Micky

Ummm - how long will this thread survive - sweepstake anybody...??

If Adam continues to play as he has this season, and improves, then I can see his sights being set a little higher than 'Boro though. The good news for us though is as his stock grows, so does the price tag. We must be in a position now that if we let quality go - we buy quality back in.

Perhaps CorpHo had the inside line on this one. Perhaps this was the 'big news' that he told us all to look out for last week, or was it the week before that..?

Good result - only downside I can see is KD's injury - anybody got any update...???

Crucial to what, survival or promotion...?

Agreed, all is not lost for them yet - they could yet survive. A certain Mr Grant is not too far away either.

Here too: http://www.skysports.com/football/premier-league/0,19734,11660,00.html Shame really, because if anybody has come out of this whole sorry mess with any dignity it is him. OK he didn't get the results, but lets be fair - who would of. Conducted himself well throughout a torrid time - I wish him well.

Yeah - again, you're confusing coma and nightmare...!

Have been saying this for some time - they could well survive. They maybe shyte, they may have made an awful start to the season, but others have not capitalized on it. There are some woeful teams in the Prem this year and I think that the saftey zone will be drastically reduced. Another 5 points would see them out of the relegation zone - there is time for them to improve while others falter. All of that said, I think that they have a pretty tough run of games coming up leading upto the xmas period - so they could yet get cut adrift. I honestly thought that they would get out of trouble because other teams were so pants - however, I think the next 6 - 7 games will now cement my views. 'Merry Christmas Saints' fans - they're down, however it could be a 'Bleak Mid Winter' and they survive. Place your bets...!

Credit to him for wanting to get out and play and be willing to drop 2 leagues to do so, but do I want him here - thanks Nige but no thanks.

Never thought we would make the play offs this season anyway - neither do I think we'll reach that high next either - fwiw.

That is a very very good point, one which others might wish to take on board when we are still in this league at the end of next season.

Actually the game last night was a 'one off' game - the Irish knew that they had to go to Paris and win to qualify. Yes you can say that they played other games in qualification and therefore had chances to amass sufficient points to qualify before this game - but the fact is they didn't. That's what made this game so important, it was a winner takes all situation and unfortunately the Irish were cheated out of the chance of winning the game. Again your argument could be turned around to say that France should have qualified long before last night - in which case the game would still have to have been played - the incident could have occured, but the ramifications would not mattered a jot. As it was, both teams had everything to gain and everthing to lose - the Irish lost through an injustice.

Sorry TDD but totally disagree with you on this one. Hypocrisy it is not - no way. Comparing incidents that occured between League 1 teams over the course of a season of 40 odd games to a WC qualification game is laughable. Things probably do even themselves out over the course of a season - but the WC is a one off that comes around only once every 4 years. You seem to have confused petty squabbles between national fans over events gone by with the main issue which is the integrity of the sport. Yes you can state that it is part and parcel of the game, but where do we stop. Diving, shirt pulling, time wasting and now this - fairly soon the game will descend into farce and lose more and more credibility. You are right in saying whose to say that the Irish would have won the game yet that argument works both ways. France could actually gain much kudos and credibility if they agreed to some sort of rematch or penalty shoot out - they would be seen as a nation who pioneered fair play and sportsmanship, even though it might have a detrimental effect on their WC bid. Would they be willing to gamble - who knows. Probably an irrelevant question as it's highly likely that nothing whatsoever will come of all of the appeals anyway. However would love to see who has the biggest ******** if it did come down to a one off penalty shoot out. Hypocrisy no, integrity, fair play and sportsmanship - yes.

Strange - I was in the Czech Republic last year at Namest Air Base where these are based. Awsome in the air, quite manouverable considering the beast it is - shame this one is non-flyable, otherwise I might have bid myself...! Neat.

Methinks that may not be the correct link - either that or I am having a senior moment...!

Over me...

I see, and agree.

I see the Irish are calling to have the game replayed - can't see that happening. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_5705430,00.html What should happen is: All reconvene in Paris, players, officials, supporters - the lot. 1. Players take to the field 2. The 'goal' is retrospectively disallowed 3. Referee blows the whistle to end the game 4. The players that are (were) on the field at full time take part in the penalty shoot out, with the winner going on to qualify 5. All go home happy knowing that justice has been done and the right team will be present in SA Geeze whats the problem Sepp - this FIFA malarky is quite simple really.

Joe - whilst I do respect your opinion (I don't agree with it) the fact remains that first hand opionion does give you a much better perspective of any (most) situations. Until this soldier actually arrived in Afghanistan his perspective of the situation was probably very much similar to yours, and mine - he went there, saw it and did what he did. Doesn't make him right - but I'm pretty certain that he had a much better perspective of the situation than any of us who have not witnessed it first hand.

If ever there was a case to use TV replays in big matches - that was it. Absolute travesty...

If ever there was a case to use TV replays in big matches - that was it. Absolute travesty...

Personally I do have some sympathy for Joe Glenton, but he should face disciplinary proceedings. All of you that are running with the 'he knew what he was doing when he signed up' theory are technically correct, but totally incorrect at the same time. Most people see wars, conflict and terrorist activities through the tube in your living room which unfortunately rarely actully shows anywhere near the full extent of hardships of war. The fact that often these wars are in far flung places also detaches you from actually thinking too much about them - you are detached, these are events that are not directly affecting you. The same would have been true for Joe Glenton even though he was a serving soldier, he would have had no idea of the real situation on the ground. In every theatre I have been I've initially been overwhelmed by the real situation. I have seen the aftermath of terrorist activities, ethnic cleansing, devastated cities and towns and the suffering of people and children. Don't forget - this soldier did not refuse to deploy to Afghanistan. As I understand it he went, conducted his duties properly, but then went AWOL during his R & R - thus refusing to return. Therefore one can only assume that having actually seen at first hand the situation in Afghanistan - his views changed radically. That is his perogative and one can only give him the benefit of the doubt. However, perhaps had he not gone AWOL and actually declared his misgivings to his seniors, things could have been concluded more appropriately. Did he desert - I'm not sure, whether lesser charges would have been more appropriate remains to be seen. The problem now for the MOD is that he has become newsworthy and obviously lends weight to the anti war campaign, so a lower profile charge would have been easier and quicker to deal with. For my money Joe Glenton is in the wrong - but there are (I believe) mitigating circumstances - will be interesting to see how this one pans out.

Pah - bouncebackability is what is required, bouncebackability - simple..!