VectisSaint

Read all about it, read all about it. Big news, hot off the press. Our manager signed an extension to his contract 4 months ago. Read all about it. In other news, the Berlin Wall has been demolished and in sport England have won the World Cup 4-2 with a hat-trick by Geoff Hurst

Forecast & Pulis. I doubt anyone else in the first team squad will be let go, apart from Holmes, unfortunately and Puncheon, thank goodness. Some people on here are living in the past worrying unduly about increasing wage bill, when we are getting promoted. Thats Lowe thinking. I'm not saying we should blow the wage bill but we don't release decent players to reduce the wage bill any more. We release players because they are not considered good enough. Until we have better replacements there is frankly no-one apart from the 4 mentioned who fit into this category, especially if the loanees are not renewed. Quite frankly people suggesting Connolly or Harding should be released are out of their minds. We should be busting a gut to get them signed up on a new contract as quickly as possible, these are two of our best players who will certainly do well in the Championship and could probably do OK in the Prem. Jaidi will be OK next season, but probably not as first choice. The experience of all these three players is what we desparately need in a higher league. Expect to see 3 new signings at most, striker, wide midfield and central defender, assuming we don't lose Oxo or Lallana.

Not particularly difficult to predict runs like this at all. Happens almost every season that the top teams go on long runs of good results. It is not fluke, it is down to the top teams having stronger squads and momentum, while the small teams struggle to maintain form based on their smaller squads once the second half of the season gets underway.

Actually it isn't, it also involves Alderney, although they have not won the Vase since 1920 apparently.

Nigel will be taking a "Summer Holiday" - all aboard a red London bus would be just right I think. * Was quite scocked to learn that both Nigel Adkins and Andy Crosby's families still live "oop north" - can't be good working away from family so much, hopefully they will relocate "dan saff" during the summer, maybe then they won't look so knackered with long return journeys to see the wife and kids. [For those on this board under the age of 70, Summer Holiday was a film in the early 1960s about a group of chums taking a holiday aboard a bus around Europe, the film starred Una Stubbs and unfortunately also included Cliff Richard and his awful singing]

Have we finally said goodbye to the footballing genius that is Anthony Pulis? He has been missing from the OS List for some time now (unlike all the other loanees who are still shown there). I note that he wasn't even on the bench for Barnet's great escape yesterday. If he has gone, then I would just like to say, good luck Anthony in whatever walk of life you follow from now on, there must be something else out there other than football, maybe a job in HR.

I'm beginning to think that maybe we have a very good physio/medical team, far better than we had before, and that there is an understanding in our management team (not forgetting that our manager was a physio) that rushing players back before they are ready is asking for trouble. It would appear that the management team put more emphasis on the player being fully fit before he is allowed to play again. It means it takes longer before a player returns from injury but ultimately they are not only sharp and fit, but also less likely to pick up another niggle straight away. Connolly is a clear example, who has been technically ready for some time to come back, but the management team have ensured that he not "just" fit, but sharp and really at a high level of fitness. I suspect in an emergency he could have played sooner, and also that Morgan and Oxo could have returned a week or two sooner.

No, because he wouldn't have allowed us to be relegated in the first place, so would never have achieved promotion from League 1.

Whats wrong with a moran? Steve was great for us.

Great stuff, sorry couldn't be there. Pleased for Walsall, Chris Nicholl really should be happy tonight. To top it off the Gulls clinched a play-off place in League One (despite losing). Top day. Bring on the Championship.

Leeds are probably a poor example. Leeds very nearly blew promotion to the Championship. Their early season form and in the end the reason they held on just was down to Beckford. Once he left to join Everton in January they were a pale shadown of their former selves. It was clear that some of the players in the first team when they eventually won promotion were simply not good enough, hence a bigger than usual turnaround. Better comparisons would be with Norwich, possibly Millwall although I haven't got the time (or inclination) to compare their current first teams with the ones that earned promotion last season. The difference with Norwich and Millwall were that they were in-form when they gained promotion, unlike Leeds whose promotion was based on their early season form.

Two obvious positions that need quality added, striker and central defender, assuming we hang on to what we have (including Stephens). We absolutely must hang on to DC, even if Barney is available, and who knows at the moment about that. DC is exactly what we need in the NPC, experienced and skilful, and he seems to have got over his injury issues. Those who think we should get rid now are out of their minds. That said even if we have Lambert, Connolly and Barnard available (and Guly) it is not enough up front for a season in the NPC. Central defence we need a replacement for Jaidi, and although Seaborne and Martin will be adequate backup in the NPC they are not good enough for first choice alongside Fonte, in my opinion. I'm sure Jaidi will still have a part to play, but we need a replacement sooner rather than later. The only other position I think we could do with additional quality is wide midfield/winger. We don't have enough options when AOC is not available, and the jury has to be out with Holmes, very good player but lacks the pace to be totall effective even if he can keep injury-free. I still have doubts about Kelvin and Hammond, but they both proved me wrong in the second half of the season.

OS says you can order tickets online for collection at the ticket office - maybe it didn't before but it does now.

Would have thought Mick, Keith, Ronnie and Charlie are getting a bit long in the tooth for a game against Saints. Tonbridge Angles - are you just being obtuse?

He scored a lot more goals in a season at the same level than Barney has. 27 in 45 in the 3rd division (all competitions) in 2000/1, followed by 20 in 21 in the 2nd division the following season. At his best Brett was a top goalscorer in the lower leagues. The PL was probably a step too far, as it probably would be for Barney as well to be honest.

If there is any justice they will extend their unbeaten run by 4 games, not 3.

Would be a travesty if Huddersfield don't win the play-off final, they richly deserve it. The 2 best teams in the divison end up 2nd and 3rd. Play-offs should be scrapped, but Hudders will probably be pleased when they do win at OT, because then they will be promoted and get the financial pay-back for coming 3rd. Good luck Huddersfield.

Proves nothing of the sort, just proved that Wigley was not the right man for the job. Lots of good coaches at whatever level do not make good managers, while others do. I doubt that Doddsy will ever be our first team manager but just because he is currently the Academy Coach should not mean he is barred from the job just because Lowe fecked up with Wigley. Next we'll be told that physios would make good managers, or even goalkeepers. Whatever next. Great shame that the lads lost out in the end, I thought Fulham may have had a tougher game against Leicester, probably end up with Fulham winning overall.

I thought KD saved the pen, and so did many others on here, but both BBC and Sky earlier say it came back off the post. Replayed it several times last night and to be honest still wasn't 100% sure but it looked like a save. The OS says the post as well, so guess KD never did touch it.

So you would drop Lambert (80+ goals in 3 years) and replace him with Beattie (9 goals in the same time period). No way would they be effective together, Beattie needs a runner a la Brett.

9 goals in 3 seasons (0 in last 2), including a big fat zero in the SPL. Look, JB was great when he was here but he is older and fatter (too many muffins) and can no longer cut it. I would rather have Brett back than Beatts to be honest. The only possible role for JB is as occassional backup for RL, and he would not want that (JB that is). Everyone needs to stop the nostalgia, we need to be building for an NPC promotion challenge (assuming we go up) with an eye to the PL, Beatts does not fit into that scenario in any way, shape or form.

I mentioned on here a couple of weeks back that Pulis no longer appears in our Squad on the OS. All others who are currently on loan are still listed including Harlee Dean. I suspect he has already been told he has no future here but will not be officially released yet. I don't think there is a cat in hell's chance that Hajduk Split would want our Anth, more likely Banana Split. Connolly claims he has been fit for months, and also that he is one of the fittest players at the Club. If DC goes it will be because NA doesn't rate him, and this appears to possibly be the case, otherwise DC would have been used more if he was fit. IMHO this would be a massive mistake, DC is exactly what we need to Division 2, experience and guile, and a great eye for a goal. OK, it may be his last hurrah, but you need guys like him around, and lest we forget, Barney may not be available. What we do need is a new, young striker, in the mould of RL.

I guess that makes it 3 then.

I hope you are right, but its not the same as us leaving the Dell or Brighton leaving the Goldstone. They hate the Withdean and are embarrassed that they have to play there, they are not leaving it with any nostalgia. Nevertheless hopefully the little Urugyan knobhead can pump his players up to play their usual brand of ugly, petty, time wasting football and frustrate Huddersfield.

While sat in their car? FFS, do you have no shame? Blaming a kid sat in the back seat of a private car for being attacked by mindless morons. I also seriously doubt your second sentence. There are no grown men in Pompey.