saint1977

Lots of excitement in Portsmouth right now at BBC1’s Animal Planet - an underwater camera was attached to a skate with peanut butter. Better than a blue movie or their League Two promotion video from a skate excitement perspective

If the club were seemingly bought for football reasons I’d agree with you. I do recall readily Lowe’s worries post relegation of where the next £ was coming from and that’s when we still had a strong academy and we still got 23 or 24k gates. I’m trying to rationalise the mad decision making and getting a large lump of Sterling capital is the one potential motivation I can come up with. Otherwise, why borrow £200m for an asset to destroy it, or let Les and Ralph do so? If they wanted to stay up, Les would have needed several signings with pace and power and we had the money t9 so it.

I actually think this team is worse than 2005, at least that had Camara in January and Crouch and Phillips before his off field issues. Granted, we also had Bernard, Davenport, Jakobson and an ageing Claus but I can’t ever say I was bored, not even during the four years that followed. No wonder the fans are so passive and getting disinterested, no heart or effort on the pitch like the limited sides of the 90s when we underdogs in a 15k stadium, nothing to entertain us under Puel for much of last season let alone this moron. Where Les finds these people from I have no idea. At least the fans protested v Branfoot and Lowe, people cared and stayed and came back. This time the club will lose a generation of fans they won’t get back.

I don’t think any of them are bothered, those juicy parachute payments and player sales are looming.

Not with Les the buffoon and the clueless owner around it won’t be. Mind you, 2-0 and Lallana not scoring wouldn’t be as bad as I’d feared if it ends like that. Let’s face it, it is Bottom 3 v top four contender and that’s how it looks on the pitch today. Carvalho has really got Swansea fighting by contrast. I don’t know what Mr Bean says to them but the first 10 minutes are diabolical. At WBA you might get away with it but not Liverpool and a forward line with Firmino, Sarah and Mane in it.

Sub him for Yoshi now, can’t afford to concede a 2nd. Don’t care if Hoedt likes it or not, have to be giving 100 percent out there today

As long as we don’t concede another before HT we are. WTF did Pellegrino say to cause such a ‘I don’t give a toss’ start? Newcastle rode their luck but they worked their socks off for Rafa. Swansea beat this long lot at home so can be done but the players have to be hungry enough and be prepared to ignore Pellegrino if need be

Whilst I don’t agree with your posts on Brexit, this is an accurate post that summarises the position and choices well. Major was well meaning in his quest for a classless society in bringing the sector together in 1992 and paving the way for its expansion but now you have a sector where missions are all over the shop chasing teaching income, masters and PhD study, industrial strategy, applied research, blues skies, knowledge exchange etc. Instead of a market, what we have is a free for all and Universities playing well away from their traditional individual strengths and missions - be it excellent teaching, research and preparing for research careers, industrial engagement. May lowering fees will do nothing to aid sorting this out and it is just pandering to Corbyn’s strengths. Although where the fook he would get £11bn from to let everyone go for free is anyone’s guess, nor £90bn to renationalise water utilities.

Agree with much of that. PL went through a more interesting 3 or 4 years with Leicester winning the league, us pushing for top 4 and getting Euros, Everton last season. This season it really has been the top 6 and TV companies crushing all opposition, only really Burnley have competed this year. Around Europe this has happened for a long time but PSG have really accelerated this with the Neymar deal so even the Champions League is basically a tournament between them, Real, Barca, Bayern, City and perhaps Juventus. Just let them and their oligarchs form a super league and the rest of us can make a really interesting and genuinely competitive league and European competition/s worthy of the name.

Has always been like that, even at the Dell. First heard the c word at the football in the 80s although actually from a drunken QPR visiting fan who was late to the game and in the Milton End enthustically imploring Trevor Francis to get in the penalty box. Heard it again shortly afterwards at the Derby home game and Shilts and Mark Wright’s return. Most number of c words belonged to a drunk Saints fan at the Luton LC QF - he was lobbing pound coins at Steve Foster and calling him a skate c. His drunkenness impacted on his aim and he must have chucked at least thirty - costly business by 1980s prices. I can’t say football taught me to swear though - the schools I attended were far more the source of that.

Lallana will be poor value for someone next - nearing 30, never been the most robust anyway, can see his later years being like Joe Cole. Got West Ham or Bournemouth written all over him then

Surprising, didn’t get any hint of that during his time with Saints and he was with us a while. Clearly held his nose - but Costa did that to Ryan Shawcross so it has to be whatever was said. Could depend on whether any of the officials actually heard what it was.

Good post. Crossing was excellent - such as the beauty for Guly to nod in at Coventry in a 4-2 win. Limitation always pace, but ok as long as protected. Remember at Burnley when we were losing to a Charlie Austin goal and Nigel pushed Lallana, a good move which got us a point and would have been 3 Adam had kept his composure clean through. Trouble was, it exposed Danny one on one to Ross Wallace and Wallace beat him all ends up. Fortunely Jos and Fonte had good games and cleared out the danger.

True - was just illustrating how I see football in context.

Hard to get worked up enough to hate footballers - politicians are a different story. Rees-Mogg, Corbyn, Johnson, Fox, McDonnell, Redwood - extremist loonies all and can’t stand any of them. If I don’t like Lallana or Lovren, I will jeer as I know it impacts their game but do I hate them? No. VVD isn’t advocating making reckless decisions that will ruin this country, but some of those politicians are.

Fair assessment, King is a decent player but not a direct replacement, Fer has been important to their recent upturn. Bony has been poor although sat on probably £100k a week or so. Ayew could be an upgrade IF he stays fit, hasn’t had a huge amount of football this term at WHam and big investment for Swansea

Loved the courage yesterday, coming from one down and a poor start and then looking the more likely to get a fourth at 3-2. Sometimes attack, even on the counter, really is the best form of defence. Romeu finding form, Lemina best player on the pitch and another good display and goal for JWP. Full backs did well, centre backs more mixed and Stephens has to improve in the air. Key stop by McCarthy at 1-0 which Fraser wouldn’t have saved. Happy coming off his line as well. Carrillo was decent I thought and created space for the midfield to join up. Pathetic miss from Long though which should have sealed the win

Double blow just confirmed for Swansea, Fer has ruptured Achilles and Bony ACL.

To not even get a loan deal for the likes of Niasse or Markovic if Gao was insisting no money was spent is astonishing. What is Wilson actually being paid for? Promes was only ever a smokescreen to distract us from our suspicions over the use or non use of the VVD money. That deal could have been done before the window was opened, you have to ask why

No appreciation from me. Deserves to be unemployed, any club who employs him must be as a big a crackpot as Reed and Kreuger

Pellegrino lost the plot ages ago - actually I’m not sure he ever had it in the first place. Has to be a contender not only for the worst manager in the club’s history but in English football. Still, nice distraction for Kreuger and Reed, who is hoping the very suspicious January window is brushed under the carpet

I’m adamant, he was poor but Pellegrino is the worst manager I’ve ever seen. Even Paul Cook, Paul Wotton or even Andy Awful would struggle to be worse.

Me too. I’d have sacked him ahead of the game and put Kelvin in charge, at least he is sane

Very unlikely unless Brighton are really rank. If Hughton win tonight against that rabble MP has picked, Brighton are going down with us. Leaving all those expensive players on the bench is madness. MP must have mental wellness issues, shouldn’t be in a high pressure job like that.

Can't see Lemina being an issue - had an ankle issue which seems to be easing thankfully. Gabbi rumour about being homesick but VVD was clearly well below his best, doing the minimum and Redmond's attitude on the pich was appalling. In any of of our workplaces (cue someone posting about how enjoyable their retirement is!), would you want to work with someone who behaves like that or even worse, have to manage them? Good that MP made a stand but I suspect if Sims was fit, it might have been made a lot earlier. Hoedt's attitude seems OK on the pitch but wasn't impressed with the social media antics when dropped - Davis should have had a word about that (squad has to self-manage occasionally as well) oir maybe he did? Despite predictions on here, Ryan's appeared much more engaged since VVD has gone. Could be a key senior player between now and May, and not just as a left back. We need leaders. Romeu starting to find some form at last, but I don't think his application has ever been under question. Tadic's has a bit, but played on the LEFT he's a different proposition. FFS Pellegrino, keep playing him there.