forameus

So don't buy the membership? Might seem flippant, but surely it's an option. I've no intention of buying the membership again after doing fine without in the last campaign. For the one-off match that is the most important we've had in a while, I don't find 20/25 to be that steep compared to some of the lunatic prices they've had in the past. To each their own though.

Yeah, they're likely to beat Russia up and down the pitch for 90 minutes and win anyway. But should they have an off-day, and Russia grind out a 1-0 through some suspicious "energy", surely the question might be asked? More likely from the other two though. Whether it's valid or not. Very good actually, and for once a sensible decision. They probably could have gotten away with charging more, but clearly they're conscious that a full stadium has other benefits other than £££. If we can't fill the stadium at those prices, despite it being a Thursday night, for such an important game, then we never will. Just a shame we can't follow it up with a home final.

"BECAUSE IF ANYONE'S IN CHARGE IT'S ME I'M ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS ME ME ME ME" Or something like that.

I'm not jumping down the tired route of pointing at him and saying he's shite. He's been good for us, and is easily our most talented player, but he isn't the same player he is for Liverpool and that's the whole point. We can't just look at club form and expect that to translate 100%.

I think there's still a big difference between the SFA being such a shambolic, disorganised mess that they forget to test players, and the systemic doping that Russia appear to be guilty of. Can you imagine the SFA running such a system? They'd get caught picking up the order at Lloyd's Pharmacy in minutes.

Jesus fucking Christ... What part of that are you struggling to understand? I tried not to use any big words as well, so surely it isn't that hard? I'm not saying McTominay absolutely shouldn't play, and I'm not saying he absolutely should. Certain parts of our support like to take club form and think that it'll be easily translated to the national team, when clearly that is rarely the case. Step forward Andy Robertson. If McTominay can play like he is now and really improve us, then absolutely he should be playing. If the players around him aren't of a good enough standard, and his form suffers - as we've seen with a lot of players before - then it's going to be up to Clarke to decide whether there are better combinations out there.

If you can't read and understand the original post, or the follow-up, then I'm not going to post it a third time. I'd probably need to descend it to stick-man drawings or something at that rate, and I'm shite at drawing.

You seem to have got a real hard-on for how dull you find everything. I guess you have to find something to bring joy into your life. Well, you know what they say. If you're starting to wonder why most people you come across are arseholes, maybe it's just you. And I'm not sure I actually did say either way on whether I would play him. In fact, I specifically said that Clarke should be playing the best team rather than the best 11 players. If McTominay's in the former, fine. If he isn't, fine.

The way people are talking on Reddit, then yes. They just couldn't fly the Russian flag, or use the anthem, or probably the kits. Of course, whether FIFA would be happy to have a team not really affiliated with a federation is another question. I'd expect not, but then there really isn't much of a precedent for this. I'm going for a last-minute appeal that sees the Athletics side upheld, but they're allowed to compete for the World Cup. To the shock of no-one. Although, on England, imagine if Russia put them out. Just...close your eyes....imagine it. Really imagineit. Ooft. I'm all for them competing just for the potential of that.

I get the money angle and the St Petersburg game, but if Uefa don't act after this finding then it would be an utter joke and massive taint on sport. Dzyuba's taint must be absolutely massive, certainly. It's not even sure that the punishment will even happen, or that FIFA themselves will act on it, let alone UEFA. WADA have given them their out, and I expect they'll take it.

Footage of JLD bringing his concerns to Big Mad Vlad

I imagine they won't, but they should be. To be honest, more than Scotland should. A whole country's sporting infrastructure has now been found guilty of doping breaches, that will potentially lead to them not participating in the biggest international tournament in the sport. And three teams now have to go up against them at the Euros. Denmark, Finland and Belgium should be similarly concerned, surely?

I understand why, but it's mental to me that now Russia (as of now, before any appeal) pretty much can't go play tiddlywinks on the world stage, but aye, hold games and participate in the Euros, guys. Fire in. EDIT: And that's completely leaving aside that we may have got upgraded if they got chucked out. If any nation was in our position, it would be equally fucking mental.

Running really fast in a straight line does seem like something we'll struggle with, genuinely. Partick Thistle 1 - 8 Miles Storey The one was Miles getting too excited and running it into his own goal.

Spot on. The biggest job for a Scotland manager - and the one that pretty much every single one of them has consistently failed at - is getting as many of our players playing to the standard they're capable of for club sides. If Clarke could crack that, and get Robertson in the sort of system that lets him play to his strengths, that lets McTominay shine, and finally lets Forrest/Fraser regularly do what they're capable of, then we'll be golden. As it is though, that's likely impossible. You're moulding 11 players together who play in likely 11 different systems. We're not going to see the Robertson that plays for Liverpool, or the McTominay who is getting better and better. Unless Clarke can achieve what I said above, then he needs to put out the best team rather than the 11 best players. If that means our standalone best players get benched to play a more cohesive unit, then do it.

As I've always said when this subject comes up - why does there need to be an assigned captain? When we have a match, give the captaincy to the guy that most fits the bill in the starting eleven. And I'd think that even if we didn't regularly put 11 absolute shitebags out who couldn't run a bath.

Which isn't on EA. Which I said in the post. EA are going to do whatever they can legally get away with, and they'll continue to do it until someone tells them not to. They're a business, and they're going to do every little thing they can to make money, particularly when it's going to make them A LOT of money. You really expecting them to be the ones that go "haud on, guys, we're making too much money here, let's put a handicap in". I'm not defending EA, I'm being realistic. Until they get telt to do things differently, EA going to EA.

Care to explain why exactly it's wrong?

Good to see that this working group will be like Switzerland. We can keep all that Nazi gold in the basement next to Jaggy McBee's corpse.

Ah, sorry. All that shite about Alberto and all! Id say if you have the coins, give him a try. I was looking to get Shearer as I found the big lump good fun on 19,but then saw Vieri looked just as good, if not better for less coins. He's a good target man, but there's a reason he's so cheap for an Icon. With Mertens and Insigne buzzing around him though, I'd expect some success. And then if he doesn't work out, sell him on. He hasn't seemed to have lost much value, so think it's fairly low risk.

Current team after the past few weeks of shenanigans with objectives. I have pretty much drained my club of anthing worthwhile that you don't see here chasing a dream. I really wanted someone top-drawer from Ligue 1 to sit alongside Neymar, but didn't manage it. Took Keane and Giggs in the end from Swaps, happy enough with both (although Giggs is really only there for chemistry reasons). Outside of that, I've pretty much gone to the dark side, and can field a fairly strong EPL team. Packing VVD and KDB basically made it a necessity. Can't see beyond Nainggolan on the right for his defensive abilities, so I can fit Politano in with decent enough chem. Then I bit the bullet and brought big Christian back. Bought him a while back, but didn't really get the sort of performance I wanted. He was just "OK", which isn't really what you want for 270k. But after getting my way back up to around the 400k mark, I really needed an icon to be able to play everyone around him at a decent chem. Insigne would be my usual choice, but he would kick Neymar down a few notches, and he's not really physical enough for what I need. So Vieri's back, and for a slight profit (a snip at 265k this time). Play a 3-4-1-2 usually in-game, Neymar and Politano switching around in the CAM/ST position alongside Vieri.

There is nothing more demoralising than opening a high-value pack, and finding your best pull as one you'll barely get over 1k for. Yet to use him, I'm afraid. Tried to charge through every objective I had outstanding in Rivals, then finished the SBC last thing. Haven't had a chance to have a game yet. To be honest, he looks like one of the most interesting centre backs I've ever had. You don't often get quick ones, but if they are, they're very rarely good passers and dribblers too. His only real weaknesses looking purely at the stats are shooting (of course) and long passing. A few lower stats in the dribbling areas that might affect his mobility, but comparing him to others, I don't think it would be that big an issue. I've got NIF Van Dijk, and he's easily the best defender I've used. But this guy beats him in pretty much every area. Far more agile, better balance, control and agility. Only slightly worse composure and reactions. Better passer. Defensive stats aren't quite up there with big Virgil, but they're not a million miles away (and almost maxed out with chemistry). Guess the big difference will be the absolutely massive size difference, both in weight and height.

Finally finished off the Base Icon Upgrade having sold 88 Vieri, as he just wasn't really as good as I'd hoped for the 290k I paid. Carlos Alberto comes out which...is actually not that bad. Not too happy with a center back, but he'll replace Vertonghen quite well and give me a chemistry link. Had hoped for a forward, but it's better than getting Inzaghi or something.

I can see it going "fine" (in VAR terms) in the playoffs, but if the SFA bring it in and have control...ooooooh wow.

I know, I know. It's the epitome of first world problems. It's just really, really shite that EA are determined not to give you some kind of untradeable bin for dumping these into. I'm now blocked from doing anything else with the game until I get rid of that card, probably through dumping him into an SBC I hadn't really planned to do. But I know, I'm an utter c**t. If I could gift someone him, I would.