suewhistle

Posting from a skiing holiday although confusingly I'm in Genova by the sea. Read the match thread an hour after posting and didn't jump to the end so suffered all the agonies of everybody else. Biggest emotion was relief and getting some optimism for the next game. Thanks for the links to the goals. Nice to see some long range shooting for a change. Back for the Liverpool game (just) and I'm probably not the only one feeling just a leeetle more hopeful.

I'm on holiday so don't know if mine was used. Didn't follow it last night but saw the team sheet. Good bench, I thought, along with a few unprintable thoughts. Sat in a mountain restaurant warming up and will try to avoid footie for abit but theman is an idiot who doesn't learn.

Larry, you haven't noticed that the criticism he gets isn't for non-attendance? It's for consistently negative c**p, and always, I mean always looking at the negative aspects of any situation. HTH

Well, that was better and the icing on the cake was Southern Railways being on time BOTH ways! Chatting with the Spurs fans on the way home: they were complaining about the ref but I bought up the subject of Dembele.. We played much more on the front foot until tiredness set in. Not sure Lemina is fully match fit but he was a lot snappier than in recent games and helped our higher press. It's a shame Sims isn't up to speed yet as I feel he'd have taken that late chance, but it's interesting to see a 17 year old debutante on against Spurs. Pellegrino talked about his pace, but if I went conspiracy theory for which this board is renowned it might be a subtle hint to Les about the resources available. Either way, the crowd were positive, the kid got appearance money and invaluable experience and his mates in the U23s (er.. U18s?) will all want to emulate him.

Actually, on giving it some thought, it's getting us all home again that is their real weakness..

I, and quite and number of others rely on Southern Railways. Well, it's not so much rely as hope. When they work it's fine, but they have a strange habit of random cancellations due to staff shortages, and then blaming the staff for being dead or mortally ill, and then never have relief crews.

If you leave the board I'll double it.

I think this is my view. I do share Lord T's er.. surprise on this sudden change in Guan2.0. Hopefully the team will give me something to cheer about on Sunday and I will. More incompetent substitutions and tactics and I may naturally find myself expressing an opinion of the manager. Politely, of course but maybe vociferously..

FFS - there was a certain horrible inevitability about that. I think I'll take my blood pressure tablet early..

If we get a penalty I wonder who will take it? :-)

Wey hey. That shoould do wonders for personal and team confidence. Watford crowd getting unhappy...

Saints fans sounding in good voice on the radio.

Barolo, Nebbiolo d'Alba, beef casserole with penny buns (porcini/ceps) and not a trace...

Good grief, I thought you were all joking! https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jan/09/liverpool-mayor-joe-anderson-police-ross-barkley-everton-chelsea

I once did some part-time relief work at the Portsmouth Foyer: we had a number of residents with those during my time there.

Has he surfaced yet?

Yep, that's about it I reckon. Davis put the effort in and was playing more advanced but he seems to have lost a bit of pace and sharpness and yesterday gave weight to my thoughts that he's been in decline recently. Doesn't anybody else on the managerial bench have any input - "Looks like Long is knacked, boss .."? Gabbiadini should at least have been warming up ready some time before. Good shout to have a look at Sims as well. Another here who thinks Bertrand is not putting the effort in. Oh well, we're in the draw, and I'm not too bothered about round 4 as long as we get through as I'm on holiday.

cackle

We were talking about footballers... I've only just risked coming on here. I'm not generally too much of a moaner but that was awful on Tuesday, compounded by the last train being cancelled _again_. What was he doing with those substitutions? Bertrand made about one run, towards the end as if to give us a reminder he was there. Lemina must be carrying an injury not to get on in those conditions which cried out for his physicality. Davis for JWP was just a swap and not for the better, in my opinion. And so on and so forth. A friend couldn't make it and I told her that there was a terrible feeling of inevitability about the whole sorry affair.

MLG - I think in the case of mack rill he's the one who has caught you. Plays to the image, does our mack. Plus in terms of content, he's right, chuckle.

He didn't bloomin' turn up to my coaching course. That reminds me, I think Hants FA still owe me a refund!

That all adds up. Also concussion and the damaged caused is a cumulative thing, so after the clash with Lukaku it seems a wise move.

Apparently Liverpool fans are already dissatisfied with his anonymity on the pitch and tried to torch his car, but unfortunately got the wrong ones..

Wasn't anybody on earlobe watch in the directors box or did they sneak them into the family centre?

Oh sod me, so it is. Thank you. Mind you, using Southern Railways for an evening match is equally risking it. They have a habit (a regular habit) of not running the last direct Littlehampton train and you risk going via Fratton, or they start the train from Fareham but don't tell anyone that they may be able to get there in time via Eastleigh/Botley.