um pahars

I'm with you on that one, ever since that mental League Cup Second Leg in the 80's!!!!!! Plus thumping us at home on Shilton's home debut IIRC!!!!!!

You should see what some say about players who give 17 years of service to the Club Once they stop playing, that's it.

Harding for me, Fox has just been disappointing IMHO and looked suspect when being attacked. He's certainly not crap, but do struggle to reconcile why we paid what we did for him at the moment.

The ref has some discretion on that I think. I think he would have to have been irresponsible or reckless or something like that. A bit of over exuberance wouldn't qualify for either of those I think. R5L said Malky McKay helped the situation as well, so fair play to him, I can think of others who would have inflamed it!!!!

In the Laws of the Game it's enough for "team official" just to enter the field of play for the ref to stop the game. They don't have to touch the ball. Although as you say I'm sure some discretion can/should be used.

Without getting too technical, I don't think whether Adkins touched the ball or not is relevant, as soon as he stepped on the pitch that was enough for the ref to stop play.

R5L said the first was as you have called it, in that Adkins was on the pitch when he collected the ball to be returned. probably fortunate not to be banished to the stands, but ref used common sense.

I posted that after the Forest game (think it was that game) but we seemed alright a week later against Brum. Maybe two away games in quick succession???

I like the way you've split these as that's how I see it. For me Cork and Spiderman are too "nice" together and need something else alongside one of them. Was worried before the game last night that we wouldn't be "strong" enough in the middle of the park, not sure if that was true though as would have to leave it up to those who went to comment.

Definitely agree with that in that it's not the ability of the full backs, more that they've not been given much protection at times.

More than happy to be proved wrong, but don't think getting him in sooner would have made much of a difference as I think it's competence as opposed to settling in that might be the problem. And that's being said in a chat down the pub giving your opinion way as opposed to publicly criticising and undermining a player.

Got done by J-Rod on Saturday for their goal (mind you Forte also got done just after). If we're allowed to be critical, we have looked dodgy at the back from exposed full backs to Jos finding his feet and Fonte struggling amidst all this. Definitely our weak spot.

In the context of being top after 9 games, a defeat at Cardiff is no real bummer, as we're well ahead of where I thought we would be. The downer is after last nights results and Cardiff's injury crisis I thought we had a really good chance of extending our lead. A couple of days ago would have settled for a point, so only a point dropped in my mind. We're going to lose matches in this division (even if we maintain our promotion push), so regroup for the weekend.

give me a point fellas give me apoint

Would agree with that, in that I think we are light up front if DC and RL aren't producing. Jos got done by J-Rod on Saturday and cost us one tonight, so IMHO the two areas identified by NA might be undoing us!!!!!

5live extra have been fairly complimentary, just saying we lack the final ball or clinical finish.

I quite agree. Never did fancy Hoddle The Sequel.

Isn't their skipper missing as well???

Not convinced (if you're allowed an opinion on here without being shot down in flames). Think we need more of a battling player in the middle of the park tonight. Worried Cork & Spiderman will be outmuscled/outfought.

And perhaps just as important, in our defence. We have looked a bit dodgy defending down the flanks.

I'd say more like 5-5 (all own goals). I've never said anything other than both sides are as bad as each other, with both responding to the others jibes. On occasions Benali restarted the squabble, on others it was Matty or Lawrie and on this occasion Cortese has reignited the b1tchfest. As Kraken and C B Fry have mentioned I just find it strange how some fail to accept that Cortese may have played a negative role in this and at the same time are only too keen to launch in to others, whilst not being as even handed with another of the protagonists. And I've constantly said that I wished it was either brought to a halt and everyone kept their thoughts to themselves or that hopefully someone could broker a meeting to get all the parties pulling together for the benefit of the Club.

I commented a couple of weeks ago that it looks as though this spat had petered out as both Matty and Lawrie had been very supportive of the Club in recent weeks and they had both been at recent games (Then Saturday Comes!!).

Wear your Saints top in the rifle club and you'll see first hand why batons are drawn!!!!

Fair enough, just that I would also argue that in the world of charitable (and other) donations, very often great benefit is felt by both the donor and the recipient. I'm not suggesting for one minute that ££££s don't count, they most obviously do.

Indeed, I'm still chuckling about it now. Anyone got a link to the goals?????????