Newcastle United: Who to Keep?

So we’ve finally been put out of our misery. Newcastle United are playing in the championship again. I for one am not surprised. The warning signs have been there for years. I’m not a Pardew hater can I just say as even though he was Ashleys bum buddy he did a pretty decent job keeping us afloat when his best player was sold every year and all he was given was random French players we hoped would be good to resell. When he left though it really sunk in. Two good coaches. Not Managers but coaches later and we were in a load of shit. We escaped by the skin of our teeth last year thanks to a folk hero the club treated like shit. Then this year we signed another good coach but awful manager. He said the right things. Money was FINALLY spent. But again where were the Premier League proven players? British players? Nowhere to be seen until January. Then in January what did we desperately need? A Goalscorer! A Central Defender! Not bought. Why waste 5 Mil on Saivet? He doesn’t even get on the bench? WTF happened to Doumbia?! So many stupid decisions.

Rafa when he first came in I was skeptical. He after all had been coaching Ronaldo at the beginning of the season. From Ronaldo to Steven Taylor is a big difference. But he got the team together and solid but it was too late when he was appointed. 10 games wasn’t enough. Just like when we gave Big Al the job the last time. It was great beating Liverpool and Tottenham but it extended Mclarens stay of execution too long. Then losing points at home to Bournemouth. Unable to beat Villa home or away was a complete joke. Losing to the scum in a game we dominated. One disaster after another. Capitulations all the time. We deserve to be where we are.

I’m going to make a case for who should stay and go now. Obviously Marveaux and Obertan are finally already gone. There hopefully will be a load more to go soon.

Manager

Rafa Benitez: GO – Look I want him to stay but lets be realistic. The daily mail may be saying he’s considering staying but why put the bloke through managing us when we visit Burton? Last year he was managing El Classico. I wouldn’t blame him for jumping at all. Good luck to the man and thank you for trying. Nigel Pearson/Brendan Rodgers/David Moyes would be my top three choices btw.

Goalkeepers

Tim Krul: GO – Been a great servant to the club but with two good goalkeepers on the books I think it’s time to get some money for him and move on now. Would be happy to see him stay but there’s no point having three premier league quality goalkeepers in the Championship and Tim deserves to play for a good team for once.

Rob Elliott: STAY – Was our best player this season until his injury. Kept us in a ton of games and kept the scores down. 100% would keep him as our new number one.

Karl Darlow: STAY – Again did brilliant when called upon. Messed up in the West Brom game which cost us a point but the lad was nervous so I don’t blame him. Great understudy for now and potential number one leading forward.

Defenders

Daryl Janmaat: GO – At one point was our best player this season and appeared to be one of the only outfield players who cared but he lost his way and the way he got ruled out for crucial games was idiotic. A good player in my opinion and we can get some money for him. Won’t want to play in the Championship.

Vurnon Anita: STAY – I’m putting him as a defender now as he’s played his best football for us at RB. Has always been a Championship quality player if we’re being honest. A decent squad player.

Kevin Mbabu: STAY – Needs a chance and dropping down a league will do that.

Paul Dummett: STAY – Not a fan but he’s a local lad and a Championship player again.

Massaido Haidara: GO – Injury has always held him back and he’s never kicked on. Don’t think he will hack the Championship and we already have two average LB that suit that league so send him back to France.

Steve Taylor: GO – Just leave already. Gives his all for the team but the guy is a League One player. He’s just not good enough and hasn’t been for a very long time. Thanks for your service but enough is enough.

Fabricio Coloccini: GO – Again thank you for your service but your time was up a few years back. Massive respect for him dropping down and staying with us last time. But is past his prime and needs to go back to Argentina to retire. Get those big wages off the books as well.

Chancel Mbemba: STAY – This kid has potential. A year in the Championship will do him good and he will become a better player after playing in it. Prone to the odd mistake but he wouldn’t be a Newcastle defender if he didn’t do that.

Jamaal Lascelles: STAY – Why didn’t this kid play all 38 games?! By all accounts even when he wasn’t playing he was holding team meetings trying to get the others to play. Love that commitment and he should be our next captain. Looked a decent player as well. If he had been in that defence earlier I think we may have been a lot better. Thanks Rafa for giving him his chance.

Midfielders

Cheick Tiote: GO – Has been past his prime for years. Should have sold him years ago for the big money people wanted to pay. A walking yellow card waiting to happen.

Jack Colbak: STAY – Not a big fan of his but need local players to battle for us next year and he will do that. Again should excell in the championship as that’s where he belongs in my opinion.

Henri Saivet: STAY – Who? No really he’s there somewhere. Give him a go and if he’s shit sack him off in Jan. Can’t be worse than Tiote.

Jonjo Shelvey:  GO – His wages are too high for a player who won’t put his all in for us in the Championship. He wanted to impress to start then he just faded away. Get him out of here before he drains the club of cash and his bad attitude which I’m sure will soon be coming into effect.

Moussa Sissoko: GO – Lets get some money for him if someone is stupid enough to offer 10 plus. No idea how he’s a french International. Apart from the odd run what does he do? Certainly doesn’t score or set up any goals.

Georginio Wijnaldum: GO – Again I love this guy. Has tons of ability and would love for him to stay. But he won’t want to play lower league football. If we could send him out for a year then get him back then I’d love that. But ultimately if someone gives us our money back plus another 4/5 mil I’d probably take it and we all know Ashley definitely will.

Yoann Gouffran: LOL

Florian Thauvin: ANOTHER LOL

Rolando Aaron: STAY – Give this kid a chance! Next year he could be our star. Our Demarai Gray. He’s got bags of potential. I thought we should have moved for Gray before as he’s going to be a player but this kid needs that new contract and some first team football and I think he can go far.

Andros Townsend: STAY – Whatever we need to do to keep him then do it. I’ve heard he has a buyout relegation clause and if it’s 8 mil then we’re fucked but if he doesn’t I’d be desperately trying to loan him for a year to someone like a Watford and then if we make it back up bring him roaring back with a full year with us. I do not want to see him go and would be gutted if/when he does. Wouldn’t blame him at all though. He’s shown when given the chance how good he can be. A Match winner and for me has to be in the England squad ahead of the Walcotts and even Sterlings on his form.

Siem De Jong: STAY – Look lets finally give him a chance. He was great for Ajax but has had so many injuries. Again like I said with Saivet give him till Jan and if he is actually shit then sack him off back to Holland.

Strikers

Ayoze Perez: STAY – The guy has talent and I think a year down a league he will bang in goals when given the chance. Wouldn’t blame him again if he left as you can see the potnetial in him. Depends really on what money we’re offered.

Aleksandar Mitrovic: STAY – Love this guys passion. He’s rough around the edges but a year in the Championship is what he needs. He will bang in goals in that league and will come up a much better player.

Pappis Cisse: GO – Literally I wonder sometimes watching him whether he can actually play football. Then he always pops up with a goal. I did love him/slightly still do but it’s time to say goodbye.

Seydou Doumbia: Who?

Emanuel Riviere: Hahahahahaha.

Adam Armstrong: STAY – Another kid who did well on loan at Coventry. Lets give him a go and see what he can do for us. Could be just a Championship player but could be more. Worth a go!

Conclusion

So there you have it. A lot of dead wood to get rid of and some players we may not even be able to shift. But it’s the Townsends and Wijnaldums that it will be sad to see go and I won’t blame them for going. Hell if I could stop loving this club and run I would. But sadly and it is a sad thing I’m still in love with them. Newcastle United are like that one girl you can never get over and Drake sings about in his songs. Fuck you Mike Ashley. Yeah you tried this year and put money in but it’s the years of mismanagement and poor decisions (Steve Mclaren) that led to this moment. The players some of them are too blame as well. I think they thought they were too good to be where they are. Don’t be fooled you’re not as good as you are. It took a kid from Forest who hadn’t played all year to kick you into gear. Shame on most of them.

For now it’s over but we will be back as long as we shift said deadwood and bring in ENGLISH players who want to fight for the shirt. We are down but not for good. We will rise again.

 

Batman Vs Superman: My Thoughts

So I’ve literally just got out of the cinema after watching the much maligned Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice. Giving you a bit of history I’ve been extremely excited for this film since it was first announced all that time ago. Throughout production there have been rumours that the film was a bit of a mess. The first few trailers eased a few fans minds with solid, dark showings. Then the screenings hit and the reviews started rolling in. It’s at 28% on the critics list. An extremely underwhelming score. Yet it rates at 72% liking it when it comes to the audience with over 170,000 votes on that. So do we believe the 170,000 audience members or the 200 critics who didn’t like it? Here’s a few of my thoughts. 

First off I’m just going to start with my overall opinion of the film and that was that it was actually better than expected. Not a major blockbuster that will live in your mind forever like The Dark Knight was but still an enjoyable movie. Could it have been better? Yes absolutely it could have been but it is what it is. In a lot of ways this film is their foundation of what is to come with a lot of the film paving the way for the coming justice league films and those characters spin off movies.

It builds in my opinion a solid base and tone for those films. Batman vs Superman is a far cry from the tone of the Avengers and for that reason I am happy. Yes there are millions of fans who love those films but I cannot say I’m one of them. There are some exceptions there (Iron Man, Iron Man 3 & Captain America: The Winter Soldier) but for the whole I just feel like those movies are just too light in tone and cheesy. That’s not to say there aren’t moments of cheese in this movie which will make you cringe slightly but for the whole it is dark and that is something I want to see. That’s the reason the Netflix shows like Daredevil and Jessica Jones are so popular over the cable shows like Agents of Shield & Agent Carter. As an adult I want to see darker more gritty content. That’s what Nolans trilogy gave us. That’s even what the X-Men films give us. Does it take itself a bit too seriously though? Yeah it does. What the X-Men franchise does so well is it will give you a deep dark story involving a character like Wolverine but he has that certain amount of charisma that lightens that arc ever so slightly. This film in general lacks a bit of that charisma hence it comes off ultra serious and grim. But overall I think this is a step in the right direction.

The two major gripes I had with the film are extremely different. One was the musical score. We have been treated in recent years to scores that match the epicness of certain movies and make incredible moments that extra bit special with the music playing over the top. This film has one of the greatest soundtrack composers of all time in Hans Zimmer (Nolans Batman trilogy, Inception)on board and yet some of the musical scores were ridiculous. None more so than the bizarre rock themed anthem during the Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman & Doomsday fight. It was just awful and distracted me from an already chaotic battle sequence.

This leads me perfectly into my next major gripe. The fight sequences. Well not really sequences. Mainly the end battle between those three heroes and villain. It’s just sooooo much CGI and buildings being destroyed and explosions and more building being destroyed. It just dragged on for me and never drew me in. It’s something I hate in modern super hero films. Like the battle of New York in the first Avengers film. I just don’t find these CGI battles against aliens interesting. The Batman vs Superman battle I did. That was done much better. The one issue with that is the whole film is building towards this battle between the two and it all ends after one word is uttered and the next minute they’re best friends. I know they have to team up eventually but it all shifted a bit quick for my liking.

There were a lot of positives from the film. My main positive was Ben Affleck as Batman. So many people knocked his casting as Bruce Wayne yet I think he played the role very well. The one thing that pisses me off is when I hear “Yeah he was good but he wasn’t as good as Christian Bale”. Shut up. Yeah they are both playing Batman but they are completely different interpretations of the character and personally I really liked this version as well. Affleck is what Bales version of Bruce Wayne would have been as a grown man who has been fighting crime for 20 years. How many Harvey Dents has he seen in that time do you think?! He doesn’t trust anyone (except Alfred obviously) after what he’s been through and I really think the Robin outfit with the Joker spray on it mixed with his comment of how many good people stay that way will mean that Jared Letos version of the Joker could potentially be Robin gone crazy. Look people aren’t going to be happy with Affleck regardless. They’re the same people that moan that Better Call Saul isn’t as good as Breaking Bad and they will be the same people that complain that Leto’s version of the Joker isn’t as good as Heath Ledger’s was. It’s a different show and they’re different takes on the same character. Get fucking over it. From this showing I’d be fully invested in going to see a solo Batman film is Affleck is ever to do one as I think this dark angry take on Batman would make for a great film if he’s to come up against a human adversary. Fuck all these superhumans and aliens. That stuff is boring.

Which brings me onto Superman. Look Henry Cavill is a perfect Superman. There’s nothing wrong there. It’s just Superman is such a dry and boring character there isn’t much he can do with the role. He’s bloody got super strength, hearing, can fly, burn stuff with his eyes and pretty much cannot die. Where’s the fun in that? We as an audience want a flawed hero. That’s why we would pick Iron Man over Captain America. Flawed vs the perfect. The Punisher over Daredevil. Batman over Superman. We want to see a hero that can be killed and that has some major issues. Superman is just too clean cut and unkillable too be interesting. Also how does Superman always find Louis? Yet when his mum goes missing he doesn’t have a clue where she is? I’ve spent far too much of the last two films watching Superman save her. She literally always needs saving from something. He needs to look out for his mum more is what I learnt from this.

Another positive was Jessie Eisenbergs performance as Lex Luthor. He was the standout performer to me. While Afflecks take on Batman may have been the biggest positive I think Eisenbergs eccentric and maniacal take on the super villain was very good and brought a bit of personality into a sometimes soulless film. Yet again the main issue was that he then needed to create Doomsday to do his bidding. While Luthor is a good villain in terms if his intelligence he obviously lacks the brawn to be able to take on any of the heroes. That’s where he’s flawed and where the film is flawed. In todays day and age your movie is only as good as it’s villain and while Luthor is the main villain he isn’t the biggest threat. Doomsday is and the battle he engages in with Superman is pretty much the same as the one from Man of Steel (Much like the battles in both Avengers movies as well might I add). I think we all want a bit more hand to hand combat.

Batman vs Superman isn’t going to win any awards. It’s going to make a fuck load of money. Its not stand up and clap good. But it’s also not walk out the cinema bad. It’s a film that is getting badly reviewed because of the potential it had to do better. It sacrifices some of it’s potential with this direct film to set up future films and that could hurt DC in the future. Look I’m not completely against Super powered hero movies. It’s just maybe I prefer normal guys battling each other. This film probably would have been better served as a stand alone Batman film to build his role up but it is what it is. What we have instead is a good not great film that could have been better but paves the way for future movies that may be better. Don’t listen to critics the 72% of the audience have got it right with that score. It’s a 6/7 out of 10 movie nothing more or less. I encourage you to go and watch it then make up your own mind. I did and this is what I found.

 

 

 

 

 

The Real All Stars

So the two rosters for the NBA All Star Game has been announced. There are some deserving members of both teams and some not so deserving. That’s not to say they aren’t good players but this should be judged on who has played the best this season and not on popularity or nostalgia. So here I’m going to give you my starting 5s for both conferences and the reserves. 

Here are the two rosters that have been selected for this years game: 

2016 NBA All-Star Rosters

	East	West
Starter	Kyle Lowry	Stephen Curry
Starter	Dwyane Wade	Russell Westbrook
Starter	Carmelo Anthony	Kobe Bryant
Starter	Paul George	Kawhi Leonard
Starter	LeBron James	Kevin Durant
Reserve	Jimmy Butler	James Harden
Reserve	DeMar DeRozan	Chris Paul
Reserve	Isaiah Thomas	Klay Thompson
Reserve	John Wall	LaMarcus Aldridge
Reserve	Chris Bosh	DeMarcus Cousins
Reserve	Andre Drummond	Anthony Davis
Reserve	Paul Millsap	Draymond Green

I’ll start out with the East All Star Reserves and who they should be:

Reserve: Dwayne Wade

He is an All Star. Plain and simple. For his age and the fact when he plays Miami are much better he deserves to be. His shooting is down this season but he is still a premier player. He doesn’t deserve to be a starter as his numbers and impact don’t quite have the same affect as some of his peers he is still deserving of a reserve slot. When Bradley Beal is fully fit ( If ever) though I expect him to take this slot away from DWade on a permanent basis.

Reserve: DeMar DeRozan

DeRozan is rapidly improving as an elite player. He’s hitting more threes and taking less bad shots than he used to. If it wasn’t for another player he would be myt choice at SG in the starter team for the East. He also plays for the second best team so far in the East and he with Lowry are the main reason they are where they are. A sure fire bet for a max contract this off season now as well. The only question is where he’s going to be playing.

Reserve: Reggie Jackson

The Pistons are much improved and although Andre Drummond is the main reason for that he wouldn’t be half as effective as he is if it wasn’t for Jackson. I was sceptical when Detroit paid him all that money in the Off season but so far he has been more than worth it. Isaiah Thomas is deserving of his All Star nod don’t get me wrong but I just think that Jackson is the better player and that has been overlooked by how much of a beast Drummond has been.

Reserve: John Wall

Wall is more than deserving of his place at the All Star game. Yes he’s the leader of the Wizards and they have been pretty awful this season but he cannot do it all by himself. With Beal on the sidelines for much of the season and no real stars around him he’s basically keeping the Wizards afloat by himself. For that reason and the fact he’s such a great player he deserves to be here.

Reserve: Chris Bosh

Much like DWade he’s still a great player. Wade has a big influence on the Heat but IMO Bosh is there best player at the moment. He can do a bit of everything and has turned into a great stretch four.

Reserve: Paul Millsap

A player most people forget about. He’s not the most glamorous player but he is very effective. He is the Hawks best player and even though they’ve come back to earth this year they are still a very good team and that’s because of him. If I was the Spurs I would be trading Aldridge for Millsap any day of the week as for me he is the better all around player and fully deserves his nod.

Reserve: Carmelo Anthony

Yep I wouldn’t select Melo as a starter this year. He is still a great scorer and this year he is improved defensively and as a team player but I don’t think he deserves the nod. Part of me is even wondering if he’s been the Knicks best player (Porzingis anyone?). But the Knicks are much better with him in the team and he is still a great player. I just think there’s more deserving players for the starting gig. Well one player in particular.

Now it’s time for the West reserves:

Reserve: Chris Paul

Paul started the season badly but when Blake went down with injury he raised his game and has actually got the Clippers playing much better than before Griffins injury. Like many I’ve put in before Paul is an all star just now there’s two backcourt starters who are much much better than him.

Reserve: Damian Lillard

How this guy keeps getting overlooked I don’t understand. Portland could well get the 8th seed in the West this year. Yes the West is nowhere near as competitive as it was last year it’s still an achievement seeing they either lost to free agency or traded 4 of their starting five from last year. The main reason they’ve stayed competitive with such a young and inexperienced team is Lillard. Yes Mccollum has played really well but this team lives and dies by Lillard and he deserves to be there over someone like Aldridge for example. People say he didn’t get selected because the Trail Blazers have a losing record but he’ been playing better than AD this year but nobody is questioning his inclusion. A bit of a joke to be honest.

Reserve: James Harden

How the mighty have fallen. Last year he was an automatic starter for how brilliantly he was playing this year he’s still putting up big numbers but his overall impact has gone down. It’s a good thing we’re not judging him on his defence. He deserves to be an all star but only just.

Reserve: Klay Thompson

Klay had a slow start to the season but he has got better and better of late. If he was on any other team he would be the go to guy. When Steph was injured he stepped up and played the role of alpha dog. He’s been quietly putting up big numbers of late and his effort on defence go overlooked as well. In my opinion a more deserving all star than Harden for his effective play on both ends and he shouldn’t be questioned just because he plays on a great team.

Reserve: Kevin Durant

Yeah I put Durant on the bench. Not because he’s not been amazing but because if think there’s players just slightly more deserving than him. To come back like he has is fantastic and I don’t knock the fact he’s been selected as a starter but again the fact this is a popularity contest mean he was always going to get selected especially over a certain center who just isn’t as glamorous as he is.

Reserve: Dirk Nowitzki

I think he’s deserving of one more all star game. The fact Dallas are where they are is because of him and for that reason I think he’s more deserving than Aldridge and Davis of a slot on the bench.

Reserve: Karl Anthony Towns

Yeah I’ve picked him over AD. There’s no doubting AD is the better player overall but at the moment Towns is just playing better than him. Yes he’s a rookie and they usually don’t get selected but I think he deserves a spot in the team for sure and I will stick by that decision. To me he just beats out some other very good players who are better than him but not better than him right now.

It is time for the starters out East:

Guard: Kyle Lowry

Completely deserves his spot this year. Next year he may find it hard with Irving fully fit and potentially an even better John Wall but right now he’s the best player on the second best team out East. He deserves it as well for his radical transformation this off season which has seen him become a much better player.

Guard: Jimmy Butler

How he isn’t starting I don’t know. Well I do know. It’s because this game is a such a popularity contest and the fan voting needs to change so people who deserve the starting spots actually get them. Butler is the best player on the Bulls and its the complete two way player. He has come on leaps and bounds each year and is one of the top players out East. Quite frankly he deserves to start.

Forward: LeBron James

The King still deserves to start the All Star game. He may not be the best player in the game anymore but he is still an incredible player and a top 5 player for sure. His shooting numbers are down but where would the Cavs be without him. He literally puts that team on his back as the superstar help around him has floundered or been injured this year. He is the reason they will win the East again this year.

Forward: Paul George

I said about KD coming back from his injury but how amazing has George been?! He is literally carrying Indiana back to relevancy. He can play three different positions and has been an absolute monster this season. After Lebron I think he is the second best player out East and fully deserves his starting berth.

Forward: Andre Drummond

Drummond was never going to be voted into the All Star game. Much like a couple of players out West he just isn’t sexy or glamourous enough in what he does. But he fully deserves to start. He’s posted some ridiculous numbers this year including plenty of 20/20 outings this year. He’s the second best center in the league and without Monroe in the team he has finally flourished into the player many thought he could become.

Now finally for the West starters:

Guard: Steph Curry

Who Else? Has an MVP ever got this much better? Last year James Harden said he deserved to be MVP. He didn’t? He said he was better than Curry. He isn’t. Steph is now the best player in the NBA. His ball handling is the best in the league and the shots he makes are ridiculous. He has no range. Quite simply an incredible player and the greatest shooter the NBA has ever seen. MVP round two anyone?

Guard: Russell Westbrook

What a beast he has become. Second in triple doubles and the most explosive player in the NBA. He and KD are the scariest duo in the NBA and the main reason we should not sleep on the Thunder. Also he has separated himself from the rest of this elite point guard league and deserves to be recognised as the second best one behind Curry. If Curry wasn’t so over worldly he would be closer.

Forward: Kawhi Leonard

What a player Leonard has become. Aldridge was meant to come in and be the Spurs best player but Leonard has become it and it isn’t even close. He’s probably going to retain his defensive player of the year status and he’s shut down literally everyone he’s guarded other than people named Steph Curry. His three point shooting has been incredible and he is the main reason even when the Spurs big three retire they will continue to dominate. For me he beats out Durant into the Small Forward starting role right now.

Forward Draymond Green

Here’s the reason Leonard is small forward and Durant is a reserve for me. This guy just doesn’t get appreciated for what he does. The Warriors are the best team in the NBA and yes Steph is the best player but his guy is the heartbeat and without him they wouldn’t be where they are. He is the second best defensive player in the league, the joint best stretch four with Bosh, the best passing big man in the game and he has the most triple doubles in the league. Remember this guy is a second round pick. The amount of work he’s put in to get to where he is deserves a lot of credit and in my opinion he’s been one of the top five players in the league this year.

Forward: DeMarcus Cousins

The best big man in the game. The highest point total this season and an absolute beast offensively. Again the big man curse strikes which means he won’t start but he deserves to start and hopefully one day he will. The Kings are much better these days and that is down to Cousins continued improvement. When he’s not in the team they’re awful but with him in the team they are just so much better. Still a bit temperamental but he is completely deserving of this spot and of that I have no doubt.

 

 

#MoyesOut: What went wrong?

So David Moyes has finally met his fate. To the surprise of everyone when the rumours sprung up late ast night that he was to be sacked today not too many people were sure of it. The rumours intensified and this morning he finally lost his job. Man United fans are coming back out from the rocks they’ve been hiding under all seasons. The other big teams fans are continuing to revel in Man Uniteds pain and are sending Moyes off with more Memes. So what went wrong? I’m going to throw out a few theories as to what went wrong and also how it can be fixed

The Chosen One

Being the man chosen by Sir Alex himself to take over from him was always was going to be a monumental task. It was going to be even harder seeing Moyes had never won a championship. He hadn’t even managed in the group stages of the champions league. The pressure on him being the man pinpointed by SAF was always going to be a massive ask. Someone Like Mourinho or Klopp with their type of personalities would have embraced that role. In the end Moyes was just to normal a guy to be the chosen one.

David Gill/ Ed Woodward

When SAF left he wasn’t the only influential figure to leave. David Gill left as well. Even though he wasn’t a household name like SAF he was the one who signed the majority of Uniteds players over the years. SAF would go to him with a list of players he wanted and Gill would negotiate the deal. He was well-known and respected in the footballing world and with him leaving at the same time it again threw in an inexperienced person into the mix.

Coaching Staff

Another personnel change that shouldn’t have happened was the complete overhaul of the coaching staff. For years these players had been used to SAF staff and they were used to them and were a big reason for Uniteds success. When Moyes came in naturally he wanted to bring his own staff with him but with all the change that had been happening at the club he should have kept more familiar faces around. The appointments of ex United players was a good idea but staff members such as Mike Phelan and Rene Meulensteen should have been retained.

Lack of signings

Uniteds summer transfer window was a debacle. They seemed to be linked with every player under the sun yet could only sign Fellaini. They even signed him for a higher fee than what his buyout clause would have been earlier in the summer. They should have gone for Tiago before he went to Bayern and not wasted their time on obviously fruitless attempt to sign Fabregas. January was again a joke and once again they overpaid for Mata as teams could smell the desperation on them. At least Mata was a good player though. Good luck getting someone to pay close to the 27 million they paid for Fellaini.

Wrong football philosophy

Man United are one of those teams that need to play a certain way. It is engrained in the history of the club that they play stylish attacking football. David Moyes had never played that way. He had never played that type of football at Everton and you could tell after signing Fellaini that was not going to ge his philosophy here. If United had entertained and failed because of their aging defence then maybe the fans could at least have said ‘We play the right football just need to shore up the defence’. I’m sure United fans would have been happy with that.

The Squad

So a lot of people are saying this is SAF fault. It partly is. He left Moyes with an aging squad full of players who are massively overrated. Yet it was the same squad that won the league last season. Hmmmmm. Either way even though the squad wa sin decline it should not have failed this dramatically. From champions to seventh? Somethings not right there. A hell of a lot of these players need to look in the mirror as they let their manager down this season with everyone bar Rooney and De Gea having average to awful seasons.

Records Broken

So many records have been broken this season. None of them good. The latest was Moyes sacking being the shortest reign in Man Uniteds history. Another nail in the coffin though were Everton, Liverpool and Man City doing the doubles over United for the first time in a season ever. But the final nail to seal the coffin was no champions league which will hurt them in terns of prestige but mainly exposure and revenue which are big things for United.  Lowest points total as well has got to hurt.  Old Trafford is no longer a place to be feared. That’s the first time that’s happened since I’ve been a football fan for the last 20 years.

Lack of Faith

The main reason though I think he has been sacked is a lack of faith. All of the above points combined with the fact United need an entire squad overhaul this summer meant Moyes wasn’t the man for the job. They just didn’t trust him with building the United team for the future. £150 million is the amount the new manager is meant to have at his disposal. You really don’t want to give that to someone you don’t trust. Hence why they fired him.

The Solution

So how do United solve this? Well the new manager has to be a big name. Jurgen Klopp the Dortmund manager is my choice. I know he’s said he is committed to Dortmund but United should seriously throw some of the £150 million at Dortmund and see whether they can buy away their coach. He is charismatic, energetic, can speak English, champions league experience, big match experience and he plays the right way. He is the perfect fit. If they can’t get him then Louis Van Gaal is second choice. His experience would be vital but if they were to get him he would merely be a stop-gap as he is another who is over 60 years old.

Once the manager is sorted then the overhaul can begin. These players need to be shipped out to start:

Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Buttner, Cleverely, Nani, Anderson, Kagawa, Giggs, Fellaini, Welbeck.

Lots of different reasons for these players to leave. Some are simply not good enough. Some have had their chances and will never be the consistent players that United need. Some have been great servants to the club but it’s time to start building to the future. They need to be building with these players going forward:

De Gea, Jones, Januzaj, Mata, Van Persie, Rooney.

The rest of the squad is good enough to stay for another season to prove themselves but these six are the key players they need to build around. They need a new RB as Rafael is so injury prone but is still good enough stay. A new CB and LB. A ball winning midfielder who can create as well (GUNDOGAN!!) and probably another midfielder of some sort. Someone like Hernandez may look to leave so a striker may be coming in but more than anything they need some world-class established players. The problem now is that they’re not in the champions league so attracting those players is going to be hard. They need a big name coach now if they want these players and then United can start again.

As much as it will hurt them they need to look at what Liverpool have done as after this season they’re in the situation Liverpool was in a few years ago and look where they are now. On the brighter side they have a lot more foundations to build on and all these years of success should mean their rebuilding project will finish a lot quicker. It also helps that they’re in a premier league devoid of world-class teams as Liverpool’s rise to power has highlighted. With the right moves this summer United won’t be a laughing-stock for long.

As for David Moyes. He’s a very good manager as he proved at Everton. He was just at the wrong club and was completely out of his depth. He will bounce back and smaller teams would jump at the chance to have him as their manager. I know I would love for him to takeover at my beloved Newcastle.

#MoyesIn?

The Amazing Spiderman 2: Don’t Waste Your Money

(Massively misleading poster)

I went to watch this film full of hope and I have to say I haven’t come out of the cinema feeling this disappointed in a very long time. This film was a clusterfuck from beginning to end and I understand that in a lot of ways it was all just being used as a build to the next film which will include the Sinister Six but still why did they have to do this film in this way. I’m going to highlight a few of the reasons I hated this film

The Villains

I don’t know lots about Electro’s backstory but surely it must have been better than it was shown in the film? He falls into a container full of eels and turns into a blue man who can absorb power and use it to his advantage. Ok so the last part is cool but why does he have to be bright blue? His reasoning for turning on Spiderman and generally becoming a horrible person was pathetic. He spent half the movie locked away and then when he did come out at the end he was once again easily defeated.

Don’t get me started on Harry Osbourne. Couldn’t they get James Franco back to play this character? Or at least have Norman Osbourne survive and become the Green Goblin? He would have been much more menacing rather than some emo rich kid who spent half the film looking like he might cry (an overall theme of the film), Then he transforms into some demonic state to attack Spiderman and is again easily defeated. No wonder they need six villains to take him down as these two clowns (three if you’re including the barely shown Rhino) couldn’t take on Aunt May.

I really hope they can introduce the next three villains in a more convincing manner. Doc Oc has to be one of them as he is one of the main ones I remember from the cartoon and was a brilliant villain in the second Spiderman. Also Venom deserves to be portrayed correctly as he is definitely Spidermans most dangerous foe and he was destroyed in Spiderman 3 last time he appeared.

Peter Parker & Gwen Stacy

All I can say is thank fuck she is dead. The amount of time dedicated to their fucking relationship killed me inside. Peter spent half the film crying over her. He dumps her because she won’t be safe then gets back with her then there’s the massively cringe scene in the park, then at the Oxford interview, the I love you on the bridge and that’s just to name a few. This film felt more like a bloody romcom than a superhero film. Even when they broke up Peter decided to stalk her which somehow the bitch found romantic?! I mean what the fuck? Even when she died he was still moping around five months later and letting the city be overrun with crime. Man up Peter you massive wetty. So much time wasted on this storyline and not enough time building the villains who are usually the best part of the film. I also just want to say I think Andrew Garfield is perfect as Spiderman but the writers got this all wrong and turned him into a whiny bitch ala Toby Maguire. I Just can’t take him seriously anymore.

Conclusion

In conclusion I liked a few elements of this film but too much of it was shit. Here’s what I liked:

• Peters parents backstory was interesting and needed more time
• The casting of Norman Osbourne and Electro
• Gwen Stacy as she was nowhere near as moany as Peter Parker plus everyone loves Emma Stone right?
• Gwen Stacy dying

Here’s what I didn’t like:

• Peter Parker moping around
• Peter Parker stalking
• Every scene involving Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy
• Harry Osbourne
• The casting of Harry Osbourne and Rhino
• Electro as a character not Jamie Foxxs portrayal.
• The end credits being an advertisement for X-Men: Days of Future Past
• Basically the majority of the movie

 

I thought comic book movie franchises learned after The Dark Knight how to make a successful comic book film. Yes you can have the light-hearted parts but we want to see films be gritty and slightly realistic. This film was ridiculously camp and stupid. Where was the grit? It’s an even bigger shame as I actually really enjoyed the first film and I thought we had moved away from Spiderman 3 but sadly in my eyes this franchise is right back where it started. I’m even going to re watch the first Amazing Spiderman just to make sure it was as good as I thought it was. Anyway Sinister Six is next up for this franchise and if I’m honest I’m not sure if I’m going to bother wasting my hard-earned money on it. The next X-Men film is a different story.

(Massively misleading and brilliant trailer)

NBA Playoffs 1st Round: What I’m Saying

Finally the NBA season is over and it’s time for the playoffs. They start this saturday and I’m telling you that they are worth watching. As always in the NBA you cannot predict what is going to happen but I’m going to go out on a limb here and throw out a few thoughts on how the first round may go.

Western Conference

San Antonio Spurs (1) vs Dallas Mavericks (8)

The Spurs swept the regular season series 4-0 and I don’t honestly see the Mavs putting up much more of a fight in the playoffs. Duncan vs Nowitzki though should be another classic battle but the Mavs are going to need more than just him to beat the Spurs. The Spurs are too strong.

Spurs 4-0

Oklahoma City Thunder (2) vs Memphis Grizzlies (7)

This will be much tighter than the Spurs series. The Grizzlies beat the Thunder 4-1 last year in the playoff semis so they know how to beat the Thunder. But that was the Thunder without Wetsbrook. I just can’t see the Grizzlies scoring enough points to keep up with Westbrook and KD. I know they’re great defensively but there’s no stopping KD these days and I’m sure he will be buoyed to win his first NBA championship after he surely wins his first MVP trophy. It won’t be easy but the Thunder have the MVP.

Thunder 4-2

L.A Clippers (3) vs Golden State Warriors (6)

Ok the Warriors are my team but sadly this year I can’t see them making much of a splash (sorry for the pun) in the playoffs. With Bogut maybe ruled out of the postseason and a banged up Lee and Iguodala, I just can’t see them beating the Clippers. Blake Griffin is at a new level now and combine that with CP3 then I just think they’re unbeatable here. GSW at full strength is a different story but not even the continued brilliance of Steph Curry can save them here. Either way this series will be the most entertaining to watch as it features two of the most entertaining teams in basketball but I’m afraid the Clips will win it.

Clippers 4-2

Houston Rockets (4) vs Portland Trail Blazers (5)

A lot of people are writing the Blazers off here but I have a sneaky feeling this one will be tighter than people think. I still think the Rockets have too much for them but it will be tight. If Lillard gets locked down by Beverley then the Blazers are done for but if he doesn’t then him and Aldridge have the ability to match Harden and Howard. I just think the Rockets have slightly better pieces around them and with players such as Lin and Asik coming off the bench they may just have too much strength here. It will be close but the Rockets will win it.

Rockets 4-3

 

Eastern Conference

Indiana Pacers (1) vs Atalanta Hawks (8)

So the Eastern Conference all season was a forgone conclusion. It was the Pacers vs the Heat in the finals. All of a sudden things don’t look so clear. The Pacers have struggled scoring the rock of late. I mean really struggled. They now go into the Playoffs to face the one team in the entire playoffs with a losing record and people are questioning them as they’ve struggled against the Hawks in the regular season. I reckon the Pacers have enough to see off the Hawks but it won’t be as simple as it first appeared. Hibbert massively needs to up his game if they are to do anything in the playoffs. If him and George can then the Pacers should cruise this series but because of their struggles I’m going to say it won’t be as easy as first thought.

Pacers 4-1

Miami Heat (2) vs Charlotte Bobcats (7)

So the Heat have never lost against the Bobcats since the big three came together. Good luck Charlotte. Despite an uninspiring second half to the season can anyone see anything but a Heat win here? The Bobcats will make it difficult as Big Al and Walker are two players who want to make a mark but overall the Heat just have too much even if D-Wade isn’t 100% fit. Expect Lebron to play with a chip on his shoulder after losing the number one seed AND his MVP trophy.

Heat 4-1

Toronto Raptors (3) vs Brooklyn Nets (6)

The Raptors may be the third seed but this is the only upset I can see in this first round of the playoffs. Don’t get me wrong they’re a good team but the Nets just have so much experience on their side. It won’t be easy for them as Lowry and DeRozan are top players but the Experience of The Truth, KG, JJ and Williams will be too much in a 7 game series. i expect it to go to 7 but the Nets to prevail.

Nets 4-3

Chicago Bulls (4) vs Washington Wizards (5)

The Bulls have too much experience and guile to lose out to the Wiz. Noah has been MVP like since the All Star break and they have one of the best coaches in the league and you would never count out his teams. The Wizards again will make it tough. Much like the Nets series its youth vs experience and again I expect the experience to just pay off. Expect John Wall and Bradley Beal to become full blown stars though after this playoff experience.

Bulls 4-3

The YES movement of the WWE: The Future is bright

This will be my first ever wrestling blog. I’m not a massive wrestling fan anymore but I like to keep abreast of what is going on in the squared circle. Recently though it has caught my attention for the first time in a long time. Yes, it’s Wrestlemania season so the storylines are usually much better but I actually see promise in the company for the first time in a long time and some stars who are waiting to shine.

I didn’t watch Wrestlemania but I did catch a lot of the highlights and I have to say it felt a bit like the end of an era. The Undertakers streak was finally broken. I was surprised to see Lesnar be the one to defeat him but I suppose when he came back to the WWE he must have worked something in his contract for him to have this opportunity. I mean since he’s come back he’s hardly dominated. Part of me believes he must have known that he was going to end the streak hence his acceptance to lose to Cena and Punk.

The segment involving Hogan (yawn), Austin and Rock was incredible. Hogan coming out and boring us all senseless would have been an awful way to start the show but by surprising everyone and having those two come out was amazing. My love of the WWE came during the attitude era. Those two were the greatest thing since sliced bread to me. Whenever they are in the ring together is a special moment and bring back so many childhood memories.

Daniel Bryan winning was predictable but I have to say I loved the crowds reaction. I haven’t seen fans love a character so much since The Rock and Stone Cold. I personally can’t see why though. The catchphrase of ‘YES’ is catchy and you do find yourself chanting along but he doesn’t have any of the charisma of those two. I’m guessing it’s because of his underdog status and his battle against the Authority (The Corporation to attitude era fans). Either way he is great in the ring and I’m glad they let someone else win other than HHH, Orton or Batista. We all know he is being moulded into the new SCSA and that he is battling against the boss and his cronies much like Austin did against McMahon. It’s a recycled storyline but one that will never get old.

I watched Monday Night Raw after Wrestlemania and I have to say I was massively impressed with a few people who I really think can move this company forward other than Daniel Bryan.

Bad News Barrett

I’ve always liked Wade Barrett and I’ve always felt like they dropped the ball with him. He’s great on the mic and decent in the ring and as the leader of the Nexus I always felt like he was going to go onto great things. That never materialised but with his Bad News segments becoming very popular now is the time to split him between the ring and on the mic. You could see he was over with the crowd on Raw and picked up a good win against Mysterio. I hope going forward they use his popular segment to good effect and push him at least towards a mid card title.

Cesaro

Ok this guy is strong. Lifting the Big Show over the top rope at Wrestlemania was impressive and was his Hulk Hogan moment. If they handle his split from Swagger properly this guy can be massive. The fans love his Cesaro swing and uppercuts so if he can build on those he can go far. Also he’s now a Paul Heyman guy. Lets hope Heyman can elevate him like he did Lesnar and not like he did with Curtis Axel. Cesaro has a much greater chance than Axel or Ryback for that matter as he is already massively over with the crowd. Whether they turn Heyman face now remains to be seen but either way the future is bright for Cesaro.

The Wyatt Family

I bloody love Bray Wyatt. Their entrance to the ring is bloody amazing. The entrance at Wrestlemania was by far the best and you can see how excited the fans are to see them every week by their reactions on Raw. They’re pretty creepy. Bray and co can go in the ring as well but it’s his promo work that really sets this group up. They’ve had some great feuds of late and I hope they are booked strong coming out of the feud with Cena. I’m guessing the only reason he won at Mania was because Taker lost. Can’t have the kids too upset going into Bryans match. Their dominant win on Raw over the babyfaces though show these guys are going to be around for a while. I for one am looking forward to seeing them. They’re a major reason I am now tuning back in.

The Shield

The hounds of justice are the best thing about the WWE right now in my opinion. As heels destroying people every week they were fantastic but now as faces they can go to a new level. aligning themselves with Daniel Bryan means we could have a full on war on our hands going forward which will be epic to watch. The longer these guys keep Cena out of the spotlight the better. All three of these guys could break out and be massive stars. Ambrose will be a brilliant heel for years when they break up as his mic work is brilliant. Reigns is being seen as a potential main event star for years to come. I can certainly see him having a feud with HHH during this impending war. The guy who I love to watch though is Seth Rollins. He’s good on the mic and captivating in the ring. I really hope they don’t drop the ball on him as he is massively over with the crowd and has the type of high-flying moveset the WWE needs. These three together though at the moment are so strong and I can see them carrying the WWE forward.

Overall I believe the WWE is in the best state it has been in for years. The product has improved as of late and I hope they can keep that going. I really would like CM Punk to come back at a point but I can’t see that happening but the company is in safe hands with the up and comers I’ve mentioned plus some of the old hands. Evolution version 2.0 anyone? The impending war should be fun to watch if handled properly and could lead to some brilliant feuds and hopefully some potential new stars.

 

 

 

Arrow Watch: Deathstroke

How good has this second season of Arrow been? The show started slow in the first season but it went from strength to strength and on the back of the awesome finale of the first season, continued it into the second season. The flashbacks have been fantastic in showing us Slades move over to the dark side. This weeks episode was no different with some big secrets being revealed and a whole load of action. So lets begin to dissecting it.

Oliver has a pretty bad week this week. Not only has Thea been abducted by Slade but Roy also has begun to show his dissension within the ranks of team Arrow. That’s not even mentioning even more problems with his mum, Thea some more, Isabelle and now Laurel. Bad week for him. You can tell Slades war against his family in particular is taking effect on him. He does not see a way of being able to defeat Slade and to be honest neither do I. With the mirakuru in his system the guy is unstoppable. He is also building himself an army (more on that later) and seems to be winning the mind game between them both. While it turns out that taking Thea was a distraction it had the intended affect on Oliver. He begs Slade to let her go showing him his weak side and further giving Slade the upper hand. Even releasing Thea was a win for Slade. Yes he’s now wanted for her abduction but he also revealed to her that Malcolm Merlyn is her father. Judging by her reaction towards her mother and especially Oliver I cannot see that going down too well. Maybe she’s going to take after her real father from now on? I mean she now doesn’t trust Oliver as well as her mother. She also hates poor old annoying Roy as well. She’s completely alone now and with Malcolm still about who knows maybe she will turn to the dark side as well?

I think this episode really highlighted how Oliver is struggling with his guilt over this all. He knows Slade is coming after his family because of him and he is ruining the lives of everyone around him. By the end of this season he could leave Oliver a broken man. Oliver outside of team Arrow can’t trust anyone. Sebastian Blood shows up again this week and we all know he’s working for Slade and was instrumental in Thea’s abduction. Isabelle also showed her colors this week. I mean honestly who didn’t see that coming after he signed over the CEO position of Queen Consolidated to her? She was either going to take the company for herself or she was going to be something to do with Slade. As it turns out she is another person working for Slade. So Ollie now has lost his company as well. On the bright side he at least seemed to build some fences with his mother this week because of Thea’s abduction. I’m guessing they will keep up their uneasy alliance for the rest of the season but with everything happening around him, I’m sure he will patch things up with her eventually. Adding to his guilt though will be the arrest of Quinton Lance. He’s been an ally of his on the side of the Starling police force and seeing him locked up for helping the Arrow will be a concern to him. I can’t see Sara being too happy that her Dad is locked up on behalf of Oliver so expect her to have something to say. Although Laurel may be more annoyed (more on that later).

Roy has had a bad week. Breaking up with Thea has made him a literal mess. Well add that to the mirakuru in his system and Thea’s kidnap and he has had a mare of a week. He attacks Diggle as well which doesn’t go down to well with Sara who is on the verge of putting an arrow in him. He has completely lost faith in Oliver. The Arrow was once his hero and now he blames him for everything. The mirakuru is really what is fueling all his sudden rage but it doesn’t help that life is handing him lemons at the moment. After the spat with Diggle, Roy decides to go to the police station to see Thea after she is returned by Slade. Rather than getting out the car he just watches her go and the last we see of him this week is when he drives off out of Starling City. Where’s he going to go though? I’m sure he will be back sooner rather than later and would place a bet on him coming back in the next episode. I don’t know how they’re going to get him back on team Arrows side though as that mirakuru in his system is really affecting his judgement. With that being said I can’t see him joining Slade on his side either after what he did to Thea. Oh Roy life isn’t the best for you is it.

Ok so now onto Slade. So he was at his dastardly best this episode. He even tricked us all slightly into believing he may feel bad for Ollie when he came to see him in the holding room. But no. This was all part of his master plan. His plan to break out a load of convicts being transferred so he can put the mirakuru in all of them. He is looking to build an army that will take over this city. He shoots down Sebastian Blood when he pipes up about him losing the mayoral race to Moira, telling him that the election doesn’t matter as they have much bigger plans. Isabelle is definitely on his side and judging from what she said to Oliver ‘The sins of the father are the sins of the son’, her problem stems from something Olivers dad may have done before the Island? Either way Slade now may soon have an army at his disposal. Isabelle has tasked the applied science division of Queen Consolidated to create more mirakuru using samples of Slades blood to create this army. If he can do this then I can’t see how Oliver and co can stop him.

A quick note goes to the flashback story this week with it mainly focusing on Sara and her attempts to rescue Ollie and kill Slade. It shows how cold she has become in such a short space of time when she is willing to sacrifice Hendirck to kill Slade and rescue Oliver. It doesn’t pan out to well with Slade being able to smell the trap because of the enhanced senses he has got from the mirakuru and we also find out that a lot of what Slade is saying is being said by a dead Shadow who is talking to him. It makes you wonder if they could stop Slade from being on the mirakuru could he turn good again? I doubt it. Also is Shadow still speaking to him now?

I left the cliffhanger of the episode to last. Slade showed up at Laurels house not to harm her in anyway but to reveal to her Olivers secret. It seems Slade instead of harming people Oliver cares about instead inteneds to turn them all against him. Laurel has been close to finding out this secret for a while and now that she finally knows who actually does know how she is going to react. I’m guessing she won’t be too happy seeing as Sara is with Oliver and her Dad is in jail. Didn’t she also once upon a time blame the Arrow for Tommys death? I’m sure none of this is going to help her sobriety. Either way the secrets out and I’m guessing she is going to believe it because for what reason would Slade lie to her?

With all this happening in just one episode it seems a chore that we have to wait another two weeks for it to return. When it does we have been promised the last four episodes of the season to air each week for a change. I for one can’t wait to see how the story develops and how epic the season finale will be. If it’s anything like the first seasons then we are in for a treat.

Here’s the trailer for next episode titled ‘The man under the hood’. Looks another cracker.

The Following Watch: Freedom

Things got intense on The Following this week. Actually hold on things are always intense on this show. It’s The Following for petes sake after all! Lets catch up with our cult of serial killers and the FBI/Non FBI agents trying to stop them while mainly just killing all of their good leads.

I’m going to start in the cult. Joe is trying to stamp his authority over these guys and he does that at the beginning of the episode by getting one member to kill another. While he succeeds in turning her to the dark side he doesn’t convince all the members. Robert who has been shown as a prominent member of the cult and an advocate of Joe wasn’t happy his friend was sacrificed. So to get him on side Joe got Emma to sleep with him to sway him over. What is it with crazy people and Emma? They all literally cannot get enough of her. There is definitely some dissension within the ranks of this cult and Joe may find he won’t be able to brain wash them into all wanting to kill like he did his followers. That being said he’s Joe Carroll he can convince a nun to kill a priest.

One person who doesn’t want to be a part of Joes cult is Mandy. She overheard Joe and Emma plotting against her early in the episode and after witnessing a woman being sacrificed in front of her comes to the wise decision that she best be off. The twist in this tale was not what I expected. When she hitched a ride after leaving, number 1 I expected the woman giving her a lift to be a cult member and for Joe or Emma to be waiting in the back for her. When she asked for the phone I thought maybe she was going to turn to Ryan and the FBI to take down Joe but no she decided to ring Mark to ask him whether she could basically join him, Luke and Lilly Grey. We didn’t see that one coming. Don’t think somehow Lilly is going to be too welcoming of her given her links to Joe. I would assume Joe will go looking for her to silence her at a point and I can’t see Lilly wanting Mandy there as she could well be a spy in the midst for Joe.

Talking of Lilly she made her reappearance this week in an extremely grisly and elaborate plan to free Luke from police supervision in hospital. The coffee shop massacre I thought was another brilliant attack by Joe to highlight his return to the wold but it was actually stage one of Lilly’s plan as in the attack a couple of decoy killers were attacked. Should have seen that coming as that’s exactly what she did in the first episode of the second season. The escape from the hospital included a load more dead FBI agents and in the end (despite Ryan’s best efforts) Luke escaping to be reunited with his mother. Why on earth Ryan just didn’t gun him down when Luke was goading him I don’t know. Got to start being more ruthless Ryan. Jack Bauer would have shot him for gods sake.

Lets just focus on Ryan and Mike quickly. Our heroes have had a rough few weeks. Mikes Dad getting killed by Lilly has definitely set him over the edge. Not even a blossoming relationship with Max seems to be enough to distract him from their mission of revenge. Mike wants Lilly for killing his Dad and Ryan wants Joe for killing Claire (OH SHIT). As they talked at the end of the episode it seemed like Ryan said that basically until they get their revenge the universe won’t be right and they wouldn’t be able to move on with their lives. That’s why the reveal that Claire is alive to Ryan at the end is so significant. Her being alive does that stop his need for revenge on Joe? Was he only after Joe because he thought she killed Claire? Or does he still need to kill Joe so that Claire and Joey can live their lives in peace?I’m guessing it will be the last one because otherwise the rest of this season and the already confirmed season three would be a bit pointless. Where does this all leave Mike and Ryan’s friendship though? They finally got back on the right page and were united in a common goal and then Claire being revealed to be alive also showed that Mike knew about it all along. I can’t see Ryan being too happy about that at all. Or Max for that matter. Or maybe he will understand that Mike was doing it to keep Claire safe? Somehow I doubt it. Also on a side note what does this do to Ryan’s relationship with Carrie? I really don’t trust her still but Ryan just seemed to be getting happy again. I’m guessing Claire being alive will change everything. After all she is the love of his life.

Anyway there’s five episodes to go of the second season and it’s just beginning to ramp up after a slow start. It seems we could have two groups going at each other in Joe and Lilly with Mike and Ryan trying to stop them. Although their relationship is once again going to be put to the test after the big reveal at the end of this episode. I’m also questioning Mikes mental state and worry he may become the liability of the team especially if Ryan pushes him away after what happened with Claire. I imagine Max will be more understanding with him but if she takes her cousins side then we may have a few issues afoot. Cannot wait for next weeks episode as always I’m sure it will be massively epic and over the top. It wouldn’t be The Following otherwise after all.

 

 

 

The Walking Dead Finale: End of Line

 

“They’re screwing with the wrong people”

Gotta say I loved that finale and those final words that Rick uttered I believe is going to usher in a new era in that mans character. More on that later but I want to delve into some other epic parts of this finale.

So the decided to use a few flashbacks for this episode tonight and those were to show us a time when our survivors were at the prison and almost living a normal life. Things were peaceful and safe. It shows us how far they have all come since the prison was destroyed by the Governor. Was nice to see Hershel as well with his head on.

Flashing forward to the present day well shit was about to go down. Daryl’s new group caught up to Rick, Michonne and Carl almost straight away at the beginning of the episode. Well there was a quick moment where Carl wanted to save a man trapped by walkers and Rick wouldn’t let him and they left the man to be eaten alive. Anyway I’ll cover that a bit more later back to my favourite part of the episode. Well the ending was just as good but never mind I’m getting too excited here. Daryl’s group are not the nicest. Rick and Michonne are held at gunpoint. Rick by the leader of the group Joe. Carl is in a car asleep at the time. As they are being held at gunpoint, Daryl comes to try to talk reason to Joe and his men by telling them that Rick is a good person and basically sacrifices himself for the others. Joe decides he’s then going to just kill everyone in front of Rick as his punishment. Daryl gets the crap beaten out of him for his brave sacrifice. One sick twisted bastard from this group then snatches Carl from the car and it appears for one horrible moment is going to rape him. Honestly I hate Carl so much but not even he deserves that. Rick lands a headbutt on Joe but then looks like he’s going to get beaten down just like Daryl. Honestly loved this bit. Rick decides the only way to stop Joe is to literally bite out his throat. He really didn’t have a choice. I mean his son was about to get raped anyone would do whatever they had to so that they could save him. Things quickly turn around after Joes death. Daryl and Michonne kill their captors and then the potential child rapist decides to hold Carl hostage. Bad bad choice their mate. Begging for forgiveness was never going to work. Rick decides to literally stab him repeatedly and although it wasn’t shown I’m guessing it was a Governor on Hershel type of killing. Have to say I bloody loved it.

You can tell after this incident Carl doesn’t know what to think of his Dad. He’s literally just seen him hack off a mans head and bite a guys throat out after all. We later learn after his talk with Michonne that he is really struggling with his humanity. I mean Ricks going through the same thing but on a much grander level. For all his bravado I think Carl is finally realizing he’s just a kid and his murder of the unarmed kid from Woodbury at the end of the last season I believe is causing him some guilt. There is honestly another of my favorite parts of the season when Rick and Daryl have a chat. Daryl tries to explain his association with that group and Rick doesn’t need to hear it. Daryl is his brother and he knows he would always be there for them. Great moment between two brilliant characters. Ricks friendship with him is so much greater than his with Shane. Daryl needed someone like Rick as his brother before the world went to shit not someone like Merle. These two will have each others backs throughout and that is always great to know.

Another character I love is Michonne. I’m never a big fan of the female characters on tv as they’re always portrayed to be whiny and pathetic (take note Boardwalk Empire). Not in this show. Maggie and Sasha are great characters and Carol annoys me but at least isn’t whiny and weak. Michonne though is different gear. She’s brilliant. Whether that’s as the mother figure Carl definitely leads or the person who Rick can lean on when he is struggling with his humanity. Carl really needs he. He’s questioning his Dad after all the things he’s had to do and she’s the one there giving him so perspective on him and trying to help him understand the things that Rick has to do.

So to the main part. Terminus. All roads lead here. Who ever thought this place was going to be good. I figured out early that the meat on the grill is not something they want to be eating. I mean where would they be getting it from to just be dishing it out? Few animals in the forest but not that many with the amount of time the worlds been like this. Rick and co went in the right way cautiously and after being offered the tour you just knew something was going to develop. I wasn’t sure if it would be anything major as I thought they might draw out the old we are good people this is shelter bullshit. The moment Rick realised that these guys weren’t what they claimed to be was so epic. The other three didn’t question Rick at all and were ready to do battle. You were left hoping that they cleared up the fate of Glen and co as seeing that these people had on all of their stuff you could be forgiven for being worried about a few of their fates.  When it all kicked off it was obvious they were being lead to a trap. These guys couldn’t be that bad a shot. They ran past a chopped up body on the floor which I think confirmed my suspicion about the meat on the BBQ. These guys are bloody cannibals. Terminus was a bad idea. the room with all the candles and the “Never again. Never Trust. Us First, Always” written on the wall was pretty creepy. These Peoples humanity I think is long gone. Once they were all hearded into the container thankfully they were reunited with Glenn, Maggie and everyone who made it their last week. Ricks speech at the end was brilliant. I really don’t think these Terminus guys want to fuck with Rick and co. Rick has finally realized I think after this episode that if he wants to keep these people safe he has to do whatever it takes to do that. He finally has assumed his position of leadership he’s been fighting against. If they are to get out of this they need him. As long as he doesn’t lose his humanity as well along the way.

Overall a brilliant finale. I’m guessing them ignoring Carol and Tyrese means that maybe next season they’re going to come to their aid at a point. Or maybe they will walk into the same trap. Also Beth wasn’t shown so I’m really hoping they clear that up at a point early next season. They developed her character a lot this season so I can’t see them just passing over her fate. It was a strange season finale in a way as for once a non major character was killed. Yes most of them are in mortal peril but still they all survived for now. There seems to be a lot of them now so expect a few not to stay around very long next season. I’m now really looking forward to next season. I feel the ending sets up a different approach and scenario for these survivors that takes the show on a whole different course. Love that Rick has embraced his dark side and with the situation they’re in expect him to do whatever it takes to survive. I just hope he remembers why he is doing all these things along the way as I would hate to see him lose himself completely. Also want to say I loved the build to Ricks final line at the end. You just knew he was going to say something bad ass and he didn’t disappoint.  The theme of this episode to me was humanity hence why I’ve harped on about it quite a bit and I think these people at terminus could well be Rick and co’s biggest test yet.

Roll on Season five!