Larry Ryan: Give hope a chance 'til the end of the season

The longer you can stay on the right track without reaching any destination the better. It’s hope people want, really, not success. But hope has never been a more fragile commodity

QUICK STARTERS: Brighton manager Graham Potter celebrates with the Brighton fans at the end of the Premier League match against West Ham United. Pic: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

At least one long-standing football tradition has been upheld. The league table ladders that the twins stuck to the bedroom door three weeks ago were carefully reshuffled on two Saturday evenings before the practice was abandoned. A similar level of endurance as their father managed back in the day. Has one ever been maintained beyond the schools going back?

In their defence, it’s hard to justify this investment of labour in an age when LiveScore is always at hand. So in this fixed dimension, it looks like Manchester City will forever stay top, and no doubt the real world will fall back in line with them before too long.