Whitey Grandad

I don't think you can blame Lucketti & Perry for the first half of the season, and don't forget we also had good results against Bristol City, WBA and Sheffield United. I find it hard to believe that the current squad can improve enough to match last season's team, and hence my pessimism. But the loan window is now open and we are losing players to injury at a frightening rate so let's see what the next couple of weeks bring.

Thanks, all I saw at the time was a big empty space where the left back should have been. What I find hard to understand is how Backstock could move 6 yards in the time it took our lot to move 6 inches. He was never that sharp when he played for us.

That's what we need at the moment, something to 'stop the rot'

Good point - there's always somebody worse off than you! I've got 6 but 4 of them are girls. They're all young enough to play for saints.

Where was James for their first goal?

Please permit me some hope, at least. Without that, what else is there to live for?

Maybe not, and I don't suggest for one minute that we should have him back, but on the central issue: 'better than James'?

Of course I have seen the reports. What you have to ask is who is issuing them? What they don't mention is how much has been frittered on non-football matters. With an annual income of around £14m we should have no problem competing in this division but when we see figures of around £18m on matters other than the first team then it defies belief.

That seems a pretty fair summmary, to me.

LOL I loved the 'putting up shelves to balance the books' . here's the Times' article for those who want it. It's alwasy interesting to see match from a different viewpoint. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article4753697.ece

Who told you that?

I just plucked two names out of the air to illustrate the point that there are players available who have the experience, whatever their age, that is missing from our defence. All three players discussed here have spent some time at the club and IMO would be better than what we have at the moment. 'Good judgement comes from experience, and a lot of experience comes from bad judgment'

Precisely! That means that they were both available and might have come here were it not for this ridiculous obsession with 'yoof'.

Lucketti? Bennett?

It was flagged offside at the time and you can't say the lino was definitely wrong - unlike their second goal. Even with freeze-frame the best you could describe it is 'marginal'. In any case, the whistle went so Kelvin made no attempt to stop it.

I'm depressed too! I left the telly on the Sky channel and saw the Spanish football that was on later. That was on a different planet.

I prefer kick-offs at 3:00 on a Saturday but I miss the tv coverage. I would enjoy it all a lot more if I felt that we had a chance of competing in this league but at the moment there is a dimension missing from our game. I'm not sure what it is, maybe it's physical presence?

My concern is that we seem to be getting worse and more disorganised at the back as each game goes by. We shall have a better idea of our situation after the two games this week but already our thin squad is looking very threadbare.

The comment from the Sky commentators was that Poortvliet had said that QPR only played with one up front so he wanted central defenders who could bring the ball out of defence. I just want central defenders who can defend. - oh, and some fullbacks.

Is that confirmed? That'll be most of the season gone then. Chin up Lee! Your club needs you.

Well said. Perhaps we should start making a list of those teams that we think we might stand a chance against.

I'm getting old. The point is, Hoddle had his chance and he dumped us when it suited him. He only used us to get back in to management. Even WGS left us once his payoff from Coventry came through and he could afford to get his hip fixed.

Because Hoddle dumped us for his 'spiritual home'.

There are some who said the same about Lowe.

I know how you feel. I shall be there Wednesday, of course, but it's like being at the bedside of a loved one who is seriously ill.