Many of you not in finance look with disbelief that why VFS jumped 50% today. Well, let’s someone with deep finance and stock knowledge to explain the reason for you, that even some on Wall Street (Motley, Al Root) are clueless.
1/ No institutional buyers are interested in Vinfast, so any big buy is Vuong Pham’s pulling. This is a very simple logic and it is so true. Institutions buy on fundamentals, not rumors. And as I have explained many times, retail investors are followers, they need big money to make a lead. Individual buyers won't pull stock up big.
Vuong Pham pulled a mini short squeeze, like the mini squeeze that he did on 11/30/2023: pulling to $9.3 form $7.5 (24%) on 19.4M volume, or +52% from $6.1 three sessions earlier. This past event on 11/30/2023 was a short squeeze by Vuong Pham on the Vuong Pham’s India visit rumor (the photo with Adani), and it was beyond doubt now that Vuong Pham engineered it on 11/30/2023. After that, VFS drifted to $2.5. No difference this time.
2/ With low volume, and low float, it is easy to pull it up without much money. I hae said this a thousand times in this sub.
Today volume is 14.6M shares. At around $4, it is only about $60M for the day. In contrast, on 11/30/2023, 19.4M shares at around $8.5-9 is $170M. A third. So a 50% pull today is even easier than in the past! due to the low price. Still no interest.
I have said this so many times: do not be surprise if Vuong Pham pull it up 10-20% / day (50% this time), because of the low float and low volume. He does not need much money to do that.
So don’t just look at the price, look at the volume as well.
3/ Short increased to 7.2M shares from 5.6M shares in the last 2 weeks of April:
https://preview.redd.it/uc92f8gpta0d1.png?width=1163&format=png&auto=webp&s=17db468c4c66c604c755bf821813e30a9e96baae
So Vuong Pham is pulling a mini short squeeze here, compared to the squeeze he engineered when there were 9M shares shorted.
4/ Not all of 14.6M shares are short covering. Vuong Pham is dumping as well. After all, he needs money to pay huge debt due come end of June.
I estimated about 2M shares short covering plus left hand to right intraday day trading of 60% of the volume. The actual dump by Vuong Pham might be about 6-7M shares out of 14.6M shares and he net about $28M from the game. Tiny amount.
5/ Clueless Motley Fool as usual say the rise is due to Sony Ridevu (wtf) and Biden’s tarrif. Here is the fact: the Chinese has not yet entered the US market and Vinfast sold only about 300 cars in the last year, about 130 cars each month this year.
https://preview.redd.it/thqcfrwsta0d1.png?width=625&format=png&auto=webp&s=8a090bf5dc8b46a916a6f4c9d0b4a3d7b1fc5376
No Chinese EVs currently in the US market. So it is not like the Biden tariff will remove the Chinese EVs from the US market and help Vinfast. The Biden tariff does not make Vinfast more competitive. It still has to compete with Kia, Hyundai, Tesla, Rivian as usual. So the Motley Fools are fools as usual.
The Biden tariff as an excuse for the pump is dumb but expect to hear pumpers (Chardan, Dan Ives, Cantor, BTIG) talking about it as if it is a valid reason.
6/ Al Root at Barrons is also clueless this time: VinFast Stock Soars 50%. Here’s What Is Going On. - Barron's (barrons.com) He had no idea. He missed the VF3 news in Vietnam. This sub is still the best place for news on Vinfast.
7/ The most plausible explanation is that Vuong Pham does a pull on the back of the rumor of VF3’s reservation in Vietnam, see my analysis: Let’s crunch the numbers on VF3 : It is a rumor game for Vuong Pham, like I always say. Here: The rumor game : Both the mini short squeezes are based on rumor.
With that VF3 rumor, he seems confident to do a pump and then a dump. He might come out with a follow up PR on how many VF3 has been reserved.
8/ Like the past, VFS run from $20 to $93 or $5 to $9 in a week or two, only to drop sharply after.
Two precedents, not just one.
There will be no difference this time. After a few day of pump, creating FOMO on the rumor, Vuong Pham will resume the dump. Because he needs the cash to pay off Vinfast debt. 100% sure. In Vietnam, he is dumping VIC / VHM like no tomorrow.
He is pulling VFS to dump VIC / VHM further.
This is the corner stone: Vinfast is on $9.3B debt, he needs $1.6B debt service each quarter, and he needs to dump. As in Vietnam, he needs to pull it up for the dump. He pulls it up to draw the TA charts, duping clueless retail traders/ investors.
This is not a sustainable buy by big institutional investors.
So there, the truth behind the events for those of you not in finance.
You are wondering why VFS went up 50%. Is there something? Nope. VF3 won’t change Vinfast’s outlook significantly, just a pump game. The financial of Vinfast is still the same as yesterday. And remember, when VF3 are delivered in 4Q 2024, the financial numbers will be worse by then, debt will surely be over $10B.
Vinfans can have silly jokes as they had in the past, when VFS was at $80-90 or when Vuong Pham's networth is $70B. They can have some short joys duping clueless retail people.
The truth will have the last laugh.

Hello. I understand very little about home hvac but understand auto hvac. I just had some hvac work done to my home on Thursday and the AC went out on Saturday again. Does the price and repairs sounds right? Currently I’m at $747 and will be added $690 after this repair in Socal.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated
Below are the notes that were on the invoice I received
Ignition module Limit switches 2 year warranty Arrive to system did see that unit was shutting off and would have the system for the outside staying on. Did check all electrical components and saw that everything is checking out okay. Did see that unit was older. Did let the owner know about the systems. Did also see the dirt and dust on the blower motor. Did recommend on getting a few things on the system to pro long the system. Customer agreed on just getting the repairs done and wants to check on the HOA and see what they can help him with on replacement. Once done with repairs did see that unit was having a low charge to the system and is having a leak on the system did let know and most of the electrical componets on the condensing unit, most of the parts will go out. Will happen this summer on it breaking down. Customer will follow up with me on what’s the next step for the system.

By : David Scutt, Market Analyst

• The Chinese yuan is trading at multi-year highs against the currencies of its major trading partners
• This strength has helped to counteract rampant US dollar strength, preventing larger losses for Asian FX names in 2024
• With the risk of an escalating trade war with the US, Chinese policymakers may be tempted to weaken the yuan to help with exporter competitiveness
• A revival of large-scale Fed rate cuts bets may provide respite for battered Asian FX names

If you trade Asian currencies like the Japanese yen, Australian or New Zealand dollar, you should always keep a close eye on what’s happening in the Chinese yuan. Especially this week. Because with trade wars between China and the United States set to erupt again, and with a raft of top tier US economic data scheduled, what happens in USD/CNH will be highly influential for other Asian currencies.

CNH performance influential on JPY, AUD & NZD

As the currency of the world’s second largest economy rising rapidly up the ranks of the most traded FX names worldwide, you’re doing yourself a disservice if the Chinese yuan is not on your radar. As seen in the chart below, for large periods of time, movements in USD/CNH have often been mirrored by USD/JPY, AUD/USD and NZD/USD.
https://preview.redd.it/yd4hx6wmpa0d1.png?width=1835&format=png&auto=webp&s=bf1aa3b7d74c44631915dc68559b0a17b9c43846
Up until recently, USD/CNH and USD/JPY had a positive correlation in the high 0.8s on a rolling quarterly basis. For AUD/USD and NZD/USD, negative correlations above -0.9 were regularly observed over the same timeframe during the past year.
While the common denominator is the US dollar, with its movements influential across the entire FX market, what is not readily known right now is the Chinese yuan is not weak but strong when you look at its performance against a basket of currencies from its major trading partners, hitting levels not seen October 2022 in April. It’s only really been weakening against the greenback.

CNH an anchor for Asian FX names

Even though it’s not been enough to offset the impact of the strong US dollar entirely, measures from the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) to curb market forces seeking to weaken the yuan against the dollar have likely helped limit losses in other Asian FX names against the big dollar, making the yuan somewhat of an anchor for currencies in the region. Hence, if this anchor were to come loose, it’s very likely Asian FX names would be hammered.
One only needs to look back to the yuan devaluation episode in 2015 to what may happen. And that was when the yuan’s influence was considerably smaller than it is today.

Trend breakdown may explain weakening relationships

While the yuan has often had strong relationships with the likes of the JPY, AUD and NZD, that’s faded somewhat in recently. Rather than being less influential on currencies across the region, the breakdown of strong established trends in other asset classes may explain the waning relationship, resulting in choppy price action as traders and investors wait for definitive signals as to which direction markets will move next.
When new trends become established, it would be surprising if the relationship between the yuan and other Asia FX names does not strengthen again.

Trade war risk adds to devaluation threat

If you’re looking for a major catalyst that could spark a trend change, look no further than the threat of an escalating trade war between the United States and China.
If media reports are on the money, US President Joe Biden will quadruple tariffs on Chinese made electric vehicles and sharply increase levies for other green energy industries in an announcement later Tuesday, opening the door for other western governments to do the same given a concerted push to foster local green initiatives.
As mentioned above, Chinese policymakers have been pushing back against market forces seeking to weaken the yuan, setting the midpoint of the USD/CNY daily trading band far stronger than market forces would imply for months on end.
While not a certainty, the threat posed to China’s trade-exposed sectors from greater import barriers abroad, at a time when policymakers are fighting to prevent the yuan from weakening further, you don’t have to be Einstein to see why authorities may be temped to devalue the yuan to support its export sector.
If China were to go down that path, it would likely lead to a rapid appreciation in the US dollar, generating substantial volatility not only in Asian FX names but broader financial markets. As such, watching the daily USD/CNY fix may be advantageous near-term. If a devaluation episode were to occur, it would likely be initiated at the start of onshore yuan.

USD bull case also its biggest threat

Outside the threat posed by trade wars, the other potential catalyst than could spark a trend change comes from the US economic data calendar with CPI, PPI and retail sales figures for April released over the next 48 hours.
For the US dollar, uncomfortably sticky inflationary pressures have been a major factor behind its strength this year, combining with strong, above-trend economic growth to delay the start of the Federal Reserve’s rate cutting cycle.
https://preview.redd.it/48iobvyrpa0d1.png?width=1835&format=png&auto=webp&s=db6418194004169e8f6dfd4feaaccb9c3b1d6067
With these factors part of an established trend, markets now expect it, helping to prevent sustained periods of weakness from occurring. However, now that the number of rate cuts priced in 2024 has fallen from nearly seven to less than two, it’s now up to the data to keep feeding the prevailing narrative. If it doesn’t – as seen when nonfarm payrolls and ISM services data whiffed earlier this month – it can result in an abrupt weakness in the US dollar.
The more data that disappoints, the greater the risk it may encourage traders to unwind bullish bets and result in sustained dollar weakness. In other words, good news is arguably already priced in.

USD/CNH technical outlook

Adding to the sense that this week may be important for broader directional risks for Asian FX names, USD/CNH sits at an interesting juncture on the daily chart, threatening to surge straight back into the uptrend it was trading in for much of the year.
https://preview.redd.it/i3p101rypa0d1.png?width=1835&format=png&auto=webp&s=e9746fc6e2cce9745a4fe15e33e299736adce5cb
The bounce from the lows struck Friday two weeks ago has been powerful, seeing USD/CNH do away with two horizontal resistance levels at 7.2200 and 7.2335 before breaking through and closing above the 50 and 200-day moving averages on Monday.
With the downtrend in RSI threatening to break and MACD crossing over from below, directional risks look to be turning higher for USD/CNH. Aside from former uptrend support and horizontal resistance around 7.2550, there’s not a lot standing between USD/CNH and return to levels seen in late 2023.
While buying dips looks preferable to selling rallies near-term, it may pay to see how the price action evolves around these levels over the next 48 hours given ample event risk.
Another push and the pair will be back in its former uptrend, allowing for fresh longs to be established targeting a move towards the 2024 highs. A stop order placed below either the trendline or 50/200DMA zone would offer protection against reversal.
Alternatively, should the price fail to hold above the 50 and 200DMA, stops could be placed above this zone, allowing for fresh short positions to be established targeting a retracement towards 7.1730.
Either way, if we do see a meaningful directional shift in the yuan, it’s likely the Japanese yen, Aussie and New Zealand dollars will be following close behind.
-- Written by David Scutt
Follow David on Twitter @scutty
https://www.cityindex.com/en-au/news-and-analysis/usd-cnh-aud-nzd-jpy-face-hammering-if-asia-fx-anchor-comes-loose/

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https://imgur.com/a/7114L0n
Just picked this up today from the post office, but I went through a small decant this past week.
⚠️ TRIGGER WARNING ⚠️ I use the word "soapy" and "powdery" a lot here.
So this is what I would call more of a "blue collar" soapy fragrance because it isn't as fancy as a lot of others I've tried.
My holy grail soapy fragrance, Creeds Pure White Cologne, is way too upscale smelling and expensive to wear in my line of work (police officer) or as a daily fragrance in my opinion. I'll reserve that for spring, special occasions.
Prada Amber Pour Homme and L'Homme smell like luxury soaps. Theirs a sweet, powdery nature to them that isn't in this one.
Prada Infusion d'Iris Cedre and a fragrance like Comme Des Garcon Marieselle are very dry, powdery soapy fragrances with very little sweetness. They smell upscale, but kinda choke me out a little. So they are probably more decant worthy than bottle worthy.
Then theirs the greener, earthier "soapy" fragrances like Creeds Original Vetiver, Mugler Cologne, Tom Ford Grey Vetiver or maybe Green Irish Tweed.
But this one isn't green, isn't very sweet and while it doesn't smell cheap, it doesn't smell overly expensive or fancy.
Think more "Lever 2000" bar soap or "powdered laundry detergent" with this one. Powdered detergent is what the perfumer was going for actually. The inspiration for this fragrance was the workers using a powdered soap to wash their clothes in a canal in Milano, Italy. So again, blue collar, laundry powder is the vibe.
It does open with some beautiful bright citruses, but dries down to a powdery, somewhat watery, detergent vibe. It may not be for everyone, but I intend to wear it as an everyday fragrance for work because I don't want to smell like "Cologne guy" at work everyday, just fresh, clean, well groomed and soapy most days.
The longevity seems to be around 5 hours, with arms length projection for an hour or so. For the remaining 4 hours or so you get a nice skin scent. It isn't a beast by any means, it's a very personal scent, so you may need to over apply initially or reapply throughout the day (if you feel the need). It's relatively inexpensive at only $140 for a 100ml. I've also seen it on sale for as low as $90, so it's more ideal as a daily wear vs. some other niche fragrances, more in line with designer prices.
Presentation is pretty nice too (as shown). Metal, magnetic caps are always a plus. The atomizer is also similar to Dior or Roja Parfums (controllable spray).
So theirs my review guys, maybe grab a sample, see what you think of this one.
Have a good one 👍🏼
Fragrantica https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Milano-Fragranze/Naviglio-68240.html
Redolessence https://youtu.be/L65HslcysFY?si=aFiqGGiepJz7794c
JoelTheNose https://youtu.be/GdqPfNe-I3A?si=PAUB4jjql-leWyHC
CASUAL FRAGRANCES https://youtu.be/LnXvl-XTpl8?si=9di0UDnkJjcP4CAy

After Exeter City secured safety in their first-ever Premier League season, with four matches remaining, the fans' hearts, and the backroom staff's minds, all turned toward the upcoming season. Exeter's season was marked by thrilling highs (a 6-1 thrashing of West Ham, a convincing victory over Tottenham) and shocking lows (a 1-6 loss to LUTON TOWN of all teams, a pasting 1-5 by an ascendant Arsenal), but manager Andy Maher remained steady at the controls.
With the summer 2029 transfer window slammed shut and the new-look teams having played a few matches, we run the rule over the teams in the 2029-2030 Premier League. Up today, the south coast side Exeter City, the only fan-owned team in the Premier League. With the Supporter's Trust helping contribute to financial operations and the canny Julian Tagg still directing the football side of things, Exeter look to consolidate their precarious position and craft a long-term place in the top flight.
Exeter finished their season in a commendable 13th place, with an impressive attacking line that was able, sometimes, to overcome the worst defense outside of the relegation zone. Known usually for a solid backline, Exeter's players were generally exposed by the pace and attacking verve of the Premier League. Only Sonny Cox and the rest of the attack, who posted the league's 8th best scoring record, kept Exeter afloat.
https://preview.redd.it/1u8kinxnfa0d1.png?width=616&format=png&auto=webp&s=ae29e48269936f51392d1e89c08201b630a33d35
Cox, in partnership with assists co-leader Idrissa Camara, led the Premier League with a stunning 27 goal tally in 38 appearances, topping Chelsea's Nkunku by 3 goals.
As Exeter turn to the new season, we ask three pressing questions of the team and examine the answers to find out if Exeter can repeat the trick, or if their security in the top flight is merely an illusion.
Question 1: Will the defense improve?
Whether down to tactics or formation, or players themselves, Exeter's defense in the 2028-29 season was lacklustre at best. Many point to the relatively thrifty spend in 2028-29, with only Jordan Storey and Etienne Kinkoue coming through the door to bolster the ranks last season.
This season looks already off to a different start. While Exeter continue to parsimoniously clutch the purse strings, they sold some excess players and finally made a significant, record-smashing, splash in the transfer pool, this time bolstering the backline.
Exeter splashed £22.5m to sign Czech Republic international star Martin Vitik away from Salernita, who escaped relegation by just a few points in Serie A. Able to offer improved wages and a competitive environment, Exeter had clearly committed to improving the defense here.
https://preview.redd.it/h7kuk06rfa0d1.png?width=624&format=png&auto=webp&s=6404ef1fdc28f0f63a70fec072fd675b08da639b
"We saw a number of transfers out early in this window, where players had not quite fit in, or even where we decided, as much as we wanted to keep the man, we needed to fund improvements across the squad," said Tagg. "Last year we saw a net spend for the first time ever, and while we are very far from the spending limits imposed by the EFL, we need to make sure we balance the books. So this was a very involved, drawn out, patient process that we were only able to conclude in late August."
In keeping with Exeter's thrifty ways, they added another option to the midfield as well. "We really felt that if we could possess the ball better, maybe use David's skill set to break up plays more, and add another player there, we might see improvements across the whole defense," said Maher in an interview. "So we managed to convince Mateusz that we were the best option for him."
https://preview.redd.it/42qm1upufa0d1.png?width=621&format=png&auto=webp&s=aa1023b98c02609d700604365462115fed2e8a45
With Kowalczyk now roving the middle of the pitch, Exeter truly have competition at the central midfield position, and have the flexibility to move some of their talented pieces around the board. "Mateusz really freed up and gave us some interesting lineup choices, and you saw that in some of these early matches where we came out and surprised people," said Maher.
The new look for Exeter's base 4-2-3-1 looks like this, with Kowalczyk pushing forward into a CAM role, while Camara plays just slightly forward of Watson, who remains in a true defensive midfielder role. Hlynsson moves wide to the left, while Clark has the right touchline to himself. The new partnership of Storey and Vitik protects the center, while young starlet Maguire has impressed at right back, and former Exeter Academy man Ben Chrisene slots into the left wingback position.
Time will tell, but early results are promising. A rocky 3-2 win over Brighton was followed with a much more competent series of performances. Pundits are optimistic that Exeter can improve last season's defensive performance, and fans can only hope that the starting line avoids serious injury.
Question 2: Can Exeter keep their stars?
A smashing season from Cox, the silky smooth midfielder Camara, wide man Bobby Clark, the revelation of young fullback Rory Maguire-- these are the main men around whom Exeter has built its team. With Cox and Camara both having played with the squad since their League One days, there's an intuitive chemistry and connection built over hundred and thousands of hours on the training ground. Meanwhile. Clark has impressed on the wing, as the former central midfielder enjoys the space to threaten opposing fullbacks with his craft.
"We had one major bid for Sonny [Cox]," revealed Tagg recently, "but it was miles still from our valuation, and this is about more than just money anyway; Sonny has told us he will stay with us as long as he can, as long as our trajectory for success matches his. We go where Sonny takes us." The bid, which remains undisclosed, was regarded by some as an attempt to pry away a future world-class leader, at a cut-rate price. One indignant fan noted, "Just because we're Exeter and a small club doesn't mean they can offer rubbish fees." With goal scoring on par with elite teams like Chelsea, some were surprised by the rumors of the fee offer. Still, a handful of commentators, looking at Exeter's profit margins and football operations, noted that Exeter take a risk in declining a major fee--even a low offer. "£40, 50, 60 million? That would be huge for Exeter to take in, and then to reinvest across multiple positions of the squad," one said.
"What good is that reinvestment if you can't score in the Prem," replied Gibbons in her analysis of Exeter's roster. "Cox proved last season he could score here, that's invaluable to the team. We've seen too many failed major purchases-- even Exeter signed a player who was a bust at this level."
Exeter did lose a handful of significant players in the transfer window. Published estimates from football bloggers show that Exeter currently enjoy a small profit on sales, although this is subject to official confirmation.
Much of Exeter's reputed profit came from three sales. Moving on from failed striker Erik Botheim, Exeter unload the player and his contract to Bristol City for £9.9m. Kinkoue, who never really broke through into the first team with any consistency, accepted terms with Middlesbrough.
But the shock move was relegated Crystal Palace, desperate to shore up its bid for immediate promotion, buying Ngoma for £17.1m. The promising American winger showed great potential last season and was 2nd in assists for Exeter. His touch and crossing acumen helped Exeter through a challenging spring season and some thing that his departure is a significant dent in Exeter's futures.
https://preview.redd.it/u3dtrri3ga0d1.png?width=1256&format=png&auto=webp&s=5ade1c2f9d7f11b2f808252150e630f9fb2791dd
Ultimately, Exeter made few moves to bring in players, counting on a smaller number of hopefully shrewd choices to lead the way. As Gibbons notes, "There was some roster bloat last season; even with many players out on loan, Exeter carried more players than they could really find time for. This was a smart offseason to make a profit on academy graduates, while still identifying the core players who will help the team.
The season looks promising, with star man Cox already notching 4 goals in 6 appearances, while Camara and Clark both have tallied 2 goals and 1 assist each.
Gyokeres hasn't lost much of step, with 2 assists and a goal to his name.
Meanwhile, young star in the making Rory Maguire continues his run of excellent form. The young fullback had a bad day at the Carabao Cup, but has put in stellar shifts in the Premier League, and is quickly becoming one of Exeter's top choices in the back line. With his work, Exeter already have two clean sheets in the league.
https://preview.redd.it/h3drn3b6ga0d1.png?width=625&format=png&auto=webp&s=bef145182381d710da2ac09c87b4f4f16df2084d
A new star is rising in the defense also, with another academy product impressing in duty. Sebastian Benson, another 20-year-old defender, has been earning minutes in the starting XI and as one of the first off the bench. The centre-back is explosive in short areas and a dominating aerial talent to win headers away from even the fiercest attackers.
https://preview.redd.it/xgmf1mrdga0d1.png?width=830&format=png&auto=webp&s=6516c3628a14539f245f6611c130e5bc3aed8936
Question 3: What tactics will Exeter adopt to maximize their players?
With Gyokeres and Cox both on the field, Exeter found themselves in a surprising bind: The two forwards would either force Exeter into something like a 4-4-2, and thus push either defensive midfielder Medon Berisha or attacking midfielder Kristian Hlynsson to the substitute's bench, OR, Exeter could drop into a 5-man back line, and sacrifice the talented winger Bobby Clark to the exigencies of the formation.
Exeter usually chose the 4-4-2, and the gamble SOMETIMES worked in Exeter's favor. Analyst Beth Gibbons explains: "When Gyokeres is on the pitch with Cox, this is a dangerous and pacey attack. Gyokeres has proven adept at both holdup play where he links Cox to the midfield, and at running onto balls from the wings or from Camara, who's incredibly talented as a passer. But if Camara and [midfielder David] Watson get forward, there's nothing in front of that back four to protect against the counter, and Exeter were exposed frequently there.
But if Watson stays back to shield that line, or if Maguire doesn't track forward, Exeter were too one-dimensional, and really strong defenses absolutely stymied the attack.
Exeter have adopted a more flexible approach this year, including a surprise 5-4-1 that absolutely gobsmacked Manchester City in the early running this season.
Gibbons on the new look: "This was a real surprise, as it put Camara deeper than usual. But it was incredibly effective as it provided two defenders to cover Haaland, and freed the wing backs to come inside to help against the centre-mids, or to cover those wide wingers. Maguire's work against Foden was absolutely stellar, as he stymied the England international all match."
The lineup for the shock win over Man City
Exeter put on a defensive clinic against the champions, winning 2-0 in style, with a Cox brace to lead the team. Camara was incisive as usual, but the real hero was Watson in the middle to cut off the Manchester transition, and Maguire wide, who posted 6 successful tackles against Foden and won almost every battle on that side.
Exeter shifted onto the attack for its match against Brighton and revealed a swashbuckling 4-3-3 with a fascinating double-pivot in the midfield. "The one defensive midfielder was often over-run," said Maher in a podcast interview after the match. "So we took the usual midfield triangle and inverted it, giving us two men to break up attacks. Idrissa's so good at launching after an interception or a tackle, so we let him sit deep and orchestrate, but he has free roam of that side of the pitch, to work into space more or push forward. So he and Matty [Kowalczyk] act almost like 2 attacking mids when we had the ball, but then he comes back to defense really quickly."
Wide, Gyokeres and Clark pushed up field and menaced the fullbacks. Brighton struggled with this positioning and gave up goals to both of the wide men, while Cox facilitated with an assist and a number of key passes.
The positional flexibility has been impressive from the Grecians, and Exeter now sit 5th in the table after six matches. The most impressive stretch has come in September, with matches against Manchester City, Tottenham, and Arsenal. Most fans would have been ecstatic to come away with one draw in those 3 matches, and maybe add one point to the total from those three. Instead, Exeter took points in every one of the matches, including the clean sheets against Manchester City and Arsenal.
Recent Results
"If you told us, draws against two teams there, any fan would have taken it, right?" said Maher in the post-game press conference after the Arsenal match. "A clean sheet against Arsenal? Absolutely, you take that. But the fans have been excellent in their support, and the lads stepped up and executed against Manchester, and all of a sudden, they have this confidence to go out like they did. We fell behind against Tottenham but got the 82nd-minute equalizer because they never quit, they feel like they can go against any team."
With the 5-game unbeaten streak, Exeter have laid down a marker that they wager they'll improve on last season's finish, and they're a danger to take points from any of the usual Big Six. "We're not scared," said Idrissa Camara. "We're hungry. Everyone else should be scared."
The Verdict:
Exeter look to have improved the defense and kept the most important cogs in the attack, although there are rumors that some elite Champions League sides are eying up winger Clark. The lineups will be a man-management challenge for the coaching staff, as there are simply a few too many great midfielders to balance out--someone has to drop to the substitute's bench. If Maher and the staff can manage playing time and player expectations, this will be an exciting team to watch this season. Our prediction: 10th place.
Player notes: PC, mods include gameplay mods (Anth James), Career Realism Mod (PaulV) and homemade loan/transfecontract mods to improve free agency.
Full ruleset can be found here. Sheet 1 details general rules and principles; subsequent sheets track transfers and finances.
Finances are paramount for a small club. The first season in the Prem, we operated with a net spend in the transfer window, to bring in important players that bolster the squad. Last season was the first season (out of 6) to see this spending. Maybe I'll do a finances post soon because I find that stuff fascinating.
Randomizer for transfers; transfer targets are limited to +1 over position average, with 1 player per year allowed to be significantly beyond that. This season, we targeted a CB to improve the defense and lucked into the signing of Vitik. He was actually our 3rd choice-- there was a top-notch free agent but we lost him to Chelsea and thus we had to wait for some player sales before we could afford a move.
For transferring players at or below the team average, I use a very simple weighted randomizer that's built into my google sheets. For the players that are +2 or more beyond the team average, I use https://5ungc6-joseph-boyd.shinyapps.io/FifaDiceRoll/ crafted by another excellent member of this subreddit. It changes the probability of signings depending on how far above the average your intended signing is.
If you read this far, you're fabulous, good-looking, and intellectually gifted. Happy gaming!

Hello and Welcome Sweaters!

Now, you might be asking.
"What in the world is NEAR? WHY Is it necessary?"
Well here I am going to cover everything about NEAR and why it is needed within Sweat Economy.

What Is Gas?

Within The NEAR Blockchain, every transaction requires a very miniscule amount of NEAR.
This could be around .0001 NEAR or ~$0.00068
The transaction fees vary with the price. So it won't always be the same and it will deviate from the gas example above.
Everything You Need To Claim, NEAR Is Required
This can be seen in other Blockchain networks such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.
They all use Gas.

Why Is The Project Specifically On NEAR?

SWEAT is based on NEAR because of it's spectacular 100% uptime and very, very low gas fees.
So this gives the ability for SWEAT to function seamlessly!
You should be grateful it wasn't launched on Layer 1 Ethereum or else you'd be paying upwards of $15 per claim and face even more fees for transactions with contacts!

Did YOU Know?

NEAR is one of the most environmentally friendly Blockchains in the world! The Carbon Foot Print For a Whole Year is the equivalent of 3 minutes within Bitcoin.
Talk About That!

Can NEAR Fees Be Taken Out?

No! 👎
Every transaction needs NEAR, your transaction would basically be stuck and you probably won't be able to retrieve it if you don't use NEAR!
The Sweat Team can't do anything about it!
So don't get agitated at them! Because it will be in vain!

Have Questions? Ask In The Comments!

Happy Sweating, The_Cryptographer 😊

Was replying to someone who’s looking for a first bike and my response was getting long so figured I’d post it for all for others looking to get in to pit biking. After almost 20 years and countless pit bikes bough, ridden and sold, here’s some highlights…
If you want a good bike that’s reliable I suggest you buy one of the Japanese trusted brands. These random Chinese bikes break too often and while there’s some that are better than others, it’s still generally not worth it. Especially if you’re not used to working on bikes. You don’t wanna buy one you’re gonna have to be fixing right after getting it.
The bike you get depends on your size but I think the best all around regardless is a 110. There’s CRF, KLX , Ttr, I don’t think they make the DRZ 110 anymore, but if you’re going to buy used that one’s cool too. As long as you get to test the bike/someone trustworthy tests it and takes a good look, there’s no reason not to save some bucks and buy used for a first bike. Unless money is no concern then by all means cop new. I’ve always bought mine used and I’ve had about 10 different pitbikes. I’d say you can probably find a decent functional bike for as low as $1200 then up from there. More likely $1800/2k tho. Used low priced bikes might be some years old and have some dings but if one of the tried and true brands it’ll still be solid enough to ride and not worry about.
Depending on where you are, there are several factors to consider when getting your first bike. The real big consideration is: where could you ride? Do you have land or is there land you’re able to ride close to you? or an OHv area near you? Where I live in the bay area CA and there’s nowhere for many miles from me. You’d have to drive like an hour to get somewhere you can legally ride then another hour or two to the next ohv area, so unless you have land, this is far from the best place to ride / have a dirt bike.
My solution was to get a plate and some lights to get my bike Street Legal, so if you’re in a place that has a lack of places to ride, consider going Street Legal route. People often assume they can just cruise around on pitbikes no problem, but I’ll tell you in my area you just 100% can’t. There’s plenty of rural areas where no one cares at all, but in major cities and suburbs cops will pursue, write you a big ticket, take your bike and impound sometimes and get super pissed. However if you’re in a really big city, there are some with no chase policies in place. If that’s the case, when cops try to stop you, and you run from them, They did not chase you because it would be more dangerous than it’s worth. You don’t really wanna have to do that, but it’s a thing. Some cities seem to have given up on policing dirt bikes, which is a win if you have one. The cops just have bigger problems in some cities, so in my area it seems that the suburbs are the ones that really get screwed and you can get away pretty Scott free if you’re in the city. It complicates the matter because if you are in one of those cities where it’s a gray area, and the cops don’t seem to chase, but you don’t want to run the risk of having to deal with them chasing you for no reason, getting a plate could be a solution, but then if you’re riding around doing wheelies and riding with groups and they do decide to come after you guys, you’re just wearing a name tag (plate) and they can identify you anywhere, so it’s kind of better to keep the anonymity in some scenarios. Then again If you’re in a position to have to flee from the cops While riding dirty and by yourself it can be a sketchy situation situation.
TLDR- avoid the offbrand, Chinese, knock off etc. and go with the namebrand Japanese bike for longevity and reliability. If you’re trying not to break the bank, buying used is fine (craigslist or similar etc.) 110 is a myth suggestion for an all around fun, safe, reliable pit bike. If new to riding, you should put in plenty of thought as to where you will ride and what to be prepared for depending on your area regarding legalities and policy’s.