Chez

could not agree more. It makes me laugh when I read on here criticism of West Ham for hoofing it yet (apart from doing ourselves a air bit over the last two months) we have so many fans that groan whenever we don't get the ball forward immediately. Very little patience at SMS. I would like to applaud those that bothered to stay to the end as most gave the players a very good round of applause for their efforts showing appreciation for a great effort.

I also didn't understand that, but likewise I don't want to see Falque anywhere near the bench, and Puncheon has been utter **** since coming back into the fold. Are Barnard and Connelly out for the season?

That's why I posted "chest down to Lambert apart". No idea where you get this idea of movement from. He jogs around like an old man in wellys. Slowest non big man I have ever seen up front. Didn't hold the ball up, won nothing in the air, caused almost no problems with his movement, little threat. He had one half chance when put away down the left hand side in the fist half, but he was so slow the defender caught him up, he didn't have the bottle to go for it on his left foot, brought it back onto his right and the defender snubbed it out. A better, faster striker would have turned that breakaway into a goalscoring chance, but he doesn't have the pace to do it.

we seem to be agreeing apart from the fact that I think he is consistent (offers good stuff but lots of frustrating stuff too) and you think he's not consistent, but that's not his fault.

everyone is entitled to an opinion, but I don't understand yours at all.

Can't agree more about wingers in general, but I don't think he is even inconsistent. You get the same from him every game. Full of tricks and effort, but he does the same annoying things, like turn back on himself, eat the fullbacks space, always coming inside never giving the fullback the easy pass down the line, underhitting crosses and not just running straight past slow fullbacks. I'm not concerned about a lack of consistency, its what he consistently does that worries me. Lose a few of those traits and he'd be untouchable. I've said all season that he should get a 5 or 6 game run in the side, but Adkins has ****ed him about. I'm surprised the lad has the confidence to do what he does

did he? Chest it down for Lambert apart, what exactly did he do?

you are right about as good as you will get of the bench, but don't you think there is a better player in there somewhere?

Chaplow was back to his best against Palace. Brilliant performance in that game. Didn't go for him last night.

didn't think of it like that. Cheered me up. Positive thinking there at its best.

spot on. He kept sticking his arse into the defender or even running straight into them. That aside he had a poor night, losing the ball, little movement and he seemed slower than ever. Maybe the pace and power of Roberts et al just showed what we lack with Sharp. He had a great first half at Palace and I thought I saw something there in terms of his all round game, but maybe I was kidding myself as he was back to his normal slow, pedestrian self.

I simply can't believe anyone could vote for SDR for MOTM ahead of Lambert. Lambert was on a different level last night.

he's annoying. He has real ability, great tricks and pace as well, but time after time he takes 15 touches when two would do, fails to beat the first man from a cross, eats the fullbacks space, stops and goes round and round when a quick turn and drive straight would cause far more problems. He's frustrating because you just know he can do almost anything he wants to do with the ball, but he seems to just try too hard. More than happy with his effort and often his impact. I just want more from him. Hopefully we'll get it in the next three games. Wrong sub last night. Chaplow had just found his feet nearly scored and although not having a great game was making the runs we needed.

Anyone that thinks Martin would have handled Roberts better needs to think again. Fonte made mistakes but he also did a lot of very good things. He's not world class and he hasn't been quite as dominant in quite as many games this season in this higher division, but overall he's still been bloody good.

strange game where we dominated from start to finish, but just couldn't forge that unmissable chance we needed to get our noses in front. Very happy with the overall performance. Like the way we played it out from the back, showed patience and were first to the second ball throughout. Disappointed with the cutting edge up front and out wide. No keeper on the bench, yet we still don't have anyone to replace the totally ineffective Sharp. Fair play to Reading for sticking in there and then finishing the chances when they came along. The pace up front was telling and showed up exactly what we lack. Our time will come though and if we play like that we'll get the points we need. Felt worse after the skate draw. Davis 7 Not a lot to do. One great save in the second half. Excellent distribution. Butterfield 7 decent game, kept both wide players quiet, lots of excellent crosses that someone should have got on the end of. Not a fan but he did his job. Jos 7 another solid game, won everything in the air, strong as always Fonte 6 tough battle with Roberts who was a handful as expected. A couple of mistakes, but lessor defenders would have torn a new one by Roberts. Passed it well from the back. Went missing for their second, got caught a little for the first too although a top quality cross. Fox 6 The good thing from this is his hollywood ball might not be his first thought. What I don't understand is how at Palace every pass is simple down the line to Adam, yet today he didn't make that pass once. Every single time it was inside - often to good effect - but Lallana didn't see the ball at all in the second half. Didn't get tight enough for their second allowing an easy cross. Cork 9 Another outstanding display. Absolutely everywhere, great in the air, covered the ground, up and down Hammond 7 Got caught in possession a couple of times notably leading to the second goal, but the middle was ours helped by his strong display. Not sure why we subbed him. Guly for Sharp was the move for me. Chaplow 5 not his day today, the effort was there but it just didn't go for him unlike at Palace. If he connected with the keeper he was lucky to stay on. Taken off because of the risk of red? Pity as he'd almost scored and might have gone on from there. Lallana 7 great first half, absolutely everywhere except wide, but needed him to score. I'm greedy and want to see him cut inside and curl into the to corner a few more times. Did nothing in the second at all. Give him the ****ing ball. Jesus. Lambert 9 Best first half display I've ever seen from him. Amazing. Ran the game completely. Continued in the second half and obviously got his goal. Crap last five minutes when he made a few poor passes, but harsh to mark him down on those. Sharp 4 nothing stuck, he went down easy, ran into defenders rather than genuinely jump for the ball and offered very little. He controlled the ball well for the goal but offered little threat. Went through in first half but bottled it with his left tried to get it onto his right and immediately run down by the defender. No pace, chance gone. Should have been subbed. The difference between the sides was the strikers. Lambert was quality, Sharp not good enough. 5 de Ridder flatters to deceive. Beat Harte once in half an hour. Too many crop circles and crosses failing to beat the first man. Just eats peoples space. Get the ball and run like the wind. Love his enthusiasm, very important tackle on Roberts, but we don't get the best from him. I thought we were better with Chaplow and he was having a poorish game. 6 Guly passed it well, kept the ball, didn't really improve us a lot, but perhaps Hammond was tiring so he maintained the intensity

can't stand him. He is clueless and useless, but then again so is D'Urso and he turned out to be a massive homer when he did us last season, so maybe Dean will do us a favour.

sorry, but Sibley's actions, both his comments about PFC on twitter and this subsequent reaction to the negative press Allan gave him show a lack of class.

I'd take Zaha. Despite our best efforts he still managed to beat players and get dangerous crosses in. Suspect temperament perhaps, but he does tend to get kicked in the air a little bit because he is willing to keep the ball under pressure and then draw the foul. Other than Lallana I've not seen anyone in this league take players on like he does. A rare talent. One that would have to be handled very well to prevent him getting too big for his boots and possibly sent off for petulance.

one decent chance, one dangerous cross. It was as comfortable a day as you'll ever likely have at this level. No booze and no exaggeration. It matters little. Reading are a different kettle of fish completely in terms of quality and confidence.

he's a Titchfield lad. Of course he has a balanced view. Excellent radio co-commentator. Less of a fan of his TV work.

wall score

not their battle of Stalingrad?

doesn't the `Germany about to lose the war/Hitler in bunker about to top himself' situation not remind you more of their lot than ours?

you only get so many holidays in life. Why visit the same place every year?

I do wonder which games people are thinking back to when they talk about great away noise/support. Thought our crowd were decent yesterday. Funny, I don't recall the shoot the Pompey scum song being sung once.