The Kraken

Because the rule was tightened up in the summer. Its been a FIFA rule for some time that you can only play for 2 teams in one season (you can be registered with 3). The English leagues got around that by classifying emegency loans as outside this rule; this seems to have been tightened up now. It was why we were initially only looking to sell Puncheon rather than put him out on loan; Adkins made reference to the rule in an interview with the BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16678939

If he has played for us and for them this season then that's not possible, you can't play for more than 2 clubs in one season. Did he make any appearances for us this term? Edit: apparently he did, twice in the league Cup. Therefore its either go back to Yeovil or stay with us for the season.

Can't disagree with Harding at RB; I assume Butterfield must be injured but not really seen anything about it. I do actually think de Ridder has potential, but he hasn't yet stepped up to the plate. Puncheon being back and having Guly and chaplow as an option is certainly a mssive benfit, but I don't agree our options in that department have been all that bad as reserve options. Our past 5 games have been our worst in terms of results; not one win, three draws and 2 defeats. And that's with the bulk of injured players making their returns. I do think we have been shown up IMO at CB; I thought Martin could do it, but he's not really stepped up to the mark as I hoped he could. Hooiveld needs to get back soon, or we need a loanee.

Now they have Ox really coming through I wonder if there is more likelihood that Walcott will get a chance up front. You can just tell that he only started playing football relatively late in life; he's very good when being instinctive, but really struggles when he has time to think about what he's going to do. Andy cole used to get a lot of criticism for the same type of thing. Chamberlain shows what a winger with a footballing brain can do; Walcott gives off the appearance that he's making up as he goes along. Much like Thierry Henry when he went to Arsenal, I see Walcott as more of a striker than a winger. He played up front for us in the youth team and first team; only since going to Arsenal has Wenger tried playing him out wide. Sometimes it works out there, a lot of the time it doesn't. I think if he had been developed along the lines of a Michael Owen type player things might have worked out much better for him.

Finished it for you

What are you on about with your second paragraph? Of course you're allowed to criticise; its a bloody message board for debates, that's entirely the purpose of being on here. Some people state their opinions, some agree, some disagree. Which is why I said I was amazed on the single point up and away made that "the transfer window hadn't done us any massive favours". I disagreed with that part of his statement, and said so. I'm not sure why you're getting quite so uppity about it. And quite where you got the idea that I've somehow told you (who I wasn't even referring to in my original point) that you're not allowed to comment unless its positive is utterly bizarre.

Well, that I find to be a bizarre statement. Lets look at what we did: Signed Jos Hooiveld on a permanent contract. Signed Billy Sharp, one of the division's top scorers. Signed Tadanari Lee, international striker, jury still out on that one. Signed Yago Falque, Spanish U21 international, jury still out on that one. Brought Puncheon back into the fold, almost like a new player. And we haven't lost any of our first team squad. I'm utterly amazed that what we've done in the past month or so isn't viewed as a positive. I would have liked us to sign a CB, but that would have been the cherry on top of what I think has been a very productive transfer window.

You can add Birmingham to them too. Last 10 games: Birmingham: DDWWWWWWDW Blackpool: WLWWDWDWWW As a comparison: Saints: WLLWWLDDDL Simply not good enough.

Birmingham look like they're on a proper charge; with less distraction of Europe they can focus on the league. West Ham, most people tipped for the top at the start of the season and I think they'll do it. Us; I think we'll contend with Brum for second spot, but come up a little bit short. I see us finishing 3rd or 4th. From there its an absolute lottery and anything can happen.

It's often best if you don't embellish facts up to suit your argument. Our first choice back four is Richardson, Fonte, Hooiveld, Fox. We had 2 of those players unavailable, so played Martin and Harding instead. Half of our back 4 was not first choice. That's not to get away from the fact that I still think those players should be good enough and do a better job than concede 3 goals at home.

Yes, of course its great that we have everyone available, but I'm not sure I buy the whole "we've been massively under strength" argument. Centre-back, I think there's no doubt we've looked shaky there; only 4 clean sheets in the last 16 games tells a story there. But all over the pitch we have had strength in depth, we should have been able to perform better than we have in the past couple of months. But we certainly have the potential within the squad to go on another run (and with the teams around us performing as they are, we need to). With Puncheon back in the fold and performing I would suggest that, apart from at CB, we have more than adequate cover should we lose any of our first team players (perhaps also with the exception of Davis). And with the likes of Puncheon, Chaplow, Guly, de Ridder (and potentially Falque??) we have a lot of different options of attacking midfielders to shape a game; plus of course Lee and Sharp added to Lambert, Connolly, Guly and Barnard also give us a number of options up front. The squad was already good; the additions we made in January should be enough to get us back on track. I still have concerns at CB but if Jos can get back and forge a partnership again with Fonte then that could be just what we need.

Well that's one way of looking at it I suppose, Lard. Not sure I concur with your concern with the "amount of under par dross" Adkins has brought in. In addition to the likes of Forte, N'Guessan etc that you mention (who, lets face it, were all pretty cheap gambles) he has also brought in first team players such as Chaplow, Cork, Fox, Hooiveld, and Sharp, plus very adequate squad players in Lee, Butterfield, and de Ridder. Our form at the moment is sketchy at best; no getting away from that. Last night was disappointing in that our team wasn't significantly below par, and yet we still lost and conceded three goals into the bargain. That really is one area that we need to tighten up, particularly away from home, if we're to get our promotion dreams back on course. To be fair to Adkins, we have had a few key players missing lately, and Lallana is certainly not producing like he did at the start of the season, which is very much key to us being a successful side. But the time for excuses is over; players have returned, and we've strengthened up front with one of the division's top scorers while neglecting to strengthen the central defence (outlined by the fact that we've only kept 4 clean sheets in our last 16 games). Burnley away next, then West Ham, which gets us out of a month when we've played 3 of our main promotion rivals. We need to kick on, Birmingham are on fire, Blackpool have surged up the table, West Ham will be strong all season, and I don't see the likes of Cardiff or Boro dropping away any time soon. Looking at the fixture list post West Ham, there is aboslutely nothing there (except perhaps Boro away) that we should be concerned about; every game is 100% winnable. Its still well within our grasp (of course it is, we're in 2nd place) but we need a revival in results and performance if we're to achieve our lofty ambitions.

I know we've done that free kick routine before, and scored from it. But surely, in those conditions, a shot on target (and preferably one that bounced just in front of the keeper) would have been the better option? The ball was skidding off the surface so unpredictably I can't believe we didn't try to exploit this.

I was at Reading earlier in the season when their fans were singing their rendition of it for M-U-R-T-Y in the commentary box above the stands. It was one of the most cringeworthy songs I've ever heard.

Homosexual, eh?

We're not that far away from it though really. Although we'll never get a return to the 4-2-4 we had, we still have Cork & Hammond sat behind a forward line of Lallana, Guly, Lambert and Sharp.

It is. Its also a very decent service. If it was done as well as fans forums, I think it would be a brilliant thing that the club offer. That they're doing something is better than nothing. Personally I prefer the fans forums as they are more inclusive.

I think it's been disappointing that he hasn't broken through into the team. As good as he obviously can be, he is also very much a headless chicken at times and be very frustrating. For a team that prides itself on keeping the ball and not giving it away cheaply, that can be hugely detrimental. I still think he has much, much more to offer. And he has a style of play that offers us options that no other player in our squad can give us, that direct pace and ability to take the man on. Hopefully with a run injury-free he can start to realise some of his potential.

Even if he is just playing for a transfer away in the summer, its low risk for us. If he plays one game for us, he cannot play for another team this season, even on loan (as he'll have played for 2 clubs already). So if he is looking for a move away, he needs to put the performances in, which benefit us. And as I sadi, he doesn't seem to have burned his bridges with the players or the manager, so that's not something I have huge concern about. I always thought the biggest hurdles were between Puncheon and the chairman, and Puncheon and the fans. The chairman has seemingly thawed in his approach to the player, hopefully the fans can too. Even if we can still agree that Puncheon is, in all likelihood, a monumental tw*t.

That's a very simplistic way to look at it, given that we actually had a bid of more than double that accepted in the summer before failing to agree personal terms. As for Puncheon; he clearly has a lot to prove, I genuinely don't know if he is better than what we already have, but if he can get his head down and put in performances hich we know he can, it'll be a decent move by the club. He clearly didn't burn bridges with the players, and it would seem with the manager, so its a low risk gamble to take.

Yep, I didn't quite think that one through! I guess, whatever happens, it sends a ripple effect down to where an AFC Pompey get introduced into the league. Quite how it gets managed is making my head hurt thinking about it, so I'm going to stop.

I think you're somewhat right; however its not that we haven't acquired good enough backup players. Its that we haven't brought in the one or two quality first team players we've clearly been after, which would have made players such as Connolly and Guly our new backups. As a first team pairing those two have been hit and miss; with a quality first choice strike force of Lambert plus another, having Guly and Connolly in reserve is a pretty damn good array of options.

It would make common sense for just 2 teams to get relegated. If 4 teams came up from League One you'd an extra team promoted from league 2, and therefore an extra team promoted from the Conference etc etc etc. 2 teams relegated; 1 team liquidated, replaced in the normal manner by the three teams promoted from L1.

Is this him?

Yep, aside from that (which I agree with), you'd be hard pushed to disagree with the choice of first XI. The changes he made couldn't really be disputed either. No doubting we were out-fought, out-passed and out-played all night tonight. No doubt. But we still have the players available and yet to return to turn it around again.