the saint in winchester

The question is - is it our decision on whether to offer him a perm contract in January? Depends on what we agreed with Celtic up-front. If we negotiated an option to buy at a particular price, then yes, sign him up. But if we didn't negotiate that option, the fact he has done well with us may encourage Celtic to take him back and keep him. A bit like the Antionio with Reading scenario all over again! I'm hopeful we can at least extend the loan, preferably buy him. In my team, his place is assured. I would be prepared to drop Fonte if we had an option on another outstanding prospect in January.

A bit of half time entertainment at Reading? http://www.readingfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10306~2486998,00.html (although I assume Robbie went there as Derby were playing) That's better than a 5 year old kid trying to score penalties against a fat panda !!!

I think it is. But guys, I'm listening in DAB through my digibox on Radio 5 Live Sports Extra. Re-tune, it's great. Only problem is that Steve Claridge seems to think we don't deserve to be ahead! Don't care, Steve, we are ahead!! Get over it.

Hmm, don't know if that will be a live stream , or simply a fixture list. Will click on it later to see.

OK, thanks for what you have told us, SFC. There seems to be a time lag between NU tapping him up midseason, then it all goes quiet until pre-season (Swiss trip) where he starts making a pass at Striker and LM. And yet, you say he was dissing all the staff at SFC for months. I can't see why we didn't : 1. report NUFC to the Premier League for illegal approach to our manager, or 2. dismiss AP there and then (mid-season), or 3. accept AP's heart wasn't in it and agree a fair compo deal. What we seem to have done is let it drag on for months until AP was seemingly on his way to NU and was even recruiting for them. At this point we have sacked him and even given him an undisclosed severance payment (compensation for loss of office). We seem to have had a disenchanted manager who wanted out, was allowed to entice our better players to leave us, and then (maybe) paid him to go. If all that is the case (and I hope it isn't), then we seem to have lost out ..... until Adkins joined, and then the only way is up!

Haha, yeah, I was getting the same popups! I was closing every one but maybe I should have accepted the 'prizes'?

Aha, I still have that seachqu for a previous installation. If anyone knows how to uninstall it, let me know.

You're kidding? Is it really based on that? Timothy Claypole was the character name IIRC. It was a daft series so won't make a hollywood movie, that's f'sure.

Reading seem to be tracking his strike rate at Colchester. They have an option on a third month, but hopefully we could take him in January? I would certainly rank him above Forte, who I can't really see a place for. Anyway, here's Reading's take on Antonio. http://www.readingfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10306~2471861,00.html

Forest have said they don't want to pay compensation, although if Cotterill is the man they want, they may have to yield on that.

IIRC, I got the impression it wasn't about valuation and them overpricing him. If memory serves, they made out they wanted him as part of their setup. They sent him to us to get him up to speed, and once we did that for him, they frustratingly decided they didn't want to sell him to us, at any price. He was originally not in their picture, surplus to requirements. Once we had him up and running they decided he was 'not for sale'. However, having decided they wanted to keep him, they let him go out on loan again. I'll like to get him back on loan or for a modest fee. If we can get him back to the performance levels he was putting in for us, then it would be a good deal.

Sure do! Adebayor it is, then!

And to be pedantic, Nige, the comment about "a house divided against itself will not stand" predates Abraham Lincoln. It was Jesus. When the crowds tried to find fault with him..... (Luke 11:17) 17 Knowing their imaginations he said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself comes to desolation, and a house divided against itself falls. Lincoln may have referred to it, but the line was and is in the Bible.

Yeah, glad that interview wasn't recorded on a Saturday morning. Sounds like he'd rather make love to the wife than get 3 points! Tskkk.

It's becoming a landslide. Harding gets my vote. I couldn't understand signing another LB, as we already had two who were fit for purpose. Fox and Forte are two signings that made me frown. I think we need another RM first of all as backup to De Ridder, and I would be playing De Ridder every game.

We have to attack, largely because we are struggling to defend: 4-3-3 please Davis Richardson Fonte Hooiveld Harding Morgan Cork Hammond De Ridder Lambert Lallana

55% possession and we still lose. If you can never change a winning team, surely you can change a losing team - and shape. 4-3-3 on Saturday please. Lallana-Lambo-deRidder up top!

Agree with this. A PAYP deal would protect the Club. If it turns sour then he is free to move on. Sadly, now this has appeared in the Echo, I think that will end the chances of it happening, but I would do it. We do need a Lambert backup, and I don't want to spend daft money on Rodrigues or Maynard to get a backup for RL.

Que sera sera, whatever will be will be .... the (past) is not ours to see, Que Sera Sera !!! Or we could have ... When two tribes go to war, a point is all that you can score (the old Frankie Goes to Cricklewood ditty)

ABSOLUTELY. I've made my mind up already. OK, don't need to close the deal just yet, but (in x-factor voice) I'm going to say .... yes!!!

He was ineffective second half on Wednesday when he was told to play on the right. Every time he cut back inside to keep it on his left, and the defender could read him. I'd rather play him on the left then he has the option of going outside the man to the byline. He was doing that first half and looked much better. Whether we could get Lala to play on the right to accommodate Holmes, I don't know.

I was shocked too. If you click the number 2 against his name, the voters ID's appear. You two should be ashamed. Or were you being ironic? First 45 - Holmesey. Overall - Jos the Boss. So calm and collected, the new Svensson. Sign him up!

Football is all about opinions, I know, but I must have been watching a different match to some of you! Why the hate for Dicko? I thought he was one of our better players tonight. Linked well with Holmes in first half, always keen to get forward. A decent backup at LB and can play LM as well, so I would want to keep him. I can't understand the support for Ben Reeves. I know he's young and it was his first game, but honestly - all huff and puff, no end product. Yes, we don't need any more left backs, but playing him up front was bizarre, But I do agree about Forte. Oh dear. He's not a central striker, not sure he's a winger, he's just another body in the box. Overall, Holmes and de Ridder played well first half, lots of crosses that Lambo would have put away, had he been on. But Forte doesn't know how to head it and Reeves is too small. Took Hoovield to show them how to put it away. So - defence - all fine. CM - Morgan and Chappers - fine. Wingers - de Ridder and Holmes - only play Holmes if Lambo getting on the end of the crosses, otherwise no point. Strikers - Forte and Reeves - makewieghts, sadly. Can't play either of these up front in the 4th round. The whole evening had the feel of watching a training session - tippy tappy passing, no one making lung busting runs or desperate to score. Came home wishing I'd stayed in and watched Location Location ...

I'm still waiting for a PM with his address. I could do with a lift to the game tonight. Don't want to leave it too late in the day to ask.

Really??? I'm always in Sainsburys Badger Farm, and I've never seen him in there. Wish I had. The OP might not want his specific address, but I do now. Please send me a PM - I'll pop round with a bottle of something.