VectisSaint

46 league games in the Championship next season, really couldn't give a toss about Pompey, more interested in doing well over the full season than 2 games against a relegation bound team. We should beat all of the weaker teams and concentrate on getting good results against the top teams such as Leeds, Cardiff, Forest and so on.

Terry Paine lives in South Africa.

More likely Guly signing

Not really clear what the risk is? Clearly he has been on a fairly low paid contract, not sure if pay as you play, I think they are a bit of a myth, but something along those lines. He has already stated that he is just about the fittest player in the squad, and he has overcome supposedly the injuries that he had. We did this sometimes in the past, stuck with a player through a serious injury crisis, and then just as the player had become effective shown him the door. Oaks was the best exampleof this, has played several seasons effectively in various divisions since and we took Jermaine Wright instead. To let DC go now would be a travesty, but the language (both body and otherwise) after the Brighton game suggests he may be on his way. I suspect if he does go one of our NPC rivals will snap him up and it will come back to haunt us. While Barnard's future is unclear (and even when it is) DC is exactly the sort of player we desparately need to do well in the higher division. Experience is one of the most prized assets and DC has it in spades. I don't care if he plays 20 minutes of half our games, he would still be worth the money, and in any case we are not financially strapped. Not so sure about Holmes, he hasn't had a chance to prove anything, but it is quite clear from the OS that he will be here next season anyway.

14th June - Paul Scholes

January 2nd. The signing will have happened in July, but will be announced next January as massive news.

Really can't see the Ammers being much of a threat next season, they are in massive trouble. With a bit of luck if Blackpool and Wigan come down as well, we could have a trio of weak relegated clubs, could be a good season for a team to get promoted to the NPC from League 1. Can't see any of those three being runaway winners, even if Blackpool and Wigan are not broke. Evidently Grant looked close to tears when he was being interviewed post match today, question is how can anyone tell, the bloke is the most miserable looking git I've ever seen, including me. Still think its a bit indecent sacking someone with a game to go, what is the point? Two managers called Kee/an in the Prem League next week.

Day for old news today is it? Gareth Bale may become a great full back now that he has left Saints. Next we will be hearing that Adkins has signed an extension to his contract.

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.