saint1977

To go up - Us, Reading and I agree with Saint Bobby on Brighton - it would give southern football one heck of a boost. It would also wind the skates up majorly as they contemplate trips to Torquay and Crawley! I've got nothing against West Ham, a lot of their fans that I know are decent and very different to the idiots on KUMB. However, I think that Heston Blumenthal at Reading has done almost as good a job as our Nigel and they were so close last year. To go down - Wolves will go down regardless. I can understand why people think it was daft to sack McCarthy but imagine the meltdown on here if we lost 1-5 at home to the skates when playing in the same division on similar resources? QPR I'd like to see drop as Swansea and Norwich's achievements model how I'd like us to be in the PL IF we are promoted. QPR have bought highly paid dross and their support has been terrible. It won't happen but Villa as the third team so McLeish can get his relegation 'hat-trick'. Again, I've nothing against Villa but could say with confidence that Bolton with their debts, Blackburn and Wigan would all be weaker than SFC should we be promoted. Not the original OP I know but really hope Hudds do it this time and reach the NPC and in Devon would like to see Exeter stay up, Torquay go up from L2 and Plymouth stay in the league.

I'm sure the clubs around them at the bottom will also be taking a very keen interest too. If the skates sign any more PL players and then stay up, the club relegated in 22nd would have a massively strong case for suing the FL. They should be playing young players plus PL free transfers like Lee Molyneux and Ryan Smith, who but for Lowe and Wilde would have been out of work anyway in 2009. Personally, I'd operate a 'one in one out policy' on players under 25 and let them get more numbers in only once Pearce, Ben Haim, Ward, Henderson, Lawrence, Varney, Kitson etc are all gone on loan-to-perms. Unlike a lot of people on here, I didn't want them to go bust but they do have be relegated this season, they've blatantly cheated which there now seems to be widespread understanding and anger about within the wider football community. The FL are on a very sticky wicket.

If you've seen some of drivel that some of these posters put on the Lounge you wouldn't be surprised. I've stopped reading the Lounge now bar the Skate thread which seems to be populated by some of the more sensible users on the forum. Strangely, they were absent from the main board on Saturday evening! I tend to go to games with my family rather than groups of my mates theses days so it would be harder to challenge individuals as I wouldn't want to drag my family into it. I'd be reluctant to shop fellow fans but would certainly do so if the abuse was both intended and sustained. Someone was racially abusing Lee Peltier and possibly Guly at last season's Hudds game in Itchen Block 10 but they were quite a long way beneath us and we wanted to be sure we had the right seat number and row. We reported them to a steward who kept an eye on the area and the morons kept quiet after that. If I'd known the seat number of the person who shouted the worst of it, I'd have happily have used the text service to shop them. It's good for people to let off steam after working hard all week but I can't see how racist abuse is acceptable.

If Ross Wallace is fit for them, we need to ensure Lallana gives Fox decent protection and stays left on a 4-4-2 because I was at the game up there and Wallace BBQed Fox when Lallana was pushed further forward by Adkins, how we didn't concede a second goal in the 10 minutes after Austin I'll never know, Wallace seemed to sail past Fox a dozen times during that period and some dangerous crosses fizzed across and Bikey missed a sitter. The other way is to go back to the diamond with Lallana at the head of it and Puncheon tucked in on the left side of it. Pity Chaplow needs more games as he'd be good at neutralising Marvin Bartley's engine, who ran the game up there until Burnley tired in the last 20 mins and we started coming into it more. Desperately need Jos back otherwise Austin will eat Martin for lunch, Fonte couldn't handle him up there although Jos did a good job on Rodriguez. Lambert and Sharp should cause their back four lots of problems though and they were very rickety once we actually put them under pressure, esp. from set pieces where Lambert should be a danger if Fox and Frazer can get their delivery right. I'd imagine that will be big Adkins priority leading up to the game as the delivery recently has been well below the minimum standard expected

It seems amazing to think Nigel would be under pressure and I don't believe that he is. We had a great January window although last night highlighted the ongoing need for a CB on loan as Martin sounded tired. So the players are there, Nigel just has to figure out his best XI. What he has to steer clear of is random selections like Connolly, no excuses for picking him now in the 16 with the wide range of quality options available and the fans will question Nigel big time if he is present again on Saturday. I'd like to see Barney get a loan to L1 for a month to sharpen up (no pun intended for a month) so that he is better able to put pressure on Lambert and Sharp in March onwards whilst Lee beds into English football.

Well, I won't be following England any more whilst he's in charge if that happens!

I've very rarely posted on this thread but those idiotic comments by Vernon-Jackson are beyond belief. It was bad enough when their moron Tory MP from Skatemouth North opened their un-educated trap and cornered the PM but now we've got their Lib-Dem Leader at it as well. Why doesn't one of the Labour councillors spout some rubbish about how unfair HMRC are being and we'll have a hat-trick? No wonder some people don't bother voting at elections! I saw someone posted Penny Mordaunt's view on here that 'not all of Portsmouth's problems can be solved by the state'. By the way Penny: a) the state is £20m+ less able to help people in one of the UK's most deprived seats as a result of blatant tax avoidance and b) It isn't your state anyway, it belongs to HM The Queen and her subjects, you are part of a Government which is different as like all elected Governments, you are merely a tenant until us citizens get fed up and chuck a Government out. As for Vernon-Jackson, is my memory failing me or is he the plank that demanded the BBC add Portsmouth to the UK weather broadcasts map instead of Southampton? If David Cameron did why what V-J asks, and I don't believe he will for a moment, the other 91 clubs are going to not bother paying as well. As for saying that the current regime didn't cause this, what planet is he on? It's a bit like saying Gordon Brown had no responsibility for the credit crunch, therefore we don't have to reduce the PSBR or reform our wrecked banking system.

He did more in 30 minutes recently than Connolly has done in several games recently. DC was a cracking player in his time but Adkins was scraping the bottom of the barrel by playing him nearly all game Tuesday night. Connolly is fine as an impact sub but that's all. I'd rather have given Barnie an hour to get some game time under his belt. I'd give Barnie a localish loan to Yeovil or Exeter (they are really toothless at the moment) to sharpen up. Lee will be bedded in with Sharp coming in and looks like he's got a good work rate and turn of pace, both of which are welcome attributes at this stage of the season.

I hope our idiots don't boo, the team is really struggling at the moment so some fresh legs will be welcome and for Puncheon's sake he can't afford to give less than 100%. It won't do us any favours if we boo and if he can stick a goal past Cardiff that wins us a game I won't go as far as to say all will be forgotten but we know how fickle football is. If he can get up to full fitness quickly, plus Lallana and Jos not being out for long, Rickie, Fonte and Chaplow back and a couple of badly needed new faces, we might be able to turn our form around soon.

I do see where you are coming from but on Monday night Nigel was actually struggling to get 11 fit players that are good enough on the pitch so that's different. To get players as good as Lallana, Lambert, Fonte and Chaplow would cost a lot of money but we'll need to do instead is to pick up some good players that have gone a bit off colour, like McGugan has at Forest, that we can re-invigorate and sell on for big money. We've got a history of doing that too - Lawrie was great at it, Dean Richards, Beattie was stuck in Blackburn reserves etc. We also might have to look at players with potential - Daniel Powell at MK for example - that we can develop if our top targets are too pricey. I don't want the club to spend money we don't have either. So we need to go for players that we can develop or rehabilitate and Nigel is a manager capable of doing that if he's given the freedom to buy who he needs within an agreed and affordable budget. What we can't do is pitch up at any NPC game with an first XI and bench like that again - we'll get stuffed 7-0 next time, most League 1 sides would have battered us too.

Don't be taken in by that old chesnut, we might need to freshen up an out of form player from elsewhere like McGugan and it's something we've done well in the past. I do think Adkins has to be set a budget and allowed to buy who he needs within that framework. We can't afford the likes of Hooper so we ought be looking for forwards with pace in Leagues 1 and 2 that we can develop. Le Fondre has done well at Reading. What about proper loans - the lad Leicester brought on from Villa tonight is quality and exactly what we needed. Apart from Frazer and De Ridder, even Plymouth wouldn't give our other subs a first XI start so we are badly short. If Jos is injured then we'll need 2 CBs.

That was awful. I do agree with the posters who are complaining about the booing, the players don't deserve that but Cortese really does need to set Nigel a budget for fees and wages and let the manager manage. Concerned about Jos limping off and a centre back is now a urgent priority as well as forwards, tonight was a game too far for Martin. Only Jos and Morgan showed up, Guly in patches second half. Felt sorry for Falque, came into a poor side, Hammond and Cork were unbelievably poor. Connolly - rival for Luis Boa Morte's shocker at Villa years ago in the FA Cup, if he starts again this season we've really messed up in the transfer market. The Puncheon situation is festering now, take Holloway's £650k and re-invest it or part ex him for McGugan who could be class with Adkins as his manager. We know Cotterill rates Puncheon and he needs money to freshen up his squad as well so it would be a low risk deal. Powell from MK is also worth a bid of £1m or so, pacy and direct. Sure, he's still learning the game and won't always choose the right options yet but he'll give us that directness and pace that we badly lack. We need another CB as well. Some weird decisions by Adkins, I think he was rattled by the crowd and I can understand that as it was a bit harsh but why didn't Butterfield start at RB if Frazer wasn't 100% to start? We've done really well so far but need to pull our fingers out and get 3 or 4 new faces in for Cardiff. I'm at the next game and ready to get behind the lads.

That is probably a view shared by most of our fans tbh (apart from the Guly and Lallana swap bit!), Hudds are financially stable and Rhodes seems happy to bide his time. Personally, I think we might get another loan forward in - Trotta from Fulham possibly - so Lambert has some competition/partners and Guly can move back to midfield. Good luck with your promotion quest this year, I thought you were very unlucky in being knocked out by Peterborough. Charlton surely must have a dip in form at some stage - hats off to Chris Powell is doing superbly there - and the Sheffield clubs won't want you on their tail. I think that unbeaten run became a distraction and maybe I'm wrong but it appears you've been scoring more goals since it ended.

Unfortunately re: the FA/FL you are of course right. Carlisle have been in top form and would've won that IMO. Now they will have to go down there midweek with less fans behind them and probably lose. You've only got to look at the FA/FL's recent handling of Pompey to see what a joke they are. Would love it if MK draw AFC in the Carling Cup away next season! Definately one for being televised I'd imagine.

As someone else isn't either a right wing poster or a 'leftie', I'm not sure where else Cameron can go. Neoconservative ideas and policies are as popular and relevant as socialist ones circa 1991, Neoconservativism has joined Socialism in the dustbin of history and the idea of a 'free market' without significant intervention to keep it free has been totally debunked. Hopefully we retain a capitalist system but with more of the transparency that is being discussed at present and with a more sustainable future where the gap between top and bottom earners doesn't widen any further and cause the type of global collapse we've seen in the West where innovation and regulation become unbalanced. You need them supporting each other. Cameron and Clegg know that they have to work with the majority of the British working public now to refloat the economy and hopefully we can all turn down the volume on the appalling 1% represented by the likes of the IoD and certain far right wing rags. If the Tory far right don't like it, they can form a far right type SDP with UKIP and other hangers on and leave the business of sensible mainstream politics to those who know what they are doing on the centre right and left.

Carlisle are apparently furious about it and I don't see why they should have to endure a midweek away game later in the season at MK's advantage. I'd award Carlisle the 3 points and not change the goal differences, that seems very fair IF MK have been found to have been negligent and the game could and should have gone ahead. Alternatively, play the game at Carlisle.

If that's the guy that's been on loan at Carlisle, he's highly rated up there. Thought he was more of an attacking midfielder than an out and out striker though? Still, would be wasted on the skates (can they afford him?) and would be an addition to add some spark and movement to a talented but corpulent side. Not too upset about LJ going to Boro although he'll do okay but we do need to get a move on with bringing players in. 4-5-1 and try and squeeze a point tomorrow or nick one on the break at Forest, they will be in better heart after their big win at Ipswich.

That was one example and Ferguson does tend to loan players to northern clubs and wherever Fergie Jnr is managing but Adkins has a 'rising star' reputation so it might be worth a phone call. Arsenal might be another source of a young striker but we don't want to get onto the subject of Luke Shaw. Or Harry Kane at Spurs, Redknapp likes Nigel if not the club. My guess is that Adkins actually wants somebody permanently but as we know such transfers don't happen overnight and Rickie has a two game league ban starting Saturday, Guly seems unlikely to be fit and Connolly is only really a sub these days.

Did anyone see Marvin Sordell's display on the FA Cup highlights? Granted, it was only against Bradford but to me he's far more the sort of player Adkins and Cortese would go all out for. He's younger than Sharp or Maynard so greater sell on value and less potential training ground ego, is strong and quick (we desperately need the latter asset) and is southern based. Rumours - albeit the unreliable tabloids - that we bid for him towards the end of the last window.

The issue with Sharp is much more likely to be due to geography rather than money so not Saints fault IMO. What I don't understand is why the club haven't got a striker in on loan though until we can agree a permanent deal for another striker (and I'm not talking about Lee who won't really be a core part of the side until next season if we're being realistic), such as Ravel Morrison at Man U. Simon Cox would have been a good option but sadly his weekend hat-trick probably put paid to that.

Excellent post. This COULD be a good signing but Lambert's ban and Guly's injury means the situation is totally different and it now looks very bizarre if it is our only striker signing this or next week. If we can't afford Sharp or Maynard, we ought to be asking for a Premier League loan this week. It is a lot of pressure for Lee to expect him to begin banging goals in straight away and leading the line 10000 odd miles from the J League he has just left.

D'Urso is the Frank Spencer of officials and should have been sacked for gross incompetence years ago. Anyone who was at the Blackburn home game in 2004 will know exactly what I'm talking about - the Barry Ferguson debacle and a stupid penalty award in our favour that shocked even James Beattie. Wasn't he also responsible for infuriating both Saints and Charlton with a last gasp postponement of the Boxing Day game last season? Add Lallana's goal on Saturday and that's just one club, every fan of every other club I know has a horror story of a D'Urso mess up. He's not controversial like Poll, Rennie or Winter were, he's just awful and should find another career. Still, it's not his fault that we messed about all summer and didn't get a striker in. If we had, we'd have been 4 up by the time Rickie was sent off.

My favourite current Saints player and sums up the difference between us and the skates yesterday. If he does play for us for another few years (here's hoping), he'll be in serious contention for a spot in most Saints fans best ever first XI. Our most original and creative player since the great MLT and helps make the long drive to watch Saints these days well worth it.

We've only got 4 CBs as there is no way Jaidi will play again and I'd expect an announcement soon that he's retired and become part of the coaching set-up. Seaborne - that was most unfortunate but we can't be sure what the prognosis is there given the need for a CB to head the ball so common sense dictates that we have to assume he's out of at least this season. Martin has deputised well but both Jos and Fonte are bound to pick up bookings and also we need competition to keep them on form. The priority areas are blistering pace out on the right, a striker and a CB. Looks like NA is after a keeper as well judging by reports this weekend.

That would be fantastic if true - would be a good move for both players IMO. Cotterill reputedly rates JP and JP might be more willing to go there than Skatesville. Mame Biram Diouf is also a good shout, would be able to get him in on loan faster than wasting most of January haggling for Maynard or any other number of random strikers although Watford might be willing to strike a deal before Jan 1 on Marvin Sordell. Either way, we need the new faces in the first week of Jan, not Jan 31st as our squad has clearly been creaking recently. There's some faces we need to move on who aren't going to get a game like Dickson (although I think he's a decent player personally)