VectisSaint

Possibly because Bournemouth is really in Hampshire. Just some silly meddling with county council boundaries in the 1970s.

What he does in between the (many) cockups. There is a top class player there but at the moment his inexperience/youth has got/is getting the better of him. He is only just 20.

Except we didn't bring Rothwell in for DM. Charles is a top player, but his confidence was shot early season, will take a while to get his confidence fully back. He is far too rash at the moment, and gives away fouls when there is no need.

Looks very much as predicted, perhaps with the bonus of Dibling starting. There's not much wrong with that team, especially given who is on the bench. Realistically we are missing Gav and Downes, Lumley showed before he is a decent backup, Meghoma potentially better than Manning. We will miss creativity of KWP and Adam Armstrong's workrate. Time for Charley to actually do something and show what he is really about.

Not on a Sunday. Blackout only applies to Saturday, 1425-1725.

26 at the moment (they lost their last games last season, so only this season counts) 18 league, 6 Europa, 2 Cup)

Google Womens Championship, tables, results and fixtures available on many sites, including the FA, Sky, BBC. Not sure about form but more tables available here for instance https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/womens-championship/league-table/

Might explain where Russell Martin was yesterday, interviews already taking place.

2016, forgot that, barely qualified, was only with us as a player for the minimum time required. Point is that testimonials were only ever for players when they reached or at least approached retirement and it usually meant they were still at the club (granted Mick Channon's was in 76 before he left to go to Man City and then came back until 82, but really that is another era). They used to be given in recognition of a player's long service and to ensure that they had something to help them in their retirement in times when professional footballers were not paid the astronomic wages they are these days. The idea of it being so that they can contribute to their chosen charity is a reasonably modern phenomenon I think. I guess if Stephens was still at Saints when he retires, which could be maybe 5 or so years down the line the club might consider giving him a testimonial, but I seriously doubt that will happen, because I doubt he will still be at St Marys. I can't see testimonials have much value in the modern game and if SKD was the last I would suggest the club probably feels the same. Testimonials would really have more value in my opinion if they were done for players such as Sam McQueen, promising careers ended by injury.

Are testimonials still a thing? When was the last time we had a testimonial?

Weren't we linked with Dean Coney back in the 80s

Except it was Stephens who got stuck in and made sure the danger was cleared (eventually), you can't seriously accuse him of "watching on" after his calamitous pass. What he did was inexcusable but he did at least make every effort to clear the danger (fortunately Swansea had failed to capitalise on his mistake).

He hasn't been out a year yet, very nearly though, last game was Jan 28 I believe (FA Cup v Fulham).

Seriously where do you get 'jealousy' from my reply? Really odd reaction to a list of facts about Tella's contribution to Leverkusen's Bundesliga season. Will be chuffed for him if he gets a Bundesliga winners medal, not many players achieve that unless they play for Bayern. Certainly gonna be a lot better than a 'relegation' medal he would have picked up at Burnley or a Championship runner-up medal at Saints. He's actually played more part in their European games. But do think he really hasn't had the impact we or he thought he would, to have played the equivalent of 1.5 league matches by mid January, nearly half of which was in the last match.

130 minutes total, no starts, 11 subs, 2 goals (1 in last match), 0 assists so far (Bundesliga).

Who said that? Why denigrate one of the most historic trophies in world football? So I take it the only trophies worth winning are the Premier League and FA Cup (possibly League Cup, though that is seen as a bit Mickey Mouse these days), seems a bit limiting really, never likely that we will them. And you describe the trophy as Noddy. Think its you that should be wearing the blue hat with a bell on.

Not sure I would describe 'The Lady' as a 'bit Noddy'. It (or at least a replica) has been awarded to the champions of the (English) Football League since 1888 and has some illustrious names on it (as well as the Skates). Sadly our name has never graced it and it would have been nice eventually for it to have done so (closest we came was 1984 and then when we were last promoted). Personally I think Leicester are already gone for this season, so have reluctantly settled for 2nd again.

Lumley,.Meghoma, Stephens and Rothwell, otherwise our strongest team

Not forgetting Stewart

Huge clanger from Stephens today, absolute shocker, although in the end he was the one who finally cleared the danger. Was on the pitch today cos RM protected Taylor who was on a yellow. We were already looking shaky before Stephens came on, we did our old trick of retreating into our cocky, defensive, knock it around at the back shell, though to be fair credit to Swansea who changed things very effectively at half time after being completely and utterly outclassed in the first half. I'm not a fan of Stephens replacing Taylor, because we lose so much when Taylor goes, particularly going forward, again today his long or lofted passes across or over the defenders are quite brilliant. Jan doesn't have that to the same extent so Stephens on for Bedders isn't such a problem. Still for you Jack haters, he hasn't played in a losing team so far this season, so even an almighty clanger like today actually makes no difference, and remember we did concede while Taylor/Jan were in the centre (though it was offside and handball).

Not that anyone actually said our away form did not need to improve. Simply that it is already as good as it has ever been in the club's history and it is better over the last 9 games than anyone else in the League, so expecting it to improve is asking a lot. But today definitely a 'must win'. Here's hoping. Looks like our best team available again today.

There is currently an Aribo sized gap to be filled. Otherwise Meghoma.

Clearly you don't understand the concept of 'form', and I ain't gonna waste my time explaining it to you. If you had bothered to read my post, and in context, you would have seen I was talking about the last 9 away games. That's form, usually based on last 6, 8,.10.games (or 9) not on all results of the season. We are the best on form based on the last 9 games, no it's or buts, and wins doesn't come into it, we have the most points of the top 4/5.teams (I haven't checked possibly Watford are better but who cares about Watford). Leicester have same number of points as us, but Ipswich, Leeds and WBA are well behind us. Of course it would be better if we had won more, but it's frankly unlikely given we have never done better before in our history, 9 away games without defeat is fecking brilliant form, but no you think we're poor and should do better. Hopefully we win in Saturday and Leicester smash Ipswich, then we'll be second and automatic promotion is firmly in our hands. As I said, we have all of the top teams away before end of season, they are the critical games that we have to avoid defeat in. Leicester are gone, which is a shame because I really wanted to win this bloody league this time, but ignore them and concentrate on 2nd place is what we need to focus on now. That and avoiding having to get anything from the last game of the season.

You know Ipswich have already gotten worse, that is why we have caught them. They have Leicester away this weekend. Football doesn't work in the linear way you seem to think. The outcome of the league this season is likely to hinge on the big matches, i.e. our away games at Leicester, Ipswich, WBA and Leeds. Those are the games that we very likely will have to win or at least not lose. We will lose some more games this season, but hopefully not too many, form is temporary, but so will the others. I think this Saturday is a massively important one for us, a win will put us above Ipswich at least temporarily and pile the pressure on them to get something at Leicester. [End of my posts for the day]

Why? It isn't quite simple at all. Our away form is the best in the League, only Leicester have equal points away from home in the same period as our unbeaten away streak (9 games) and they have lost 2 of those (to be fair I haven't checked any lower teams records, but they are all a long way behind, so probably won't impact top 2). Ipswich and Leeds are well behind. We have to play all three away from home, it is more likely the results of those games that will determine whether we go up automatically or not. Of course we could do with winning a larger proportion of our away games, but i don't think people are yet appreciating how good a run this team is on, unbeaten in 19, wins in all of our last 9 (or is it 10) home games, and 17 points (unbeaten) in our last 9 away games. It doesn't get any better than this (well hopefully it does of course). We won't overhaul Leicester unless something spectacular happens to them, but we are on track for automatic promotion based on form.