#lfc anticipate that the Anfield Road stadium development will take 22-23 months to complete and to open in time for the start of the football season. So with work expected to commence next summer/autumn - approval pending - it will be open for the start of the 2023-24 season.

LATEST VAR STATS THREAD

Overturns: 83
Rejected: 3
Goals: 23
Disallowed: 25
Pens: 19 (4 missed)
-for handball: 8
-overturned: 16
-retakes: 3
Offside goals: 20
Allowed after offside: 5
Disallowed handball: 3
Allowed after handball: 0
Reds: 12
-overturned:

VAR STATS (cont)

Most for: Brighton 8
Fewest for: Arsenal 1
Most against: Liverpool 10
Fewest against: Burnley 0
Most net for: Chelsea, Everton 3
Most net against: Liverpool 5
Most involvement: Man United 15

VAR STATS (cont)

Most goals awarded: Leicester 4
Most goals disallowed: Liverpool 6
Best net goal score: Everton, Sheffield United +3
Worst net goal score: Liverpool -8

VAR STATS (cont)

Most goals to opposition: Brighton, Liverpool, Tottenham, West Brom 3
Most goals disallowed for opposition: Brighton, Tottenham, West Ham 3
Most penalties awarded: Leicester, Sheffield United 3
Most penalties conceded: Brighton, Liverpool, Tottenham 3

VAR STATS (cont)

Most subjective decisions for: Man United 5
Most subjective decisions against: Fulham 5
Best net subjective score: Man United +3
Worst net subjective score: Arsenal, West Brom, Wolves -2

Tanguy Ndombele doing Tanguy Ndombele things.

𝗔 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱:

I'll take that, thank you.

#THFC ⚪️ #COYS

No nonsense.

#THFC ⚪️ #COYS

Megs!

#THFC ⚪️ #COYS

See ya 👋

#THFC ⚪️ #COYS

Marseille’s Morgan Sanson is the latest rumoured Villa signing, with a number of respected outlets reporting the signing today, but what can the midfielder bring to Villa Park, and where would he fit into the side?

Sanson began his career with an excellent reputation and with a lot of expectation – earning10 caps for the French Under-21 side. A serious injury to his cruciate ligament, however, set the midfielder back somewhat. Since 2016, however, Sanson has stayed relatively injury free.

As a player, Sanson is a very active player. His statistical profile, compared to Ligue Un central midfielders this season, shows a healthy number of both defensive and attacking actions, a significant creative output, the will to enter the box, and a lot of ball carrying.

The big question around Sanson is that of who he would replace in our midfield. Whether it would be in preparation for Douglas Luiz to return to Man City, to compete for place with John McGinn, or to replace Ross Barkley if his deal did not become a permanent one?

Stylistically, John McGinn makes the most sense. Looking at Sanson’s profile again, this time with McGinn’s, the similarities are clear. Both players are ball-carrying, box-to-box midfielders whose passing isn’t a strength. Both can score, create, and love to enter the box.

(Sorry, long, rambling, unthought-out thread here) I've lost count of the amount of times I have been proud to call myself an Unioner, and of their commitment to direct, and often local action instead of parrotting nebulous and often ultimately meaningless phrases.

I know personally people at the club who take very seriously their commitment to eradicating racism from the club, as well as from football itself. But I have seen and heard racism in the stands, as well as on the way to and from games too many times before.

I have always shied away from acknowledging it. I've accentuated the positives, I've said it comes only from a small minority (which is also true), all because I don't want my own romantic image of the club to be tarnished, and I don't want to be guilty through association.

Or, to be honest, to endanger my privileged position of being able to write about the club I adore in the city I love.

When it happens it is a reflection of a broader racism in Germany, and in football, but that is no excuse for my inaction, for my sitting on my hands and hoping the problem goes away, so I can just go back to hailing them as a rebellious club from a rebellious city.

“Mastering the basics” is a long-standing pillar of cricket coaching. I want to challenge the idea because I think removing it will lead to more effective cricketers.

Welcome to my TED talk.

Most of us have been brought up that nailing the basics equals success. I remember being a kid reading and re-rereading my coaching manual, knowing it contained all the answers. The idea is simple and intuitive: the basics provide a template.

Copy what works. No need to reinvent the wheel. Play straight. Sure, there is some natural variation but the basics are always at the core. They are the spelling and grammar of cricket.

We can see this at the highest level. TV commentators criticise technical flaws (against a template) in every player. When they fail we see this as the cause. When they succeed we see the player as finding a way to compensate in spite of this basic error.

We also see it when coaching. We use the basics template to tell players how to bat, bowl and field. If they get it wrong, they need to identify and correct their errors through hard work. You can add flair, but not until these basics are firmly in place and the flaws ironed out.