Arizona

No real "path of least resistance" games left, so I'd be quite happy with a trip to the Emirates and a nice big pay day. I don't want Pompey either. I still don't think they're that bad.

Children play nice. If I have to stop this car...

Stick these up your arse!

Great result and we completely outplayed them second half in my book. Nearly shat myself when they scored and 5 minutes were read out. Belter of a goal from Thomas. Of all the people to do that. Top corner from 30 yards out, spent the rest of the match shouting "Shoot!!" whenever he got the ball. Davis - 5 I crapped myself whenever anything went into the box. Not his most assured game. Thomas - 8 A good performance capped of by a fantastic goal. Worth the entrance fee on its own. 2 goal of the season candidates in our last 2 matches. Jaidi - 7 Excellent in the air, but we seemed to lose everything which didn't go in his direction. Perry - 6 Beaten in the air a lot but defended well on the deck. Mills - 8 Man of the match, some great forward runs, linked up well with Holmes and a couple of brilliant crosses. Improved defensively second half. Lallana - 6 Not his best game for us, very little impact first half. A bit livelier after the break. Wotton - 5 Not a very good player and looked pretty amature at times just hoofing it anywhere. James - 5 Never imposed himself on the midfield and never looked up to much creatively. Set pieces were also carp. Holmes - 7 Brilliant second half after a quite first half. Works well with Mills. I'd take second half Holmes over left midfield Lallana. Lambert - 5 Had little service but didn't do much either. Had a hald decent effort late on when he put a lazy backpass on to the roof of the net from 40 yards out. Barnard - 6 A reasonable debut, but didn't have all that much service so hard to impress. Worked hard, but missed a great chance from about 10 yards out in the first half. Subs: Antonio - 8 All he did was foul and score goals FFS! THIS is the player to bring on defending a lead. Not Lancashire and stick 11 men in the box. He frightened the life out of them and kept the pressure off until after they scored. We must sign him in summer. Gillett - 5 Didn't do all that much when he came on. If he wasn't a midget he might have nodded in a late Mills cross. Lancashire - n/a Don't know why we brought him on. I don't care if he is an extra defender, we never look better with him on the pitch.

Brilliant result. Our defence was very good, even if they fell asleep injury time. Good games from Mills especially, Thomas, Jaidi, Antonio and Holmes.

Played a blinder. My MOTM.

Sat In the Kingsland. Wayne's goal was an absolute belter.

I think it's a slightly odd question Chez. One could just as easily question whether Doble is as good as Ronaldo, or Racine is as good as Maldini just because they haven't played and nobody knows what they're about. In reality Paterson hasn't played because a succession of managers didn't really rate him. It would have been nice if he'd stayed, but I don't think he was some wonderkid who could have matched the 17 goals Barnard has this season.

Gzregorz Rasiak - 20 goals in 2006/7 Stern John - 20 goals in 2007/8 Perhaps Rasiak would have been better liked if we'd been sh*t.

Okay, just to clarify. I did retract my first statement and listed some possible further alternatives. Just to clarify further, I don't apply double standards to players based on which ones I liked. I was never a big fan of Euell, BWP or Jermaine Wright. However I hold nothing against them for leaving, regardless of whether their motives were cash, higher league football geographical reasons or whatever. On the other hand I really rated Kenwyne Jones but think he acted like a complete tool refusing to play for us. I am not bothered about players motivations for leaving. It's the bulls**ting I can't stand. If John had gone to Palace and said, "I had a decent offer from Saints, but I've had an offer to play in a higher league with Palace and I am going to accept it," then I'd have been fine. I don't like Jones saying he was inspired to move to Sunderland after the death of Antonio Puerta, even though he died 4 days after Jones went on strike. I don't like Cole walking out on Arsenal because of their 'insulting' contract offer. I don't like Savage moving from Brum to Blackburn because it is apparently nearer to his family in Wrexham.

Okay, I'll rephrase my post. There are several options as to what could have happened: 1) John was telling the complete truth. He came back with every intention of getting a new deal. However the 2 year deal offered by billionaire Markus Liebherr was worth pittance. Bankrupt Palace offered him much better terms on a one year contract. 2) John was telling the complete truth. He came back with every intention of getting a new deal. However he hadn't anticipatied a multi million pound take over deal, the appointment of a new coach, the coach assesing the squad, deciding who he wanted to keep and offering them a new contract; might take a while. He was expecting to be offered a contract the day after the takeover and left because of the time it took. 3) John was telling the complete truth. He came back with every intention of getting a new deal. However he wasn't anticipating Saints playing in League 1 next season. He thought the FA was run eniterly by Saints fans and that they would reinstate Saints into the Championship. He was shocked when Saints weren't reinstated into the Championship and left for a higher League. 4) John never had any intention of signing for Saints and was just using us to get fit until a better option came up. When he said he wanted to earn a new deal he didn't actually mean it... sure there is a word for that. To put it simply, John came back looking for a contract when we were in admin. Then the absolute best thing imaginable in terms of money and the clubs security and future happens in Markus Liebherr. Then John leaves claiming we couldn't meet his demands. That doesn't stack up.

3rd July 2009. Stern John, now 3 days out of contract returns to training at Staplewood. John claimed he was keen to impress Wotte and was enjoying being back at the club. http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~1712371,00.html 29th July 2009. Stern John turns down a "generous new offer" of a 2 year contract. http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~1736930,00.html Perhaps the OS is lying and we actually offered John peanuts, in accordance with our recent financial drought. John then criticises Saints for "dragging their heels" in offering him a new deal http://www.southlondonpress.co.uk/tn/Sport.cfm?id=30544&headline=Stern%20John%20hits%20back%20at%20Saints%20boss%20Pardew

Anyone about this evening?

I know numbers are irrelevant, but it bug me that number 10 has been a really crap midfielder ever since Davies left. Get rid of Wotton in summer and give it to Connolly or Barnard.

And if he scores the winner tomorrow it gets us £90k in prize money alone.

I remember when Fowler and Hasselbaink were playing for Cardiff at SMS a couple of years ago. They were just incredible to watch, it was amazing. I sat in awe at how two proffesional footballers could look so disinterested in a game of football. If the Championship didn't excite him, I don't think League 1 will either.

It was the lying that bugged me about it. Saying he wanted to earn a new contract, yet didn't even wait to hear our offer and blamed us for taking too long. If he'd said, "I am here to get fit for next season, I may stay with Saints, but I am willing to listen to other offers" that would have been fine.

He was good in his first season, but I don't like him for the way he acted in summer. We all assumed he had gone, then he turns up at training saying he wants to earn a new contract. Fair enough. Then as soon as he gets a decent offer from a CCC club he is off and slating Saints for taking too long to offer him a deal. He knew we were in the middle of a take over at the time and he may have to wait to get a contract, he was just using us to get fit whilst he found a new club.

If it were at Portman Road, we could all take a dump on his car. Sadly we will have to make do with knocking Ipswich out.

The problem with starting Waigo and Bonio is that you then don't have much impact from the bench.

Summit like that. Been up since 4am. :smt015

I wouldn't rest players for this one. Especially as Ipswich at home is easily winnable and going further in this cup will earn us large amounts of cash. If are best players are fit, they should play.

Obviously you always want to aim higher. If we were third at the moment, would you just be aiming to finish in the top 6? Right now I would hope we can get near the playoffs, but if we don't and end up mid table, I wont lose any sleep this summer.

Not really. The playoffs etc would be nice, but for me this season was about staying in existence, avoiding the drop and building for next season. All three are coming along nicely and a potential trip to Wembley would be a great bonus. I'll worry about being above the Dons next year.

Saw them in the League and they were definite contenders IMO. Oldham would be the worst team I've seen though.