SNSUN

Wow, the Football League Highlights are painting us in a positive light! Shown more of the Saints chances so far.

Shows what they know about football!!! I thought Mills had a good game - he was unlucky not to get a look in for Saints, he'll become a good left back. If anything perhaps he tried too hard today. As for us being good? Perhaps they say that to justify the fact their team didn't come away with a win.

The sending off was a sending off if you ask me, Deano mistimed, no malice at all. I guess, if anything, it makes Adkins selection decision easier! When Chaplow gets booked, I often worry about him getting sent off. I don't have that concern about Deano - although I might now. When a centre back gets booked, I worry, and I was quite pleased (perversely) when Fonte was taken off. Possibly our dodgiest player on Tuesday night, and I thought Martin did very well when he came on. (Could've scored too.) We were woeful today, and still got a point, so overall I'm very happy with the result. Reading are a good team - Le Fondre is making other nPC sides look stupid for not taking a punt on him, and I thought Gorkss and Mills both had good games. Thank God for De Ridder, he really is a talent, he has a lovely touch, some tricks and some pace, and he knows where the goal is - this guy is going to be a big asset for us. Oxlade-Chamberlain who?!? De Ridder does deserve a start against Palace to show what he can do in 90 minutes, and prove he's worth a league place. Guly's pass for the goal was exquisite - it's these flashes of brilliance which show why he's in our starting XI. I have to say I'd drop Connolly for Palace, he needs a rest. The man has a great footballing brain, but just isn't fully there at the moment. Without Barnard, this does highlight the need for another striker, but that debate will run and run. We needed a Lallana today - a player to put his foot on the ball and keep the passes accurate. In the first half, far too many passes were going astray, and we didn't seem to be fighting for every ball like we usually do. Kelvin deserved his MOTM award. I almost can't believe this point, bring on Palace. (Which will be very difficult - they're flying!)

We were shyte, Reading very solid. We didn't deserve A point. We got one. Ten points for me in the predo league too.

Lol @ me joking about Martin coming on before he's actually brought on.

Agree. Martin on, now!

They've done their homework imo.

Reading the better side although Guly doing well. Fonte deserved a sending off imo. Great save Kelvin!

Been saying it every transfer window. Class player, goal getter, young enough. Huddersfield would fight tooth and nail to keep him though.

Rotation can happen against Palace, keep a similar team to Tuesday imo.

We don't have anyone to replace Lambert should he drop out, nobody in his mold, which is why he's indispensible. Lambert is a quality player, other teams in this league this season that we've played have picked up on how much better they'd be with Lambert up front - there's a thread about it currently on the Derby forum, but we'd feel his absence less if we had decent back up. To me, Lallana is our key player because he can make stuff out of nothing, he can keep possession when it's needed, and is a goalscoring midfielder, something every successful team needs.

Good shout. After seeing Guly's performance on Tuesday, I think he's due a goal or three too. I won the battle of the two live matches against my missus. She's agreed to watch the Saints game live on Sky if I give her my SaintsPlayer log in so she can listen to the Norwich commentary on Norwich PLayer. w00T

We already have him.

I was there that night, getting well and truly baracked by my Palace supporting mate. It was freezing. Our best player on the night was Cork - the reason I was glad we signed him. Kuqi made us look stupid. Ray, my Palace mate, picked up on Lloyd James's performance at right back, saying he was quite good. Shows how much better our current position really is. I see Zoltan Liptak has joined Brighton on a trial...

Guly reminds me a lot like Kebe, if anything he has a better footballing brain. Kebe is a key player in Reading's side (could leave for free at the end of the season too), but I'd like to see Guly show him up tomorrow. With Fish in their team and a "what might have been" signing of Kaspars Gorkks at the back, it promises to be an interesting day.

re: Squad rotation, all I can say is I'm glad I'm not the manager. Chaplow, Morgan, Dean and Cork is four top midfielders at this level fighting for effectively two spots. For this, and so much more, I give Adkins respect.

It's to reveal that Dan Seaborne has developed a previously unseen condition, similar to foreign accent syndrome, but where he adopts the playing style of a foreign footballer. Namely Paolo Maldini, as a result of his injury.

I had two, but she took them six years ago when we met. A stream is the best idea I hadn't thought of. Thank God for mobile broadband.

Only seen him live once for Blackpool but he does look a good player - I'm suprised Blackpool let him go. Good acquisition for Sheffield United at League One level - I think they'll go up with Charlton this season.

Yes. He seems comfortable on the ball. I feel sorry for Seaborne, but Jos is our future.

For some reason that scoreline made me laugh - perhaps not the unlikeliness of it, but the randomness of it. I'd take this position with 2 games left to play! I would be looking forward to this, but Reading vs Saints on Sky is being played at the same time as Liverpool vs Norwich on ESPN, and while I finish work in time to watch the game, my evil Canary loving missus has decided we've watched too much Saints in recent times (bull****) and will be watching the Norwich game instead. It doesn't help my cause that our local only shows ESPN games. So, I figure I either need to find a pub or establishment that shows both ESPN and Sky games AND will be showing both, or I'll have to sit through the poxy Norwich game with SaintsPlayer commentary on the laptop. Any ideas on how to get around this? As for the game, we're good enough to win it but I'd take a draw. :-)

Ah, proper internet access, that's better. Right, a good win, was pleased to be able to go, just a shame the traffic was soooooo bad beforehand that I had to forego my pre-match pints. I left early so I can imagine there were some disappointed people arriving late. I thought Saints were very good in the first half, we dominated the proceedings and played the better football. The goal was justified, and I was pleased we scored then as I saw so many people disappear off early for their halftime break. S******. In the second half we were under the cosh a little bit, the substitutions didn't help, we were clearly playing for the 1-0 win. Yes they worked in that respect, but I thought they could've cost us. Chaplow was brilliant for me, and yes he was booked, but he didn't deserve to go off. He was creating space for us which was enabling us to get behind the West Ham back line. Guly too was very good, he has a great eye for a pass. Towards the end of the game I was getting nervous but Kelvin made some good saves. (Which, while good, made up for a few dodgy moments he had earlier in the game.) Fonte also looked risky, he ended up on the ground a few times and missed a couple of balls. Against a sharper attack, that would have cost us. One last thing though, was that when Harding came on, he played left midfield, when the obvious thing to do would be to push Fox up. Weird that, although I guess he must have had the instructions to do so. For them, I thought their number 2 was quite good, and Baldock was a good acquistion for them. I actually thought Papa Bouba Diop was OK too. Pleased though, a smash and grab win, but a win nonetheless. 5 points clear, who'd have thunk it.

Waiting for the traffic to disperse before setting off for home. Chaplow was immense, created and made space, great engine. Honourable mention to Jos, Guly and Fox. On a better day, Connolly could've had a hattrick.

I'd be inclined to say their strikers are better than ours overall but I think Connolly will be itching to get one over on his former club. Hope their fans don't boo him.

My birthday usually falls during the international break. (11th October)