Chez

I'm not a huge fan of Sharp as I don't like goal hangers per cay, and I like forwards to have genuine pace (and Premiership managers obviously agree and none of them looked at him) or at least an outstanding attribute on top of being able to score, but the way we dominate possession and the number of crosses into the box means chances will come and he is possibly the right man for the job. The squad just looks strong once again. The key will be whether Adkins can settle on a side. Sometimes you can have too much choice.

a note of warning the queue for the tube afterwards goes round the block

and the general feeling on the island is summed up nicely here http://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/Hampshire/Portsmouth/PO6/Portsmouth-Bloggers/Tony-Goodall-Portsmouth-and-Pompey/215043-Time-for-Liquidation-For-Portsmouth-Football-Club

limited, but will have to do to pass the time till next week http://www.thespoof.co.uk/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s6i104027

its printed by Bishops. http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/east-hampshire/saints_get_signed_1_2700092

it may say takeover on the tin but, this thread is about all things skate. Back to the takeover, there appears to be a `stronger' transfer embargo in place, (no one out, a cheaper one in debarcle this time) the lads at the FL seem to be on the case finally, so the skates won't be strengthening in the loan window.

I must be missing something here. Cedar (and its predecessor) have been based in Southampton for 30 years. They have a London office as well, but that has only been open for 25 years. The Saints programme was printed by a Southampton firm (for the last 15 years), now it's printed by skates. This whole thing was argued tooth and nail a while back only for people who mentioned it to be shouted down by those suggesting it was small beer compared to the great strides we had made under Cortese. The usual thing. So long as we keep winning the club can do whatever it pleases when it comes to the `little' things like ticket pricing etc.. Bishops has some decent guys working for it, but its still a skate firm.

then Chamberlain got in the side and corners became a genuine goalscoring opportunity.

agree fully with this. We looked first class and totally bossed the game. Take away the snow and we'll create a few chances and Sharp will take them. I think we've turned the corner and the promotion race is back on. Oh and we'll stuff Millwall on Tuesday beat Bolton and then the season is going to become one of the best ever...

Chamberlain used to take our corners and he was bloody fantastic at it. Fox is bloody woeful. One decent one every 10, with the 9 usually terrible. Also we had Jardi taking up a lot of attention allowing space for others. Another thing was we used to play a very deep corner, but unlike now we actually had someone very deep - Hammond - who would head it back. Very tough to defend as players lose their markers easier for the second ball. Where has the crafty edge of the box corner gone too?

so long as Fox is not his replacement. How on earth did he ever get the tag as a good set piece deliverer?

how on earth is the first a yellow. Brilliant tackle. The second is a minor touch. He may have denied a slight crossing chance, but never a yellow. He didn't overly contest it. I'd of been going mental if I'd gone for those two decisions, then Dowd totally bottles a cynical professional foul at the other end. Dowd is a very poor ref in my book. The game usually flows, but he gets so many of the really big decisions wrong.

Excellent first half, pretty average second. We coped with the conditions well but I just wonder if it had been normal weather if we wouldn't have hurt them more in the final third. Sharp had such a good opportunity, but wanted it in his right and the chance was gone. That is what we paid the money for, that touch of class that meant he could take it straight away on his left. Give his a few weeks and he'll smack those in without thinking.

I know Connelly was poor in the last two games but he was pretty damn good at Forest

Zidic won't play. They will play Rooney and King.

no need for that, ground rock solid in Southsea. All they had to do to not play the game was not turn on undersoil heating. But do they have any? I thought the Premiership demanded it. The fact is though that they needed the game on. Policing costs are small as football clubs only pay for officers used inside the stadium. Not a huge requirement for that with Hull probably bringing 600 down.

makes sense to not have the programme printed when the game looked very dodgy. Nothing fishy about that. Just common sense. For once. As for Policing. Poopey only ever have to pay for policing inside **** park. Does that mean they could choose to go `all steward' or is their some requirement for inside stadium policing depending on the classification of the game? Wonder if undersoil heating was ever turned on?

I see the news reported only 14,000 tickets had been sold. It wouldn't have exactly been a packed park.

maybe they could not afford to turn the undersoil heating on? I imagine that is pretty expensive to run. Did they have funds for policing either?

if it was days yesterday when this was written...http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/campaigns/passion-for-portsmouth/news/pompey_face_crucial_week_ahead_warns_andronikou_1_3488741 ...then hours now?

link please as that is a perfect post to point others to

the encore is.

they're a totally different proposition now. Jordan Mutch is back in the side and so is Zigic. Two big players for them. But their UEFA run has gelled the side and filled them with confidence.

Long chat with my bluenose pal. He said Zigic is really struggling with a knee injury. If he doesn't make it King will start. They will play five in midfield. They use two deep lying central midfielders. They try to keep it short. Starting through Caldwell. Lots of triangles and then get it out wide. If they go in front they will sit back and try and hit with fast breaks. They are absolutely flying and looking for 7 in a row. He's usually pretty straight up about the blues, and knows the Saints well and he felt they'd turn us over. I found it hard to argue. We'll see though.

produced is not the same as printed. Maybe it will be available as a PDF only?