The9

Though I don't know which figures they're using for this: http://the72.co.uk/28937/how-does-your-team-compare-in-our-league-2-season-ticket-price-guide/ which has the Skates at 17th cheapest in the division (of 23) costing £50 less than it actually does. Using the "normal price" ST and the other figures on that table, they're actually the second most expensive in the division (for non-PST members or concessions) behind Plymouth, a team who know how to make their monetary advantage count.

2015/16 ST prices show only a £20 reduction for their 3000-ish Fans' Trust shareholders over the normal price. ADULT Post Early Bird: £370 PST Shareholder: £350 Though they do have a "DLA entitlement special concession" rate and we can only imagine how many of them ensure they qualify for that: SENIOR*/YOUNG PERSON/SPECIAL CONCESSION** Post Early Bird: £280 PST Shareholder: £265 This is interesting too, Newport charge twice as much to be a Trust member: When purchasing/renewing your season ticket, you will also have the option to: a) Become a member of the Pompey Supporters’ Trust for just £5 per annum. b) Join the Pompey Lottery for just £2 per week with the chance to win thousands. c) Make a donation of your choice directly to the Pompey Academy. Read more at http://www.portsmouthfc.co.uk/tickets/season-tickets/index.aspx#toLoe5zl8jRmJFkQ.99

Their biggest problem remains that their ground, at full current capacity for every single match, would still only find them fighting over 6th and 7th best attendance in the Championship: http://www.worldfootball.net/attendance/eng-championship-2015-2016/1/ and their crowds in the past 5 years see them somewhere between 6th and 22nd in the Championship attendance table. The last time Saints and Portsmouth were in the same division we were 2nd in attendances and they were 16th: http://www.worldfootball.net/attendance/eng-championship-2011-2012/1/

By "plenty" I think you overestimate L1 - crowds of 15k put them in the top 2 (behind Sheffield United) based on 2014/15 figures: http://www.worldfootball.net/attendance/eng-league-one-2014-2015/1/. They were even 2nd largest in attendance terms when getting relegated in 2012/13 though you'd assume top half rather than bottom 4 would find them more than the 12,232 they averaged then: http://www.worldfootball.net/attendance/eng-league-one-2012-2013/1/ They would still have crowds THREE times the size of half the teams in the division. It does amuse me to be able to say they're "basically Bradford-sized", though when they were falling out of the Prem with £120m debts their presumed non-league future had them as "Wimbledon-sized". This story is no longer "look how much they're spending", it's "look how poorly they're doing down there despite their resources". At least until they go back to the mid-table second tier side that's their natural modern level (longest serving second tier side in their spell from 1988 until 2002).

Clasie could cover multiple positions in midfield if needed due to injury, full backs tend not to be on the bench as a one for one swap (Martina arguably covers CB too). We still didn't use Clasie despite there being an obvious opportunity to put him on, which is in line with Koeman writing the game off with selection and when 2 down so quickly. I still think it's more likely Cedric's eye keeps busting because we keep putting him in positions to re-open the wound, so we took the opportunity to let it heal and rest him for Wednesday too.

Well, I don't really agree with you about playing anywhere across the back but that's mainly because players aren't as two-footed as they should be (and because I'm deaf in one ear which made playing down the left an absolute pain in the backside in terms of organisation, but I can imagine that's not really a thing that affects 99% of players). However, I agree regarding the general awareness and positioning stuff. Still, no point going over his flaws again here.

Mane is almost certainly going to leave at the end of this season unless he gets seriously injured or suffers the kind of dip in form that makes no-one interested in buying him - and we'll have been planning for that since before we even signed him. I'm not sure why a half-baked rumour would have any relevance whatsoever about his leaving or not, we will have probably 30 possible targets for every single position planned over the course of the next 5 years or so for a variety of scenarios and successes - our level of organisation in this area is one of the reasons we've been successful in the transfer market and on the pitch.

I think it's unlikely we'll be signing Charlie Austin. Wages are too high, rumoured dodgy knee and recreational issues, and doesn't suit our style unless we play him out of position. More likely to see Seager, who is equally as unsuited to our first team formation at the moment for as long as Pelle plays. I can only see him signing for a desperate relegation-threatened side with a lot of money, that's Bournemouth. Can't see Norwich, Swansea, West Brom or Watford paying his wages, which leaves Stoke (who probably don't need him), West Ham (depends what the money situation is with the stadium move), or Sunderland - which I suppose is possible too. Don't think Everton need another striker, and it's unlikely Chelsea will go for him either, but you never know, they took Remy.

A bit awkward if flogging an U21 is key to our sustainability. Maybe that's why Reed's getting "held back", so we can flog him the year after Ward-Prowse to fill the "Champ/L1 recruitment gap".

I think it's more a split between defensive and attacking positions - it's not really a surprise that Wanyama/Romeu didn't work on Saturday when it's been ages since they played alongside each other for any amount of time.

I wonder if he'd sign for Bournemouth, can't see Villa under Lerner or Ashley's Newcastle outspending them?

It is bizarre to think I endured that entire event sober.

Where you have to have both money AND vague competence to finish in the top 7.

Aaand that's the difference between a genuinely legitimate university survey and all the thrown-together crap we usually see. Very well constructed and interesting to complete.

I'm fairly sure we've already covered off the "concerns" that they're overpaying, the agent fees seem in line with their attendances (including L1 comparisons), the thing to be laughing at is what an absolute balls-up they're making of getting out of a league where they should be able to outspend everyone AND afford to make mistakes and still go up. They're showing all the signs of the recent signings inheriting Overpaid Journeyman Syndrome, which has been their problem when spending more than other teams in the past couple of years. Basically even skint they have more money than all of L2 (where most teams don't pay for players anyway) and can offer bigger wages than most L1 teams because of their attendances, and despite their expensive to maintain craphole of a landlocked money-sink ground. But everyone they sign goes there for the money and some vague pretence of recent glory, (like me playing for a team which was in the UEFA Cup that season) and gets into a slump from thinking they're better than the league they're in and don't have to try, no doubt fuelled by the delusion all around them. It's frankly bloody wonderful as a self-perpetuating "punching yourself in the face" scenario. Also, the Reuben Reid thing was a McInnes joke, think there was some bad blood there or something from last season's fixture - as well as him being a good striker in that division.

Yes they were defending him at right back, which is where he played and scored against Villa. Strange that, because for someone who "shared the opinion of 100% of the forum" I got LOADS of sh111t from people arguing that he was absolutely fine and definitely didn't cost us goals or make mistakes in almost every match. As for your examples, there are plenty, I'll let other people find them.

After seeing the two spam threads today on top of the 3 previous efforts I was already aware of I'm thinking a ban might be in order and I'd also like to retract the answers I gave the second time he posted it.

I don't think a defensively-minded midfielder in a side that just conceded 7 should be thinking he's getting in anyone's team at the moment. Also, fairly sure loans to FL clubs aren't possible until January now, the emergency loan window closed on November 25th.

Stekelenburg - 9 - superb and reliable with very few mistakes, as good a loan as we could hope for. Cedric - 8 - doing well and obvious talent but loses a mark for the infrequency of his appearances and frequency of injuries. Martina - 5 - started awfully pre-season, seemed ok in the Europa League, fine in win over Norwich, hasn't played since a half against Man U when he was very average. Caulker - 6 - Man City sub appearance was the first time he didn't look like a beleaguered hoof merchant, not going to start. Van Dijk - 9 - a couple of early glitches especially against Man U but adds not only defensive strength but an attacking threat Romeu - 6 - looked very solid when playing regularly but seems to have dropped off since he became second choice to Clasie. Clasie - 7 - hasn't played enough to get a higher score but starting to show signs of being stronger and quicker on the ball, more composed Juanmi - 5 - hardly played, did well enough in League Cup games to suggest he might have something, another who needs to strengthen and get games.

You don't pay enough attention. I saw a LOT of people saying it was fine when he scored against Villa, and even earlier in the season when he was keeping up his one error a game record with remarkable consistency. As for "pleased to be proven right", I prefer to think of it as just "proven right".

We signed a £3.5m right back who we rested, who's probably already worth more than twice that.

My God you post some crap. They lost to Norwich because they're playing a match in between two first team games in which some of the regular U21s might feature, and none of the first team will be playing. They also hadn't played a match for a month. Harry Isted, Richard Bakary, Ollie Cook, Will Wood, Josh Debayo, Dominic Gape, Harrison Reed, Armani Little, Jake Hesketh (Tyreke Johnson 76), Josh Sims (Yan Valery 76), Ryan Seager. Unused substitutes: Harry Lewis (GK), Stuart Wilkin, Alfie Jones. We've sent more players out on loan than we have ever done before in the Premier League, and as a result this is a team full of kids without anyone to guide them with experience. Norwich had Russell Martin and Kyle Lafferty playing. It appears you both want us to send players on loan "so they don't lose heart" and for the remaining ones we decide aren't worth sending out on loan to win lots of matches too.

I'm fairly sure my 6 year old niece could have scored the one the keeper basically miscontrolled and passed to him in the box. He's not getting a look in for the first team unless Pelle and Long also get injured, and even then we'd probably play Mane up top first.

I see Eddie (Anaclet) Odihambo is now with non-League Brackley Town, seeing as he played against (another of his former clubs) Newport County in the FA Cup First Round.

He was also an argumentative egomaniac who'd go to extraordinary lengths to get his own way at the expense of pretty much anything, and spending money on agents wasn't one of the things he liked to do.