saint1977

Quite, which is why the Conservatives and their multinational backers doubling the employment tribunal limit and introducing fees was a disgraceful thing to do, even if I've agreed with certain elements of their other policies. I'm sure you'll fully agree with me on this.

Looks like it's come from the Tadic camp, needs a great second half today coming on as sub to convince RK and the club that he has a future next season. Can't see this coming from JWP, from a sensible background. Mane is probably off anyway. No great story there but interesting other papers reporting RK being offered a new contract so the timing of this little bit of gossip might be entirely a coincidence although MoS do love stirring at SFC

As I thought, Clasie was pushed. Refereeing is very suspicious - handball could have gone either way but all of the decisions going to Leicester. Hope Leicester win the league but annoyed for Saints at the appalling officials. Edit - Jason Roy out 2nd ball. Will definitely stick with the football!

Don't often agree MLG but I do on those observations. Wanyama fully-focused is an excellent player but very inconsistent and hasn't taken on that leadership role in the midfield on a regular basis as too distracted by his agents and hangers on. If we could get a similar replacement who was fully focused for about the £15m we'll realistically get for Victor that would be decent business. I agree that Romeu, Davis, Clasie and JWP are too samey though and we'd sorely lack that power Victor offers when he's in the mood for certain games. I still think we lack a decent AMC as well that can get forward and disrupt the opposition's back line - but is a developing JWP the answer? Big no to Januzaj as a direct Mane replacement, perhaps as a loan and squad competition to another new permanent signing in that part of the squad. Might depend on whether J Rod gets somewhere near his former peak. Ox-C - Good player but will go to West Ham or somewhere like that. Injury record is also a concern.

Carlisle are well in the play off mix after yesterday's win over B Rovers and have a game in hand. That would have helped the skates had Plymouth not won. Carlisle have a strong squad after their cup runs so will be dangerous opponents and despite the distance will bring a few fans. The Plymouth game is massive for both clubs and can see Hampshire Police being busy that day as Argyle will fill their allocation I'd have thought. D&R and York really ought to be 3 points for them but Wycombe are a tough outfit to beat and score against away as Plymouth found out recently in a niggly 1-0 to Wycombe at Home Park. Northampton will probably be home and dry by then so depends how up for it they are but AFC Wimbledon away is a banana skin. Hartlepool will be safe. I make it 4 wins, a draw and 2 defeats - which would be good enough for the play offs but not good enough for automatic. Considering there's always a form team in there like a Carlisle, Stanley, B Rovers or Leyton Orient, could be unpredictable for the skates. Wouldn't be surprised if they won their away leg and then messed it up at the Rusty Fortress.

Seen us linked to him before, along with a few other PL clubs. Gets strong reviews but surely with Bertrand and Targett we are quite well served in that area? Right back is a bigger issue, Ron doesn't seem quite sure on Cedric and Martina is a reasonable squad option but no more. Could buy him and loan him out to somewhere like Wolves but Saints don't tend to do that. CM is a priority area to strengthen if Victor goes and wide/striker with pace if Mane departs and it probably still is anyway as Juanmi has looked a fish out of water. CB is another area under scrutiny as Yoshida hasn't had the best of seasons and who knows if Gardos will make an impact after that ACL injury and was already struggling to break through. Very reliant on Fonte and VVD.

Only a few fans on their forum to be fair moaning about the abuse at Lovren but still hypocrites - look at what Alan Smith got when he badly broke his leg at Anfield playing for Man U. Not to mention all the Munich stuff overall. Well done Itchen North and Northam, got Lovren worked up and subbed. Lovren's behaviour when he left was appalling. Crowd were much better yesterday. Well done to the team, great comeback, first half awful esp Clasie and Tadic, glad the latter appealed on the offside but running out of chances after such a bright start to his SFC career. VW and Mane changed things and the penalty miss seemed to fire Mane up. JWP - great cameo appearance. One of the most enjoyable wins since returning to the PL - and there's plenty to choose from. No great axe to grind with Liverpool but don't like Lovren and Lallana and Klopp's behaviour was poor on the penalty miss. Nice to see Ron put him back in his box

Thought that was a pen but we never get them v this lot. Not East's fault for the pathetic laziness of Pelle just letting Coutinho go - do the club not have DVDs of last year's game - and a whole cluster of errors for the second. Dusan is not tracking back - get Mane on, out of form but at least he might work harder. Definitely a priority area to strengthen in the summer Hope this isn't League Cup again - bright start and then collapse with no tracking back and work rate

Fortunately I live in Devon HS so Royston is nothing to do with me thankfully! Bar Exeter it is bluer than a Saturday night in Soho round here but tbf the 2015 Tory intake have been amongst the leading dissenting voices plus existing MPs such as Sarah Wolleaston. As for Royston, if Labour can sort their **** out - big if - and despise the Commie moron - they'll take back his seat in 2020 which would be just desserts. I never vote Labour but even I'd have to hold my nose and do it.

Not surprised at what has transpired re: IDS and Osborne, has been known in Conservative and Whitehall circles for some years that the two have been at loggerheads and tension had reached very high levels. IIRC George and David were IDS speechwriters when he had his 'Corbyn' moment in the early 2000s and word on the grapevine suggests respect in either direction wasn't completely mutual. Quite a nasty discourse building though, Downing St and Treasury saying the proposals were very much the DWP's, and the IDS camp claiming otherwise. To what extent is this driven by the EU referendum? Hard to say, probably is a factor but my reading is that this isn't the foreground issue. More about IDS wanting to put a nail in the coffin of Osborne's PM hopes - and he won't be disappointed at the immediate fallout. Can't help feeling IDS is living a large glass house and throwing stones though. Think like most others, he's realised that public opinion is shifting on disability cuts, multinationals paying their dues and earning the right to compete in the UK market by contributing to our infrastructure and public services their staff use, living wage, CEO governance (look at the reputational damage Ashley and Sports Direct have suffered) and so on. Ironic that Labour elected such a dinosaur when they could have been making hay. It's just the non-doms running the tabloids and a few on the Tory right who haven't caught up yet. The modern Tory MPs, particularly the 2015 intake, seem to get it though and been impressed with their energy.

Thank God we got a point at the end which should see us safe. Only bright spots were Bertrand, Romeu and VVD, rest were dire. Martina - wtf, shades of Olivier Bernard in his positioning. Big clear out needed this summer and £30m net spend please board with the new TV deal. Manager position bound to be under review as clearly tensions behind the scenes. I like Ron but only 1 year left on deal and the apathy in the last 2 games has been a major concern.

I remember that and glad he was told to shut up, appalling manners. Wasn't that the opening of SMS v Espanyol or is my memory playing tricks again?

I see David Balcombe has retired to join KP's cricket academy. Pity, was at Surrey but an effective performer for Hants in D2, not sure he was a D1 bowler. Great news on the England T20 squad. I disagree with KP, Vince deserves to be ahead of Wright who has flattered to deceive for England. Dawson's confidence has shot up and should see a good season from him next year as he'll be targeting the ODI squad by doing well in all formats. D1 will be tough next year. Durham will struggle IMO and Warwickshire and Yorks are title favourites. After that, anyone else could push for the title or go down.

There aren't many but do remember Leeds interrupting Sir Matt Busby's silence at Blackburn by chanting about Don Revie. Batty and Strachan lost it with them and were rightly furious. Leeds are generally decent fans but have always had an element where Man U are concerned. I was at St Mary's that night in Dec 2003 and there were about 50 of them I'd reckon chanting. No excuse for it but I do remember a lot of letters tbf from Pompey fans to both the Echo and News expressing their disgust and urging the club to ban those caught chanting. My other non-football memory of that night was a certain bookshop owner being banned from SMS for taking a tinkle on the seats. At the league game which followed after (scene of Marian's brilliant goal which I was sat right behind), the Northam and Kingsland North were chanting 'Ding Dong where's your Bell Gone?'. They were totally outclassed in both games - happy days. Bournemouth are getting away lightly here - the seaplane song about Richard Andrews being killed before the pre-season friendly was even worse IMO.

Costa today being another example. You can understand players being angry when a ref makes an absolute blooper and won't listen but crowding, eyeballing and general intimidating the ref has become the norm over the last 15-20 years. Man U started it IMO in this country with Keane, Stam etc but most teams seem to do it now. Don't know why officials put up with it.

Bristol Rovers are in great form, that will be another tough game for the skates. They'll bring a few fans as well if their visits to SMS in League 1 were anything to go by. I can remember Guly's late winner in 10-11 and their late 3-2 winner the previous year which was a cracking game. Cook's conduct with the interviewer afterwards was shocking and really sounds like they are panicking. It'll be alright, the Pompey faithful never boo of course and always get behind their side ;-) Orient will be a force now Nolan has gone there, especially if he gets fit to play and Carlisle have got games in hand after the floods and a healthy squad after runs in both cups and the ties with Liverpool/Everton. Their best hope of automatic is Plymouth crashing, Oxford have a strong squad and Northampton are over the hills and away. Wonder when POL will start accusing Northampton of cheating after their flirt with administration?

At least Clattenburg got that right. The Vic decision doesn't get any better when seen on TV although Koeman and Bilic both have a valid point around the scissors nature of it and the fact from RK's perspective that Payet probably doesn't have the acceleration to break on Saints there. Clearly the ref was going to book him and then the pathetic little wimp got bullied by Noble and co. Shouldn't be a referee at any level, pro or semi-pro if he can't make his own decisions. Premier League should demote him to the Evostik leagues until Clattenburg sorts himself out. What Byram did to Bertrand was worse - a quite deliberate stamp - and Byram should have thanked Ryan for not making fuss like Payet did. Anyway, another Clattenburg debacle shouldn't detract from a fantastic backs-to-the-wall win. Delighted for Yoshi after a tough season, whole back 4/5 were immense. One great save from Fraser early on from Reid, otherwise little to do but exudes such an air of calm which was key too. Clasie did well and great workrate from Long. Only downside other than the red card was Pelle but will be going in the summer anyway it seems and still a good squad player for the remainder.

Stupid challenge by Victor but poor decision by Clattenburg - yellow and a taking to if the ref wasn't conference league south standard. Saints need to go over and simulate injury at every opportunity and we need to get on the refs back at every opportunity. Try and g t it 10 v 10.

Not that easily with the alleged £2m exit clause in it. As someone has posted, I'm fairly certain WGS was on 12 month rolling contracts under Lowe and they have become more frequent with managers become head coaches and the concept that they are a (high profile) head of one department but there are many other heads of department in medium and large sized football clubs. True to an extent but I think it still underplays their public and media profile. As for players joining because of a certain manager, that may be true to start with but they must know they are likely to be playing under multiple managers if they stay for the maximum of say a 4 or 5 year contract? Not that many top flight players stay that long now either. A player is more likely to get managerial stability at Saints I would argue than most top flight clubs, with the exception perhaps of Howe at Bournemouth. I think Klopp may be at Liverpool a few years but merry go round for the rest. Watford had 3 or 4 different managers last season and still went up automatically.

Back to back league wins at Old Trafford - never thought I'd see that (wasn't around in the late 1960s when Ron Davies and co achieved it). Probably not quite as good a performance as last season but still a highly impressive win and should really boost the confidence further ahead of the Emirates. 10 day break useful to get over a few knocks including Clasie. Fellaini got away with a blatant elbow and Smalling constantly grabbing VVD's shirt. Who cares though - great 3 points and an enjoyable run-in coming up.

Some great cut and pastes there Dan from the deluded few - so I guess this is kind of the Oxford forum's response - http://www.yellowsforum.co.uk/thread/22819/why-pompey-fans Lots of golden posts there for PTS regulars to dissect and quote :-) Enjoy!

Different players. Davis is an energetic box-to-box type player, would be worth a ton if he could finish. Matt didn't get forward as much as played deeper for us - although when he did score you had to pay attention as they were usually goal of the month contenders. Derby used him in a more advanced role and key in getting them promotion. Started on the right and gradually became a CM, Souness used to say his diet and focus were issues but Hoddle and then WGS got him fitter and to his best. Sometimes took flak for not being much of a tackler and could be lightweight earlier in his career when screening the back 4 so at his best with a more robust partner - him and Anders were a bit of soft touch at times when partnered together. Sad that what looked like a minor injury he walked off with v Boro at home ended both our and golden period under WGS. Some of the goals were memorable: Skates 30 yard beauty at home (the You Tube video behind the goal and celebrations are worth tracking down...) FA Cup, Derby home (drilled swerving 20 yard volley first time which sent them down), Palace away 30 yarder in off the bar, Millwall away in the cup as mentioned and one that doesn't get mentioned on here, Hull home where he flicked up a free kick and volleyed in superbly - it was worthy of MLT. Norwich home was another high quality drilled finish first time in that 4-3 epic.

Hilariously, Labour's official post-mortem review into last year's election result concluded that Labour lost because Ed Miliband wasn't considered sufficiently 'Prime Ministerial' or being of Prime Ministerial calibre. So what was the party's answer (bearing in mind Margaret Beckett is one of the authors)? Let's select an old Trotskyite relic from the Cold War era who genuinely thinks we can negotiate with ISIL. I can't stand some of the tabloids but Corbyn is so obvious he might as well have a target painted on his back. You couldn't make it up. Of course, when this all backfires it won't be the Old Left's fault, it'll be some conspiracy to bring them down. If I was a Labour MP (dreadful thought), I think I would actually defect for the sake of my constituents. Ok, they might not have voted Lib Dem or Tory, but I can't imagine many wards other than the die hards would have voted for Corbyn.

Fair enough Trousers. Inefficiency and politicians go hand in hand but at least we elect them and Capita et al don't have the best record themselves. Would like to see well run voluntary sector organisations getting more of a role. A book you might enjoy on government bloopers is Ivor Crewe's The Mistakes of our Governments. No surprises that the NHS IT system features.... Anyway, happy to join in on some more Corbyn bashing and that of his fellow muppets. Stupid old Trot. More chance of Pompey getting a non criminal sugar daddy and building the 40k super potty than Corbyn ever winning power - and neither will ever happen but two sets of deluded followers

I respect you a lot as a football poster and would say you're are one of the most reasoned, especially after a defeat. On politics, I do agree with some of what you post, not as much as your football posts but even the stuff I don't agree with you has reasoning. At other times though, and you may have posted it to get a bite, but I've seen you post on here that there shouldn't be a tax system. Even Conservative Way Forward members would find that extreme let alone theOne Nation strand I'm more familiar with. It's stood out at the time and I thought 'must be to the right of the Thatcherites to post that. Anyway; it's a free country and people have their own views. Maybe those weren't reflective of yours as a whole. I'm in the political centre so was surprised when you posted that a fe years back