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One of those Northern hell holes. Elland Road now stands at just 6 wins in 49 league visits

— Heinrich von Treitschke, German nationalist historian and politician, 1871 The Franco-Prussian War, which started in July 1870, saw France defeated in May 1871 by the Kingdom of Prussia and other German states. The end of the war led to the unification of Germany. Otto von Bismarck annexed Alsace and northern Lorraine to the new German Empire in 1871. France ceded more than 90% of Alsace and one-fourth of Lorraine, as stipulated in the treaty of Frankfurt; Belfort, the largest Alsatian town south of Mulhouse, remained French. Unlike other member states of the German federation, which had governments of their own, the new Imperial territory of Alsace–Lorraine was under the sole authority of the Kaiser, administered directly by the imperial government in Berlin. Between 100,000 and 130,000 Alsatians (of a total population of about a million and a half) chose to remain French citizens and leave Reichsland Elsaß–Lothringen, many of them resettling in French Algeria as Pieds-Noirs. Only in 1911 was Alsace–Lorraine granted some measure of autonomy, which was manifested also in a flag and an anthem (Elsässisches Fahnenlied). In 1913, however, the Saverne Affair (French: Incident de Saverne) showed the limits of this new tolerance of the Alsatian identity. During the First World War, to avoid ground fights between brothers, many Alsatians served as sailors in the Kaiserliche Marine and took part in the Naval mutinies that led to the abdication of the Kaiser in November 1918, which left Alsace–Lorraine without a nominal head of state. The sailors returned home and tried to found an independent republic. While Jacques Peirotes, at this time deputy at the Landrat Elsass–Lothringen and just elected mayor of Strasbourg, proclaimed the forfeiture of the German Empire and the advent of the French Republic, a self-proclaimed government of Alsace–Lorraine declared its independence as the "Republic of Alsace–Lorraine". French troops entered Alsace less than two weeks later to quash the worker strikes and remove the newly established Soviets and revolutionaries from power. With the arrival of the French soldiers, many Alsatians and local Prussian/German administrators and bureaucrats cheered the re-establishment of order.[28] Although U.S. President Woodrow Wilson had insisted that the région was self-ruling by legal status, as its constitution had stated it was bound to the sole authority of the Kaiser and not to the German state, France would allow no plebiscite, as granted by the League of Nations to some eastern German territories at this time, because the French regarded the Alsatians as Frenchmen liberated from German rule. Germany ceded the region to France under the Treaty of Versailles. Policies forbidding the use of German and requiring French were promptly introduced.[29] In order not to antagonize the Alsatians, the region was not subjected to some legal changes that had occurred in the rest of France between 1871 and 1919, such as the 1905 French law on the separation of Church and State. Alsace–Lorraine was occupied by Germany in June 1940 during the Second World War. Although never formally annexed, Alsace and Lorraine were incorporated into the Greater German Reich. Each was placed under a Chief of Civil Administration (CdZ), who was the Nazi Party Gauleiter and Reichsstatthalter (Reich Governor) of the adjacent German territory. Alsace was administered as part of Gau Baden under Robert Heinrich Wagner and his deputy, Hermann Röhn. Lorraine was administered as part of the Gau Saarpfalz, (later Gau Westmark) under Josef Bürckel and his deputy, Ernst Ludwig Leyser [de].[30] During the war, 130,000 young men from Alsace and Lorraine were conscripted into the German armies against their will (malgré-nous). There were some volunteers for the Waffen SS.,[31] although they were outnumbered by conscripts of the 1926–1927 classes. Thirty of said Waffen SS were involved in the Oradour-sur-Glane massacre (29 conscripts, one volunteer). A third of the malgré-nous perished on the Eastern front. In July 1944, 1500 malgré-nous were released from Soviet captivity and sent to Algiers, where they joined the Free French Forces. I understand this(was a fascinating reading btw), but it's a 20 years old Dutch-Nigerian football player, maybe shouldn't have taken that seriously what he said..

That is a grey area. I have met many, and know many that are really good people. They have morals, a code of conduct within humanity that would put many so called christians to shame. I also have christian relatives that are good people, and worked with muslims that were extraordinarily generous, and kind people.

I just hope Josh doesn't leave as there will be plenty of clubs keen on getting him in.

Oh and let's not forget how fucking shite Joao Pedro has been, honestly he is a greedy selfish bastard and I lost count over the last two games how many times he never released the ball when he should have to players in better positions. He ain't a striker and nor is he a 10 that is not good enough, and in the 10 he will get his nose pushed out by Palmer/Estevao in the coming months

Bullshit, absolute bullshit he is a 30M championship striker who's second touch is a tackle He's fucking rubbish and needs to be put in the same bracket as the other average shite we have here Tosin, Badiashille, Gittens, Chalobah and Joao Pedro

Josh will never start ahead or get a run of games ahead of Maresca's favourite in Tosin We have to understand the hard facts here, Maresca has his favorites and whether they play bad or not, or make ten mistakes over three games they will always start

I absolutely agree Tosin is our worst player this season. Would probably play Disasi ahead of him.

Yep these teams creeping up! Luckily Liverpool drew as it is theyre 2 behind 4th place race it will be...

Josh's Premier League starts this season - 0-0 vs Palace, 2-1 vs Liverpool, 0-3 vs Forest and 1-2 vs Sunderland where he was taken before Sunderland's winner was scored thanks to Tosin. I think you are seriously underestimating how much of an upgrade having ball playing CBs like Josh, Fofana are in comparison to CBs like Tosin.

Trump Says Your Donations Will Help Him 'Earn' a Place in Heaven Trump claims he is fulfilling God's agenda in fundraising email https://meidasnews.com/news/trump-says-your-donations-will-help-him-earn-a-place-in-heaven Donald Trump sent out a fundraising email ahead of the holidays framing his 2024 assassination attempt as a divine intervention and casting his campaign as a mission commanded by God. In the email, Trump, once again, ties his appeal for campaign cash with his desire to get to heaven. In the message titled “He didn’t save me for a participation trophy," Trump recounts hearing the “loud crack” in Butler, Pennsylvania, and "feeling the hand of God” move his head before the bullet “pierced [his] skin.” He writes that he is “blessed to be alive,” insisting that God spared him so he could “finish the mission… saving America," which he says is "the only way" he can "earn" a spot in heaven. The email is illustrated with an image of Trump waving from an aircraft stairway, framed by clouds. Trump then pivots to an urgent pitch for donations, warning supporters that “terrified” and "dangerous" opponents are plotting to thwart mass deportations, major tax cuts, and his agenda. Trump Fundraising Email: “I Want to Try to Get to Heaven” Read More Trump then claims he has launched an “emergency 12-hour ‘Never Surrender’ fundraising blitz” with a goal of "75,000 contributions before sunrise." The email urges supporters to donate specific amounts such as "$47 for the “47th president" and $250 in order to "finish what God started."

Even if we lost, Josh is still a better defender than Tosin. No reason to keep him out. Tosin has bungled up too many times this season. How he keeps getting selected for matches is down to the club's rotation policy to grant some players more exposure.

At the same time, are people expecting same 11 players to play every game? Today we used all our best attackers. Blame for first 2 goals could go on Chalobah and Enzo who are regular starters... If Josh played instead of Tosin pretty sure we would lose again.

Was the wrong call though We don't have a strong enough squad to rotate so much. We managed it vs Burnley when Santos subbed in for Caicedo but this league is too tough and we should respect that

Again, if this wasn't evidence enough.. Obviously he would be an idiot to say Tosin is doing well., so he deflects by saying 'Wes is doing well, Chalobah is doing well". There is pressure to make Tosin start games. It's becoming more apparent.

And on cue, Tosin returns. Fuxk. I'm telling you, the knobheads up top are also influencing the selection. That news article from the Mail makes more sense. Rotation is the name of the game and Maresca is a stooge at the hands of these guys, as they want certain players to gain as much exposure as possible. The only reason Acheampong got a run of games this season is because Mr.Tosin was out.

Just 3 points more than 10th place.

In January impossible. Already played for 2 clubs.

Pathetic. Making excuses.

Literally use like for like replacements. Ach is a perfect step in for Wes. They are high motor CBs who can drive forward. Badi isn't even that bad a selection IMO. But you've lost our best back to goal player in Caicedo who receives the ball in our own half, and you've insisted to play Santos (who has bad recovery pace) and Tosin who is even worse in terms of recovery together. It isn't rocket science. If you want consistency then use the right players to promote consistency in style of play.

You guys are overreacting pansies. The problem is on the defensive end and building up from the back.

🗣 Maresca: "When you play against Barcelona and Arsenal, you expect better performance tonight. But it is not always going to be possible. We have some players that it is not possible to play every two or three days. Reece, Wes, these kind of players, but we can't use them every game." 🗣 Enzo Maresca: "We perform so well against Arsenal and Barcelona, it doesn't mean we are going to always perform in the same way because of the situation you have to manage, the players you have to rotate. The level isn't always going to be the same."

Extremely bad from Maresca. Fucking terrible.

we loan a better cf than we brought for 30M abysmal decision

Maresca clearly doesn’t know his history when it comes to Chelsea & Leeds. Far too many changes & setting up like an early round in the League Cup. Very underprepared & got what we deserved. Very poor.