VectisSaint

Its a well-trodden path to declare an injury before AFCON starts to avoid playing. Presumably he was "injured" during our last game (a knock or something). Assuming that the "injury" is not too serious he will be back available to us at least as soon as he would if he had played in the tournament (and potentially been injured). Would expect him to be available after 24 Jan when Morocco's third group game is completed, might be available for the LC SF 2nd leg, more likely Swansea.

Don't have much to say about the performance, but a draw is worst possible scenario. We now have a guaranteed 8 games in 28 days (including today), which will increase to 9 if we win the replay. The rotation will continue apace, with no possibility of a settled team, this will be the busiest schedule so far this season. No coaching from Puel will be possible, only recovery sessions (if we are to believe Les Reed). the likelihood of this dour spell of football continuing has now been increased (that's not a statement that I think it will happen by the way, just a 'what if' scenario for the hard of thinking such as Fry). On another note (because I have no posts left) see that Dom Gape signed for Wycombe on a permanent today. Also that the U18s followed on the club-wide trend of not winning, following on from the u23s yesterday. The club really is a bit of a downer at the moment, something needs to change soon.

Didn't Les look at the fixtures before appointing Puel? Apart from possibly 2 extra LC games (if we had lost in the 3rd round) there have been no unexpected games this season.If Les expected Puel to have to do a lot of coaching for his new method then he was a bit of a **** appointing him knowing the fixture congestion we have. This "no time for coaching" stuff is just a lame excuse for our poor play and results.

He is 32 already. What constitutes "early 30s" in your (rather odd) mind? Really don't know what this thread is about in terms of debate, VvD has already been promised the captaincy, it is probably part of the contract upgrade he signed in the summer. That's why he has been captain on many occasions this season. Steven Davis is backup, but its possible he was a bit disgruntled by VvD's appointment as he was clearly next in line prior to this season. The only other potential skipper material we have at the moment is Romeu.

Chinese not affected by FFP of course, but their spending is about to be reigned in apparently: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38524429

He is not cup-tied. He was on the bench in some of our home games as well, it makes no difference, only cup-tied if he actually plays. All part of the game we have been playing since the Summer, its been so obvious that Jose has wanted out. It beggars belief that some seem shocked now. Of course the cup-tied bit became a little less important as the season went on when it looked like ManU would be out as well but they are still in though Mourinho doesn't seem that interested in the EL or Fonte any more for that matter. May be he has since been sounded out by Chelsea, Man City or Arsenal though (personally doubt any of them would want or need him but stranger things have happened). Think its possible that Fonte may have missed the boat and now might find himself hung out to dry unless he has an offer from China or Benfica (if the former he better hope they don't impose the crackdown on spending they have threatened on Chinese clubs).

Out of interest can you point us to the accounts for the last 18 months that would show otherwise. Please stop with your tedious dismissal of posts about finances and understand that there are no accounts available sine 2015.

I can't help thinking you may be taking what Shane said rather literally. Shane: "Ah, Christ on a bike, he's the dogs ********, so he is, to be sure, a right craic."

Apart from the 3 seasons when they didn't.

**** me you continue to be pathetic who cannot deal with speculation and what if scenarios. Why you continue to highlight what a thick s**t you are God only knows.

Sacked after letting a one goal lead slip against WBA. Imagine if he had done the same against Spurs and lost by 3 against Everton.

Indeed, another month and we could be entering into that scenario, assuming we exit the EFL and FA Cup. Meanwhile 7 games (at least) in the 28 days that follow Norwich means we will be playing twice a week until early February at least. At least as often if not more than we did when we were still in the EL. By February we could be well and truly buggered.

But how can this be, apparently we are so much better off than this time last year and in the SF of the EFL Cup. At least that's what I keep reading by the happy clappers. Good post, and sums it all up well. Last season we were dire, until Koeman eventually took the bull by the horns, ripped up the rule book (aka agreement with Les Reed about how to play) and changed our formation to go 3 at the back and consequently turned things around. Just can't see Claude doing something radical in the same way and risking upsetting Uncle Les as Ronald did. The current Board don't have the balls to sack Puel, so we know that's not going to happen during the season (or even next) so they have to take some decisive action in terms of signings during January, but afraid to say that I don't think Read, Kat and Ralph have the bottle to do that either.

I agree with you, but from next week, we have 7 games in 28 days. Even that would mean losing against Norwich, a draw or a win and we could have 9 or even 10 games in that time, far busier schedule than anything the EL threw at us. Fixtures this season are total madness, screwed up by bloody Sky/BT.

No wonder we lost then. One speech from that man is enough to make anyone to fall asleep. Makes Puel sound, well interesting.

Well that really was dreadful, boring, slow predictable and toothless. Mix in a bloody awful referee and it made for a depressing watch. Today's three invisible players were Tadic, Forster (again) and Hojbjerg, Martina wasn't invisible just plain old awful (again), such a shame Pied got injured so early in the season. People sarcastically booing Forster really don't help, but the problem is when someone is so completely inept it gives these people an easy target. To be fair to him, he did make a save today, and was a bit more active in his area and his kicking was not awful, but overall he is still appalling (where has the man gone who was playing second half of last season). You do know though that things really are bad when none of the usual happy clapper crew have made an appearance on the thread. Even they would have problems finding anything positive today (though I'm sure they will try at some point).

Because the awful ref bottled it when he realised he already was on a yellow. Even Pulis realised he should have been off and subbed him at half time. Disgusting referee today, but won't get the headlines because none of his terrible mistakes were major game changing decisions, just a catalogue of wrong decisions.

Won't get the headlines because he didn't mess up any really bug decisions, but in all honesty one of the worst, most inept, biased refereeing displays seen for many a year. Awful, no idea who he was either.

http://freshsaints.com/fraser-forster-questions-need-to-be-asked-and-answered/ Don't know who Aidan Small is, but this pretty much sums up the current situation.

We have at least 9 games between now and 4 February (more if we win or draw against Norwich in the FA Cup). How can you think we are down to largely one game per week now?

All four could have been saved. That doesn't mean I expect anyone to have saved all four, but one or two out of the four would have been a start. He also went the wrong way again for the pen and also completely beaten when they hit the bar. It's not just that he gets beaten its that he doesn't even get close or often does not even move. His anticipation and reaction is very poor.

Agreed, people moaning about rotation last night are seemingly unable to understand what rotation is all about. Apart from JWP over PEH (which was debatable until JWP put the argument to bed after the first minute) and Redmond over anybody (but Puel will always pick Redmond because he thinks he will be the new Henry, I assume he means the vaccy cleaner), that was our best team. There was no rotation last night. Personally I would have played McQueen, Sims or Long rather than Redmond but that logic is clearly being nullified by some contract term or other as far as I can see.

Awful result, it really does hurt to lose to Spurs yet again. But what do we expect, playing really well for first 10-15 minutes, excellent free kick by JWP and goal by VvD. From then on we played with 8 players, all playing well, doing their job. But you can' play with 8 against a team like Spurs. JWP other then his free kick was completely invisible, I actually forgot he was playing, and then for him not to be subbed was mind boggling by CP. Redmond, as so often, a complete and utter waste of space, compounded this time by giving the ball away and causing the referee to have the possibility of a penalty and a red card (it was not a penalty, the only only foul was outside the area). I guess the positive we can take is at least he can't play next game, even if we did appeal and were unlucky enough to win it wouldn't be before our next game would it?). Then there is the matter of our so-called goal keeper. What a complete and utter joke he is becoming (has become). He didn't cause any of our goals, but his lack of any effort to stop any of them was just laughable, all of them were potentially savable, but not for Desperate Dan. His kicking was also again appalling, people on here ask what areas need strengthening, yet its pretty obvious we need a keeper. Sorry for the rest of the team who actually played very well in the most part. We have to stop using these players who are just not good enough at the moment. At least our groundsman was more effective than those three (JWP free kick apart). Guess some will react to this with the usual drivel but it really beggars belief that we cannot do better than these three.

Whether its 11 weeks or 11 walks, it was said he would be out 3-4 months before Christmas, so effectively out for the rest of the season.

Northam Station closed in 1966. It was just by the gas holders and was on the line to the Terminus (not Central). http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/n/northam/