um pahars

Last week's bench: Seabourne (defender, lower leagues) Richardson (defender, decent quality) Gobern (unproven) Forecast (enough said) Forte (unproven for me and playing bit parts for Scunny doesn't make me wet my lips in anticipation) Martin (defender, starting out) N'Guessan (unproven, as posted above) No real attacking options, no real cover for middle of the park, none have made an impact, heavy on defenders and nothing there with the exception of Richardson that gives me overwhelming confidence. Gobern has shown glimpses in recent games, but has also struggled in others. We need here and now players for this run in. All about opinions, but that is a pretty poor bench, particularly when judged against our stated ambitions and resources. N'Guessan has started 8 games this season & his only decent run was at Lincoln and Forte has been a bit part player for S****horpe (43 starts over 3 1/2 seasons). They might come good, but let's not over-hype their pedigree and experience. All about opinions, but we shouldn't be looking to move our two most creative wide players to do a bodge job up front due to having no real cover. I haven't seen Lallana or Oxo have a decent game up front when we have re jigged part way through a match and maintain a like for like swao would be better as opposed to weakening up front and wide positions by doing a bodge job. But given our "resources" and given our publicly stated ambitions we have suddenly looked somwewhat threadbare when faced with a few injuries & suspensions. We also looked weak when Lallana was absent for a period. For such an ambitious Club, we do seem to be scraping around a bit. There have been times already this season when I think our weakness in depth has cost us and I think our biggest challenge is still to come. With injuries, suspensions and a hectic run of games our lack of quality in depth might come back to haunt us. Along with that will be a number of reasons which will be aired if we fail to go up.

To be honest he's been off my radar since his Barnsley days although I do remember him getting a broken jaw at some point during his Reading career. 44 games in the 2009/10 season & 22 this season???? Not sure what that says for this season, out of favour, injured, suspensions??? Perhaps making more of a contribution than N'Guessan????? However, given our fragility in the middle of the park, he might not be a bad shout.

I don't particularly want to get in to a crucifying N'Guessen post, so I'll say the jury is out for me, but 8 league starts this season for Saints, Leicester & S****horpe combined hasn't really got me salivating. An OK addition to the squad, probably, but nothing more than that. Certainly doesn't "boost" our bench & striking capabilities and not sure it fits in with the Premiership in 4 years mantra. I'm also not chomping on the bit for Howard as an individual, I'm just saying that looking at our threadbare bench in recent games, and thinking of injuries, suspensions and the hectic run in, then it might not be a bad idea (or time) to look to bolster the team in a couple of key areas. If we are to believe that we want the Premiership in 4 years, then I sometimes find it difficult to reconcile this statement of intent with some of our actions (or inactions).

But have you seen our bench for recent games?? Total dearth of talent, no impact players,no one seemingly capable of changing a game. With a few injuries and suspensions we have looked extremely threadbare. I find that hard to reconcile with an ambitious Club looking to be in the Premiership in 4 years! And now we have absolutely no cover for our front two, and with so many games in such as short period, I would have thought that is quite a risky position to be in. I know it will be a hard task keeping players happy if only 2 are going to play, but we don't seem to have anyone (temporarily in to help us, or up and coming) to help out. Difficult to reconcile with our ambitions to be playing Chelsea in 4 years. Jury's out on that one and I would have to say that given Adkin's own confidence with the players (he has started others in front of them) they don't fill me with confidence. I'm not knocking the two guys, as they haven't been given much of a chance, but if Adkins has his doubts about playing them for the full 90, then I think I'm allowed some as well. But in doing so you are totally upsetting the balance of the team and moving them from their best positions to do a stopgap job upfront, effectively weakening two positions. Much better would be a like for like if we had the strength in depth. I think it will be due to a number of issues, but a lack of depth could well be one of them (particularly with this mental run in).

I thought we only had something like 5 points after the first 7 games!!!!!!!

Firstly, I don't think we have largely League 1 players, which is why I have been underwhelmed by some of our recent performances. I would have though Davis, Butterfield, Fonte, Jaidi, Chaplow, Lallana, Chamberlain, Guly, Lambert (and maybe Harding, Hammond & Barnard) would be able to handle it in the league above (and many have played in that league for a number of years). I agree most benches in this division are sh**e (and would extend that to say most teams are sh**e), but I would have thought that given our stated ambitions and our hinted resources (as well as looking at our gates etc), then we should be looking to have squads much better to ensure we meet our 5 year plan. Simply saying we're marginally better than all the other sh**e out there doesn't really resonate with a 5 year plan to get in the Premiership. I'm not asking for Premiership Loan signings (nor the splashing of thousands) merely some introductions in specific areas to add or support to the first team who will make a contribution in these last hectic months. However, I do agree with your last but that the standard is generally sh**e, which is why I wouldn't have thought it would take much (given our resources) to get out of this division.

Large squad??? maybe, but in recent games I've looked at our bench and thought we have looked decidedly weak in terms of quality!!!!! A bench made up of Forte, N'Guessan, Richardson, Seabourne, Martin, Forecast & Gobern doesn't strike me as having decent replacements up front or in the centre of the park. With injuries, suspensions (current and pending) and a mental run of games, I would certainly be advocating strengthening in one or two key areas to achieve promotion automatically. I accept getting players to drop a division or to come and not be guaranteed a game is not easy, but then again I don't get paid thousands to charm them, but I think that's a different argument to suggesting we don't need strengthening.

My only comment on the matter would be that we appear to be our somewhat inconsistent with regards our policy when these issues arise. I would have thought a much better way would be to agree a policy for a season (for away matches, big Cup matches etc), publish it up front and then adhere to it. That way everyone knows the score before they buy (or don't buy) a season ticket, before they go to loads of away matches etc, rather than have it dropped on them a a couple of weeks before the game. (I think whatever the Ticket Office decide will upset someone, but at least if they have policy and adhere to it throughout the season, then at least we'll only have the argument once!!!!!).

All About People.

I did caveat it with a "perhaps"!!!!!

Indeed, and of course you have no idea what the relative strength of the various teams opposition was (i.e. were most of our games against top half teams etc etc etc) and what form were the opponents in etc etc etc. It can give you a feel, but of course the only decent form guide is the one that will be produced after the last 46 games!!!!!!!!!!

I think a load of things will get thrown in to the mix if we fail to go up by such a narrow margin, surrendering twice at Posh, losing at Tranmere & Walsall, drawing at home to Notts County, Wilkins little cameo!!!!, changing the manager a few games in etc etc etc (plus a thing more things we have yet to come across). Play offs was an absolute minimum for me I'm afraid and did expect us to be in the top two and didn't have any problem coming second to anyone.

The thing with stats is that you can manipulate them in many ways. I think we've been somewhat out of sorts since the thumping of Oldham in mid January and if you look at results since then you get: Brighton----2.33 Orient------2.17 Posh-------2.00 Hudds------2.00 MK DOns---2.00 Saints------1.91 Bmuff------1.69 So over that period we're sixth in terms of points per game!!!!!!

Would have to agree that a number of players seem to be playing somewhat below their capabilities, but on the plus side once they all start to click and fulfill their potential then hopefully we will go on a decent run until the end of the season finishing a comfortable second. Hopefully recent results will give us a big confidence boost and we can push on from here. But I do think that collectively and individually we have to up our game. Nothing wrong with suggesting we playing under par at the moment and to say we have ground out a few results is a fair observation (and also perhaps the sign of a successful team).

Cracking ties there. Potential for all being in top 6 at that point.

And Adkins has been in charge for 29 games!! http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/league-one/2010-2011/custom-table Brighton 29, 61pts Saints 29, 57pts Orient 27, 49pts Hudds 30, 52pts Posh 29, 50pts B'mouth 30, 50pts

Have always thought it will go to the last game of the season, which won't be good for my nerves. History has us getting promoted at a London venue, so maybe we will go up at Brentford and Walsall at home will be a party!!!!!

I would certainly say that since the Carlisle thumping we haven't been firing on all cylinders. A part of that coincided with Lallana's injury (and there have been other injuries as well), but nonetheless the performances haven't been overly good. I'm not saying we need to be playing champagne football every game, but there have been a number of performances where we haven't even got the basics right, surrenedered possession too easily, made basic errors and not looked overly convincing (I think we have been fortunate in that some of the teams we have played have been dire e.g. Swindon & Yeovil). That said, we've ground out some results (but also lost a couple of stupid games) and I'm not overly fussed about how we go up, as long as we do. I'll take any three points and promotion however it is earned, but my caveat would be that as long as we are "underperfoirming" there is another chance of a silly slip up.

I too think they will be our biggest rivals for second place, but not writing off Huddersfield either!!! Think they'll win all their home games and the upsets could come away from home with the ones you have marked being real toughies/6 pointers (although they haven't been that bad away either recently - 9 from 5 games I think)

You won't be p*****g me off, I would be more than happy for them to come up via the Play Offs and join us.

Very important win, so very, very pleased. Bournemouth's loss midweek and our victory today could well have ended their push for second spot, which leaves a right old battle with Huddersfiled and Posh. Interesting that Posh have so many away games (7 out of 11). Their full away record is W6 D2 L8 (20 out of 48 - not impressive) Recently it's been W3 D0 L2 (9 out of 15 - not bad)

Get the fckkk in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And now come on Rovers, pull one back (think asking Carlisle for a comeback might be wasted)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But with a squad miles better, they should be miles behind. Like you I also believe we have a much stronger squad than anyone else in this division, but recent performances have been somewhat lack lustre and even points per game would suggest we are underperforming when compared to our rivals given the resources we have to hand.

A return roughly matched by quite a few others who by your own admission have a squad miles worse than us!

In Block 34 as well. Obviously some eagle eyed supporters in that block who appreciated that Yeovil were doing that short corner routine. Didn't some team score a cracker from it a couple of years back.