support it. Losing a pre season has a well researched adverse impact on physical conditioning, tactical cohesion and psychological fitness. If that foundation isn’t there, inconsistency is inevitably going to follow. But that’s harder to engage with than just assigning blame, so it gets dismissed.

Whilst I can empathise with how John is feeling, it is really fucking frustrating as a listener to hear so many conversations happen in a vacuum, or lacking in wider context. Neil and a few others, including John, have spent some time talking about the disruptions this season has experienced. But what I’ve found really disappointing is the lack of consistently hammering that message home. A lot of the nuance has disappeared in the last few months and boiled into reductive takes like ‘the manager has got to go’, ‘this is a coaching issue’, ‘the players aren’t fighting for the shirt’. @paul7cope wrote an article from a few months ago that really hit home around the final point. Others like @OneSGW @samuelap1_ @GooalMouth @DistanceCovered @BassTunedToRed, including myself, have tried repeatedly to sound the signal around how truly disruptive the pre season and everything that follows has been for the elite football people want to watch. Because it does matter. Yet TAW has such a large platform and seems to only mobilise as a unit selectively. For example, I completely empathise with the ticketing issues, I really do. But it’s not fun to watch discussions around togetherness from one part of the room, and then hear a volley of loud and reactionary shouts criticising the team and coach like this is some normal season. Given TAW’s guys have the power to give a platform to rational examinations and deep dives into this season when others don’t. So much of the core context is getting lost in so much noise. Even in terms of connection with the club, there was so much coverage around the previous manager, including interviews with him. In what’s been such a hard season, why hasn’t the coach been sought out to speak with, or has he and the club said no? Why haven’t the players been approached, or have they and the club said no? So instead, what we get left with is the overarching performance analyses and overview shows have often treated this season like any other. It’s been really disappointing. It’s fine to talk about unity and togetherness, but it has to be applied consistently, especially when it’s uncomfortable. Now is that time. Hasn’t been fun. So this is my two pennies. You’ll Never Walk Alone, eh.

@BrechinCityFC All the very best, lads. Get the job done tonight.🤞🙏

Some well kent Brechiners en-route to Brora - pictured are Peter Blues, Paul Alexander, Dave Taylor and Deano Greig 🔴⚪️

@talkingpj Spot on.

@ged0407 Self serving gobshites that think they are the voice of the people and the fanbase.

Fans of clubs watching fans of other clubs on Sky Sports FC will assume that these 'representatives' know about what is going on at their club. This could not be further from the truth. The vast majority are absolutely clueless, and all clubs are as bad as each other.

@Jack_Moore7 What a stupid comment.

I genuinely don’t think we’ve ever been in a darker place as a club.

@BBCMOTD @BBCSport Good goalkeeper. Elite, no.

Is David Raya the best goalkeeper in the world? 🤔🌎

@PressSec Your audience really is not that stupid. You have gained absolutely nothing. Who would have thought that the current administrations of US and Israel would turn out to be the enemy of the world. Hope your demise is speedy, for the sake of this planet’s inhabitants.

This is a victory for the United States that President Trump and our incredible military made happen. From the very beginning of Operation Epic Fury, President Trump estimated this would be a 4-6 week operation. Thanks to the unbelievable capabilities of our warriors, we have achieved and exceeded our core military objectives in 38 days. More on that tomorrow morning from @SecWar and Chairman Caine! The success of our military created maximum leverage, allowing President Trump and the team to engage in tough negotiations that have now created an opening for a diplomatic solution and long-term peace. Additionally, President Trump got the Strait of Hormuz reopened. Never underestimate President Trump’s ability to successfully advance America’s interests and broker peace.

Lucho.

@JamesPearceLFC It has been very tough mentally since last July, James.

“We let ourselves and the manager down, but we also let the fans down. Mentally, it’s very tough at the moment.” Virgil van Dijk on Liverpool’s capitulation at the Etihad and the need to deliver a response in Paris on Wednesday night. nytimes.com/athletic/71733…

@lady_valor_07 👏🏻

Singer P!nk calls MAGA an “insult to humanity” and says, “If you’re a Trump supporter, then don’t listen to my music.” What is your Response to her ??

@empiresend @TheIcicleWorks Hope he gets well quickly. He is a great fella.

I hope he won't mind me posting this but our brother Gary Dwyer ~ drummer: 'The Teardrop Explodes', is unwell at the moment but "Rocky" is powering on in his usual manner. Please send Rocky Love and Light in this fight! See you soon for a little razz in the motor Gaz! Ix

F.A. Cup hat-tricks against Liverpool:- John Boag (Derby County) 1898 Ray Westwood (Bolton Wanderers) 1946 Erling Haaland (Manchester City) 2026

@Andrew_Heaton Yep. You would never have guessed.

@WelsbyElton It is the only way their listeners can understand them, Elton.

Awful...if only they tried speaking English...

@lee0969 @jillwebb2005 @nikidoog @Carolyn_on_X @FatOldAnarchist @brunstead Messages just edges it for me, Lee.

On this day in 1980 No 40 UK Album Chart OMD with their debut album “Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark” IMHO an incredible debut that got great reviews. I’ll choose “Electricity” how about you? #1980s #OMD @jillwebb2005 @nikidoog @Carolyn_on_x @FatOldAnarchist @brunstead @SkaManD14

@chrismackop They were all wonderful to a man. The future looks bright under Rowley.

@ged0407 Unreal. Still doesn’t seem real!

Fu**in hell!! Has there ever been a more astonishing result in Saints history? What a performance….13 first team players missing!!!! Paul Rowley working his magic.

NEVER write off the Saints!