VectisSaint

As a simple fact we are in his league. But I know what you mean.

Given he works alongside Steve Davis you'd think perhaps we might know. Samuel could well have used us more to make his point, but then he is a ****. But in this case he is right, we signed Martina rsther than take this chance. Trouble with Samuels article is that he comes across as a bit of an ant Romanian racist, but then it is the Mail, so to be expected.

He was clearly signed as cover across the back 4. At the time we only had 2 senior CBs and knew we wouldn't get vvd until end Aug. Bertrsnd was also injured and we only had Cedric to cover RB. Lack of confidence in McCarthy, Stephens and Turnbull meant we went for a cheapo emergency cover. Daft really but probably seemed a good idea at the time. No one foresaw Cedric haing recurring eye problems either, he was brought in as backup to Clyne but knowing that Clyne might still leave which of course is what transpired. Now we seem to be stuck with Cuca who is really not good enough for the PL.

Would be worse than Yoshida. For full back these days you need to be able to tackle, have pace and ability to cross. jwp has none of those attributes. We played him there once and he was awful.

The masses have always known he was s liability at RB, from his first game. He is though perfectly good as CB, have no problems when he plays in his proper position.

Hadn't expected to be standing the whole game yesterday, that was a bonus (although the fecking idiot who was stood next to me was a pain in the arse). I'm a bit surprised about your comments about the singing. OK, so I'm a bit of an away day tourist, yesterday was first proper away game for a good many years, and yes I took some photos, but thats what getting a new generation involved is all about, my daughter enjoyed it all. But I did a a lot of singing yesterday, several renditions (admittedly rather poor) of OWTS, but also Fathers Gun, Johnstone paint trophy and many others. I actually wish we could stop singing Pompey songs, what the **** is the point of singing about hating a level 4 tin pot club when you are in Manchester playing a CL team? Really. It seems that people overlook the obvious when trying to account for the lack of singing. It was dead quiet because we were playing shockingly awful. Got better 2nd half when we played some decent stuff and had a chance to get back to 2-2, but people don't much feel like singing when the team are not performing. Its also difficult to sing and at the same time shout "Yoshida you useless fecking cuint" over and over again. Youngish (at least by my standards) guy stood behind me yesterday made me laugh, joined in the singing but clearly had no idea of many of the words, enjoyed calling Tadic a useless **** and then immediately followed up by chanting his name. Still, each to his own, at least he was enthusiastic.

No-one has (seriously) come in and offered to take him off our hands.

Replacing Davis with JWP based on his fabled set piece expertise (which he demonstrated yet again yesterday is a total myth). Madness, but there its your opinion. Equally no need for Caulker, Jose will be fit.

Seriously think he was a better option from the bench yesterday than Juanmi, but once again Ron did not exercise that option even when given the opportunity. Juanmi will come good I think, but yesterday was not the best time to bring him on.

we don't know because we are not told (other than that he was dropped), but I would be very surprised if it was not due to injury management, it surprises me how no-one has really noticed how bad his eye injury was and how many times the same injury has recurred. 4 stitches after last weekend, the scar tissue is not getting time to heal before it is split again. The damage in that area is in my opinion serious and needs rest to allow it to heal properly (but I am no medical expert). He is perfectly fit, and there is nothing stopping him training, so its fair to say he is "dropped". I really find it hard to believe that Ronald seriously dropped him to allow Yoshida to be up against Raheem Sterling, if he did why was he not on the bench? Otherwise maybe there is some disciplinary issue which we are not aware of.

David, you really need to check facts as well. Firstly Pochettino was in charge for 16 PL games in 2012/13 not 8, you cannot just disregard this period it was nearly half of the season. Technically Chambers was blooded by Nige, he played 6 minutes as a sub in the 2nd round of the League Cup. That was all, he was not played in various other competitions. Poch did not use him other than an used sub at the end of the season, but brought him through as a regular in 2013/4. Sam McQueen made his debut under Poch, and has rarely been close since Sam Gallagher debuted under adkins and played 66 minutes in 6 appearances, but appeared in 14 of the 16 PL games after the change of management in 2013. Harry Reed came through under Ronald last season, 9 appearances in the PL, but apart for 2 appearances in the Europa (18 minutes total) is now further away from the first team than he was. Matt Targett made his debut last season under Koeman and [played the start of this of course until Bertrand was fit. Jason McCarthy played 90 minutes in the FA Cup last season, but has been shipped out on loan this. Jake Hesketh played 52 minutes under Ron last season before his knee injury. Ryan Seager played 1 minute in the PL and 18 in the FA Cup last season, looks the closest to being included in the team, has at least made the bench this season. You cannot get away from the fact that under Pochettino we played more young players (Shaw, Chambers, JWP, Clyne, JRod, Morgan, Lallana, dare I say even Gazza), some were brought in by him, some weren't. A few were given brief debuts last season by Ron and Harry Reed and Targett are now regular members of the first team squad, though seldom now on the bench. This season, there is no evidence that any of our young players are even in consideration for the first team under Ronald. Only Seager is remotely close. The average age of our (outfield) team is significantly older than 2 years ago and there are no young (under 21 players) now in our team. The way we are working now is that we bring in players from Europe or elsewhere rather than trusting in our youth players coming through - Cedric, Martina (is he youngish I haven't checked?), Juanmi, Caulker and there is little prospect for our Academy players to be promoted. Whether or not they are good enough of course is another matter. Jack Stephens is now effectively 6th choice centre back and Jordan Turnbull 7th. Even the much-heralded JWP is now no longer a regular in the starting XI since we brought in Clasie and Romeu to fill the boots of Morgan. I don't have an axe to grind, and not sure I believe one way or the other is better, but it does irritate me when people with an agenda (not you David) try to rewrite history to make out that one manager that they don't like and was brought in under the previous regime was not better in some way than our current manager. I like Ron, and I think Poch is a **** but try to be objective and recognise that things were different (better) in some regards. Poch continues to demonstrate his faith in young players at Spuds, its irrelevant whether it was him that actually gave these players their debut, its the fact that he has developed them and plays them regularly.

He may have been dropped but dam sure itd due to his on going eye injuries. Every game the same injury keeps getting opened up and does not get time to heal.

Still having probs with his eye. 4 stitches again last week, its not healing.

Won't do much for my hair though, whats left of it. On the way on the train now. COYR.

Happy Birthday to Mick the old ****er. Appropriate we're playing Citeh today.

Still not deluded.

That's true, if he has to he will use them. But if he isn't forced he probably won't. He said this in the press conference yesterday as well. Got to be said that we would have to have a serious injury crisis to mean going outside the current first team squad, which I make at least 23 not counting the wounded.

Factual-based evidence. There is no basis on which anyone with any brains could disagree, since no Academy players have been blooded, indeed only one is even remotely close (having made the bench but been unused - Seager). JWP is now in his fourth season as part of the first team squad and has played over 100 times, his appearances are no longer part of "blooding youngsters". Targett was blooded last season. Reed was blooded by Poch, and seems to be nowhere near the first team now seldom making the matchday squad. Even Seager actually made his debut last season. You just need to look at the videos of training, there are no others even being considered at the moment. Now enlighten me how I am wrong.

Even Ronald referred to him as da Silva in today's press conference. Not very "professional"

He was given a contract to 2017 earlier this year so perhaps the club think differently. It is incredibly difficult for an academy player to break through these days, and Ronald doesn't seem to keen to blood youngsters, unlike Poch (despite what is written about him). But things can change, new manager, new ideas. Have to say though that the standard of the Academy really is not what it was a few years back, there seems to be little in the way of exceptional talent, until maybe one or two u18s (Slattery for instance). There are quite a few players who could well go on to have a decent career in the Football League.

Thanks Steve

No it isn't. Really don't see why you are arguing, its not the point anyway. Just accept you are wrong and give it up, instead of making yourself look a bit silly, shame being one of the decent posters on here. You say yourself there is no official definition, so stop arguing that there is a precise definition and that what I called it (an off the cuff remark with no intent to be to the letter of the law) is wrong. Stick to the point, which is that Mason made a big error (one of many) in not sanctioning a foul that should have been sanctioned (in the loose sense of the word and not what may or may not be called in the Laws of the Game).

Professional foul does not always mean denying a goal-scoring opportunity. A professional foul "is a deliberate act of foul play intended to bring about an advantage for the perpetrator". Denying a goal scoring oportunity is the best example but is not the only one. But you missed the point anyway, whatever it was called should have lead to a caution (at least), it was therefore a big mistake by Mason and was there to illustrate that he made mistakes both ways not just in favour of Stoke. Morgan used to do this all the time, and usually got a booking, it is usually referred to as "taking one for the team".

That would certainly kill what atmosphere there is stone dead.

Well, I can agree with that Mason was consistent. Consistent at making bad mistakes. For both teams. However, its a distraction, we played badly and to try to put the blame on a terrible referee is to paper over the cracks that we were shocking and deserved what we got.