Pat from Poole

I don't think either of them were that great tonight. Neither struck me as being team players. We just need a tiger in midfield and some pace up front. Bailey from Charlton and Jackson from Gillingham would do it.

I wouldn't say that at all. Not as if Doncaster are going to win the Cup. Maybe they're grateful for the prize money to get through an extra round.

Bobby Charlton played in an era when you almost had to decpaitate somebody to get booked, so it's not really a relevant argument. I'd far rather watch a Saints team which isn't bullied away from home. Makes a real nice change.

£14. How?

Wasn't he Brentford's chairman until fairly recently?

If Lambert scores 30-plus goals this season, I could see a Prem team coming in for him in the summer. Somebody like Wigan, Stoke or even Newcastle. He's on a good salary with us, but I couldn't see him turning down a move to the Prem.

Certainly not Alan Ball, I think he was on £60K a year. I could imagine McMenemy being on more than that in the 80's.

I'm not so sure. I fear Lambert and Lallana, and possibly even Fonte will move on if we don't go up this season as they won't want another season in Div 3 and higher league sides are bound to come in for them, and even though we would probably get decentish fees, we'd be looking at another major re-construction of the squad. I'd rather have the players than the cash. If we start badly in Div 3 next season like we did this season, which we could if there's a few ins and outs within the squad, how long will it be before both the fans and Cortese get impatient? I fully accept that we could have lost our club last summer, but we need to somehow go up this season. There is no guarantee at all that we would be in the top 2 next season, it's taken 3 years for a really massive club like Leeds to get back, assuming they finish the job in the next few months.

Just bought 6 for Brentford. They'd better not get lost in the post, what with Brentford's no ticket replacements policy. Ticket Office sounds busy today. Took 3 separate attempts before I could get through. They said they were selling a lot of Ipswich tickets this morning.

Pardew reminded me a little bit of Redknapp actually when he was asked about Stock on Solent. A clear indication of an interest, but negativity about the likelihood of a deal being completed. It's a clear Redknapp tactic, which invariably seems to work more often than not. Look at Redknapp's comments before the Skates signed Crouch and Defoe, "Oh yeah, for sure I'd love to have him here, but i don't think there's a chance he'll come here." type of thing. It's an obvious call to the player's agent to get sh1t-stirring and put pressure on for the deal to happen.

Crikey, that's a bit harsh on Dave, that guy's blind isn't he?

I think Moran's a bit old now, old chap. Still, always a hero for Fratton in 84 and all that.

The top teams by and large dominate possession and have more of the play in the opposing team's third because they have the strongest midfields. Goalscorers get the glory but they only get the chances because of the midfield. None of this is rocket science, but in this League you need tough athletes in midfield. I'm not convinced our players are fit enough either, to be honest.

I wasn't there, but listening to it on Solent it sounded like we really struggled in midfield. Unsurprising with Hammond going off injured, but I really feared the worst when our midfield comprised of Holmes, Wotton, Schneiderlin and James. We did well to get a draw really.

I do like Merrington but he has a habit of repeating exactly what his co-commentator has just said. Other phrases he likes to use include:- "Saints must keep their shape now" (usually when defending a set-piece) "He was too easy-osy." (he used to say that a lot about Rasiak, I never understood what it meant, I presumed akin to being a lazy b@stard) My favourite Merrington memory was when Kosowski played for us, he had the most awful time trying to pronounce his name.

You're talking about £3 million there. Jobi McAnuff is barely worth 20% of that, if he was a consistent performer he wouldn't be at Reading.

Was Pardew a centre-back? I thought he was something of a scuffling midfielder.

I gather that the new range of Cadbury's tins of Miniature Heroes chocolates will contain garage-shaped chocolates, to be called Garaged.

Seriously, if Burnley appoint Brian Laws I will eat my garage.

Unlikely, he's in jail.

Surely you know who Brian Stock is, Taffy? Cracking midfielder.

You would have done well to find any pubs in Walsall that were open. Me and The 9 wanted to watch the Skates v Burnley on SKY at lunchtime and drove past 4 pubs that had closed down before settling for the Saddlers.

A Baggies-supporting mate has just advised me that Coventry will not sell Elliott Ward until they have signed Leon Barnett from West Brom as a replacement. There are however a few clubs after Barnett.

Even though it has a roof, £20 is pretty steep for a terrace in Div 3. No doubt they use the excuse of London pricing, as that turd Bates used to do at Chelsea. It will however clearly be rammed if only 1,200 can fit into it. Looking forward to this one.