Ken Tone

Having been to (the old ) Wembley a few times for finals of mickey mouse competitions, I'd prefer Carlisle simply because the atmosphere on our big day out would be far more pleasant. Fans of both teams tend to mix, take photos of each other on Wembley Way etc, and it is usually very good-natured. Can't see it being good-natured at any game in which Leeds feature. Their fans just don't do good-natured. Carlisle would bring plenty of fans to Wembley anyway. Although it is a small club, with small regular attendances it is seen as the club for a very large area around Cumbria and even across the hills towards Geordie land. They have a large number of 'occasional' fans. So since the whole attraction of the JPT is a good day out at wembley, then give me Carlisle any day. Besides IF we get to the play-offs we're could be playing Leeds then. I reckon they're showing early signs of maybe slipping out of the top place(s). But let's not count our chickens with respect to MK dons. K.

I'm still undecided. He does have talent ,yes. But what I don't understand is this feeling that he has time and will get better. How does he have time on his side? He's in his mid-twenties. He is a seasoned and experienced professional. This is as good as he gets. It's not like he is only 19 and in his first season of professional football, coming from non-league last season like Antonio. So for me, the decision would depend on all sorts of issues that we do not know about: wage demands, attitude, language problems and what he is doing to learn English, long-term fitness, etc K.

This forecast implies bloody cold but no snowtil just after the game! http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/today.asp?zipcode=leeds k

Not to mention Jim Forward-Magilton, and there was also the multi-barrelled Ian For-God's-Sake-Head-It-Down-For-Once-Dowie K.

Mind you, much as I rate Pardew, I think he casued the problem by his original shape, which was in effect 4-4-1-1 with Llallana playing in the middle behind Lambert. It didn't work. K.

So was the 4th official! Ref got yellow card out to book holt a second time, and indeed seemed to actually book him, but it was very vague. I think he realised halfway through that it would be the second booking and chickened out of sending him off. For a few minutes afterwards holt was looking at the ref as if to say am I booked or not? And then a few minutes later when the ref was over by the dugout the 4th official went over to him as if to check something ...my interpretation was he was asking "didn't you just book holt twice but not send him off ?" Ref could be seen shaking his head. Add to that the fact that one of their players clearly punched James right in front of the linesman yet was only booked and Lambert should think himself lucky he had 11 men on the pitch ...and both of them took penalties btw. K.

However they are unlikely to sell many tickets, given that the game doesn't appear in the fixtures list on the OS! Without wishing to stir up the earlier row again btw, I am a kingsland ST holder who has (reluctantly) bought seats in the Itchen for this game. I think that (as long as the OS eventually recognises the existence of the game!) they have underestimated demand. This is after all the 'start' of the real FA cup, the 3rd round, when we normally join it, not just a mickey mouse, Freight Rover, Leyland Daf, John Player cup. ( I am going tonight as well btw) I'd expect 14 to 15k and maybe more for the Luton game. K.

Well put it this way. Each time in the second half I said out loud, "Well blow me. He's jolly well offside again" (or words to that effect! ;-) ) BEFORE the linesman's flag went up. First half, I couldn't say from where I am in the kingsland, but second half linesman was right every time. But that is not to say Waigo is rubbish or we shouldn't play him. We just need a good coach to spend some time with him, an interpretor, and a cattle prod. K.

Agree comletely about Waigo's offsides. I counted 8 of them by him, with only about 2 or so other offsides by the rest of the team all game. All the ones in the second half definitely were really offside from where I sit in the kingsland, and none of them were down to the other players or the linesman being slow to react. I could understand it if Papa were only 19 and raw like Antonio, but he's 25 (26?). What struck me most was how frustrating it must be for the rest of the team, to have good attacking postions wasted time after time by a (usually) unnecessary offside. Waigo certainly has talent, and creates chances. His speed is a great asset but he's no faster than Antonio ---but he is more skillful. If he'd just sort out the offside thing he'd be a top player. But then maybe that's why Fiorentina let him go. And yes Lambert stopped running towards the end, but I suppose the issue is, who would you bring on instead of him? K.

Amazed and rather worried that he's gone to non-league. He looked far far better than that last season, and I expected him to be pushing at the door of our first team by now if he was fit. I hope this doesn't mean he isn't getting actually back to full fitness after a serious injury and will never be the same player again. Would be a real shame after so much promise. K.

The Radio Solent presenter then went on later to say that it may have sounded like Corteses had arranged a private flight but it was in fact just tickets on a scheduled one. No idea if this morning or yesterday, but dount we'd pay for hotel as well as flights. I presume it was more that Pardew meant Cortese agreed to the expense of a flying. There are some clubs in this division who'd have to go by coach today, with just an hour or so warm up before the match after a cramped 6 hour journey, never mind private planes. This is the third division when all's said and done. K.

I was pretty much alongside in the kingsland and was actually shouting at Waigo ..oh no you're offside again you *****, before the whistle went. I cannot understand how a player of his age can be so poor at this basic tactic. Don't run offside! It's really not that complicated a concept is it? K.

But since we didn't play 'hoof and run', your comments are not relevant. It was just one of those games. I was at the game but my son watched on Sky. He tells me the TV stats showed us to have had 69% of the possession in the second half and the commnetators spent time praising the Brighton keeper's role in keeping us out, which fits with how it looked to me. At times it was like a practice game, attack v defence. We'll be fine this season. This game was bit of a reality check ,that's all. You really can't win them all. K.

Which he is/was originally at least, but the commentator also implied he was the crane-firm Liebherr, ie his brother, as opposed to the 'common rail diesel' firm Liebherr. Re; Scummers' >>>slightly less surprised that they didn't know James' preferred position is central midfield. Am I the only person who thinks never what his preferred postion is, he is actually better at right back than central midfield now? k.

LOL Only if you pedal fast enough. Now if it were a BBC B or even a BBC master ........ K.

You can't make someone redundant if their job, or even one damn near the same, continues afterwards. It's the post that is redundant - not the post-holder. Technically when someone is described as being 'made redundant', they are actually being 'dismissed for reasons of redundancy', ie because their job has disappeared. So if there's still the same job there, then there is no redundancy. If you want to get rid of someone and employ someone better you have to sack them for incompetence, and take the risk that a tribunal won't agree they were incompetent. So if a shop assistant has been made redundant as such, the club cannot be employing a new shop assistant to replace him/her, unless the post is substantially different. This must be a reducation in the number of staff in the shop. K.

£500k is a huge amount for a largely untried L1 player. *If* Reading don't have him firmly in their plans for the future I'd have thought £200k or £300k was tops. This is the third division we're in now. Antonio has indeed made a difference when he's come on, but he's very raw. Most of his game is simply "push it past the defender and run like hell", which with his pace is effective at this level, but he'll need more to his game when we get promoted. Let's not forget that we have Kayne McLaggon recovering from injury, who to me at least, looked just as good (and as fast) last year at the higher CCC level. If he does return to full fitness and form, he will be excellent in L1. So personally I'd be happy to see Antonio's loan extended and/or him to sign for a modest fee, but not £500k. K.

Everyone thinks that whatever their own management style is, is the the one that works. It's like the way that everyone thinks they are a good driver, when demonstrably most of us aren't. Well let's be honest; what I really mean is most of you aren't. I'm just trying to win you over by phoney empathy ... another good management tool that the OP's boss seems to have perfected ;-) I've seen and experienced management by fear and by positive motivation ...'love' for short. Both work actually. 'Love' works a bit better than fear, but it's harder to achieve. As to Saints, yes Pardew will have his own style which will suit some more than others. When *the* overall boss of an organisation changes, it causes changes all through that organisation. Some workers adapt .. others leave. K.

Me too, on both counts. For the first few games of last season I was amazed at how well he had the youngsters playing. Yes he was limited and knew very little about English football .... he definitely had to go .... but most of the problems we had last season were out of his control to be fair, and he seemed a decent bloke. K.

And if there is an age problem, you can (or certainly could ..haven't tried recently) pay *in advance* to upgrade a kid's ticket to an adult for the one-off game. Sensible approach on the part of the club and no one defrauded. K.

It's never a nice day in Oldham, at least not at the football ground. Haven't been there for donkey's years but when there was a big open terrace for away fans the wind blowing down that slope was the coldest in the league. Bitter! Segregation wasn't too good either, especially since they habitually opened all the gates 15 mins before the game finished so the home fans moved into the away end looking for 'fun' if the away contingent was small. No doubt it is now all-seater with central heating. K.

No attempt to belittle coming up from me, everyone's entitled to their own opinion, but we played 4-4-2 against Bristol Rovers. So many attacks from them came down our left becasue Mellis wasn't there to stop them in midfield. The problem with our recent play has been that whoever is supposed to be on the left of midfield, especially when it has been Mellis, has constantly drifted infield and left Harding exposed at left back. He can't mark 2 or 3 players at once all by himself. Personally I think Harding has beeen a revelation at LB: an excellent signing. As to the ballboy rants that others have mentioned, I agree it doesn't look too savoury, but they do need sorting out a bit. One lad in front of the kingsland is often too busy texting to respond quickly to the game. It must be frustrating as a player running to the line to take a quick throw in, to signal to the ballboy 2 or 3 times that you want the ball, only to be ignored. K.

Well yes it is, unless the police say there is a crowd control/safety issue (surely not for this game) or the TV people dictate (also not for this game). K.

I think the club has shot itself in the foot here. It has forgotten how many fans travel a fair way to games. I'm sure I'm not alone in finding it just about impossible to get to a 7pm k.o. after work. Even 7.45 is difficult with end-of-rush-hour traffic down the A34 and M3. In effect the club has decided to make it 'take the little kids' evening for only those people actually living and working in Southampton. Fair enough, but I hope later stage games in the JPT are at normal times. Will be the first home game in any competition (as opposed to friendlies) that I've missed n about 12 years. Give them a shout for me. K.

I have no idea about this partuclar issue in the Itchen, but I echo the praise for Luker's responsiveness to supporters. I wrote to him this morning complaining about tuesday's unannounced late closure of car park B and got a reply within minutes, followed by further communication from a more appropriate employee. Personally I've got him on the "one of the good guys" list. K.