SaintBobby

Id say their natural level is lower CCC to mid L1. A lot depends on the stadium though. If they lose Fratton Park, they may stabilise in BSP. We're naturally somewhere between 10th and 30th, I'd say.

We shouldn't seek to be reinstated into the competition, but if it transpires that they were trading whilst insolvent, we should sue Storrie and the other directors - personally - for loss of earnings. Coventry and Sunderland could join us as plaintiffs.

Can someone answer a (relatively) simple question: Isn't it overwhelmingly likely that they will have borrowed against the parachute payments already? If I was in their shoes, I would have done. It's £16m over two years, I believe. Couldn't they convert that into £13m - £14m up front? In short, why it is believed the parachute payments are still in play, when they've clearly mortgaged everything else?

I was sat on the halfway line in the corporate area. Ok, I didn't count. But I think the number (or %) of folk leaving was LESS not MORE than I've seen at 1-0 up or down with 2 mins to go.

Really? He seemed pretty relaxed to me, from where I was sitting (3 rows behind him). We aren't going to make the play-offs unless we hit an incredible run of form (we probably need 2.5 points a game or something mental). We ain't going to get relegated either. We'll win League One next season with 90-100 points. I genuinely believe that.

Re: Antonio He's not the finished article. But I think he is the starting article! The weaknesses in his game are (overwhlemingly and sometimes embarrassingly) positioning and decision-making. E.g. he will sometimes shoot form 40 yards and sometimes take a second touch from 2 yards; he can tackle and hassle quite well - but is often 5 - 10 yards away fro where he should be. His only obvious technical failure is that his crossing % is poor. But I find him an amazingly entertaining player to watch and I think he can easily improve the weaknesses in his game (they are learnable, not intrinsic). If he is able to develop his game, I think he will probably emerge as a striker not a winger.

For me, the measure of our club was that - at a guess - 29,000 people were still in the stadium until the final whistle. Going 2-1 down was a bad enough. But even at 4-1 down, virtually everyone stayed to applaud our team off the pitch. I thought our players gave everything today. But to see our fans stay in those sort of numbers to the very end was simply incredible. That was the thing that brought tears to my eyes. I feel proud and privileged to be a Saints supporter. God bless you all!

Interesting point. But I don't think a Man Utd or Liverpool will be the first to go. A Premiership death will send on a domino effect that will clean up the game, I think. Portsmouth's impending death will only really be worthwhile if it leads to a serious clean up of the game. Otherwise, it will just be sad and pathetic - albeit richly deserved.

He's a superb footballer. His poise on the ball was exceptional. He looked like an international-quality player at times today. I dearly hope we keep him for 2010/11. At the end of the game, he collapsed onto his knees. Partly out of exhaustion, I'm sure, but also I think he was emotionally upset. I'm sure he must have won MotM. I was in the Channon suite, where they promised us the MotM at 3pm, then 315pm, then 330pm. At 350pm -with still nio Saints player in sight - Kelvin turned up and tried to cheer us up as "club captain". I assume Adam won MotM - deservedly - but was not up to facing a ****ed-up (but supportive) audience of 500 Saints fans. Fair play to the lad either way. What a talent and what a credit to our team.

God help me, then. I'm now parroting the Daily Mail. I was thinking of sticking my head in the oven anyway, this has definitely tipped the balance.

I want Portsmouth liquidated. In some small, but measurable, part, this is because they are our rivals. But mainly - honest to God - it's because English football need a catastrophe, indeed a death, to wake up to the obsecene and preposterous state it is in. I can honestly say - hand on heart - that Porstmouth FC being terminated would be good for the long term future of our country's football. Let's hope it happens. Not because they are our rivals - nor because they beat us today. Let's hope they are liquidated to help save the game we love.

Obviously upset we lost. Portsmouth put their chances away, we didn't. I'd still say if that game was replayed 30 times, then on the balance of play today, it would yield about 10 Saints wins, 10 draws and 10 skates wins. They were very good on the counter attack and very clinical. David James had an exceptional game. From our point of view, I thought Lallana, Schneiderlin and Lambert were not just exceptional but positively heroic. I'd be amazed if we don't overtake them decisiviely in league status within two years and think there's a 50-50 chance they will not be part of the 92 teams next year. In terms of the "natural" position, we are a top 25 side (maybe in the Prem, maybe top end of Championship), they are somewhere around 30-50 (top CCC at best, probably League One). Without wishing to sound too embittered, the truth is that today, in playing our local rivals, we faced a team that they have no moral, financial or even legal right to put to the pitch. Similarly, in 2008, they effectively cheated (financially) to win the FA Cup. That doesn't mean either result should be expunged from the records. But it does mean that if Portsmouth are liquidated - as they certainly should be - in a few weeks time, they can't whinge about unfairness. For me, this was a slightly gutting day. But I follow a growing, upwardly mobile team with an incredible, immense fanbase. For the 4,000 Pompey fans, this could be one of the last meaningful games of football they ever witness in their lives. I'd rather be in my shoes than theirs.

He was utterly superb, unfortunately. One error (the ball going through his hands from a corner in the first half), but it wasn't punished and I don't think even a Drogba/Torres would have converted. If we'd caught James on a bad -or even mediocre - day, we would probably have won. Annoyingly, he turned in a 9.5/10 performance. I don't think that much improves England's chances of wining the World Cup or Portsmouth's chances of remaining in existence, but it was a sporting reality for 90 minutes today.

Its madness to even consider sacking AP. Yes, recent performances in the League have been average. Not great. Not awful. Just average. If people were facing the sack in Britain for an average six or eight weeks on their main area of work, we'd have total chaos. What's even madder than any suggestion AP should be sacked or placed under review is the idea that winning or losing the JPT final is decisive. In terms of AP's position, its irrelevant. Im still buzzing from Tuesday's win. Can't wait for March 28th. Hope and think that I'll see Saints win some silverware for the first time in my 29 years of supporting them (the Ted Bates trophy doesnt count! This just about does!). But the idea that this has anything to do with the manager's position is totally unhinged.

As I posted on another thread, weve shown near-league winning form since game 8 of this season. Id expect us to be clear favourites next season and to further strengthen the squad.

We had a truly dire start to the season. Combine that with the ten point penalty and play-offs were always going to be difficult. We didnt win any of our first seven league games, if I recall. Since then, we've W 11 D 6 L 4 (39 points from 21 games). That's pretty much league winning form. No doubt we've hit a rocky patch in last few games. But no reason to panic. Talk of ditching AP is total madness.

Make it 3-0 quickly .....then rest Lambert for last fifteen minutes

I'm a huge fan of the new regime, but from what I can surmise, they are not handling this well re: The Echo. The media in this country are not - thank God - beholden to abide by the requests of NC and others. It's important to understand that the Echo didn't break an embargo. They decided to publish a story about the new training ground based on information already in the public domain. Deciding not to acede to Cortese's requests should not be grounds upon which to ban them from St. Mary's. Since then, there may have been petulance and over-reaction on both sides, but it's in everyone's interests that this dispute is brought to a close. In general terms, I think the arrical of Liebherr and Cortese has been brilliant. But my worry is that if there were true - but unpalatable - stories about Southampton Football Club, would any media that reported them also be subject to such draconian treatment? The problem, of course, is that this has probably now become about face-saving rather than about the original dispute.

Pretty modest, even turgid, performance. Papa Waigo changed the game. We seemed to really pick up the pace after he came on. Lambert and Barnard haven't quite clicked yet. Was worried that Lambert was limping in the first half. We are running him into the ground. Fonte looked brillaintly composed. Seabourne okay - but i probably prefer Jaidi for a bit of bite. Mills was a total embarrassment today. Harding back in the starting XI please. Any of Lallana, Connolly and Puncheon might have opened the game up for us earlier. MOTM: Antonio. Wotton did okay as a battling midfielder. Schneiderlin looked half hearted for much of the match, but did come alive towards the end.

I hope this is the end. I don't want them bleeding. I don't want them wounded. I want them dead. I feel bad about saying this about any football club. But for the skates I make an exception.

This game will sell out. Comparisons with the last cup game are not relevant. We played the skates 3 times that year and havent played them since.

Overall, I think our league performance this season is mildly disappointing. Anyone who argues its "pi ss poor" or "really impressive" is mad. It's mediocre.

Disappointing result and (by the sound of the Solent commentary) a pretty shabby second half performance. But I agree that it's not the end of the world. Leeds lost 3-0 at Swindon (having also been beaten in their last league game by Exeter). Charlton lost at home to Leyton Orient last night. Norwich only just scraped a win at Carlisle. But those three are probably going up - and 2 of them in the auto places. Funny old game etc. I still think the play-offs are just achievable. Although the cups - much as I love them - are now getting in the way. I think there's a 75% chance we'll still be in League One next season. But in 2010-11, I really, honestly do beleive we'll walk this league! I do worry about those who say we should be making the play-offs. Not because I don't admire their ambition, but because it seems the term "play-off" is getting conflated with "promotion". Even if we make the play-offs, we probably won't be promoted. I'll settle for: 1. Winning the JPT in March 2. Beating the skates on Feb 13th 3. Finishing 8th or 9th this season 4. Winning League One with 100 points next year. I also think that's what I'm going to get.

A few questions: 1. Has anyone else fallen in love with Mrs. Bobby Moore? Seems like a nice lady and picked the right ball out at the end. 2. Which players will have left Pomp%y by Feb 13th? 3. What happens if they fold? Do we go straight to the quarters?

Obviously want to win both. But would probably take (from the fairy godmother) two draws as opposed to one win and one loss.