Crazy Diamond

The De Ridder thing is a mystery, it has to be said. Adkins initially said he hadn't settled in yet, but that was a while ago now. I'd never criticise a manager who has taken essentially someone else's team and taught them well enough to get a promotion and to the top of the table, but I would like to know why Adkins doesn't pick him more often. Then again, Adkins doesn't have to justify himself does he. We may never know.

Dunno about that hypo. Annoyed it had to happen today of all days, obviously, but if any player plays that badly and often, the opponent is irrelevant.

Agree. It should be discouraged. Unless as part of an advertising campaign highlighting mental illness.

He said it with such conviction and tone of voice that it sounded like a professional opinion, but it was a question, admittedly. I was too busy swearing and shouting to hear Claridge's response, which was apparently very good.

The only 'tard round here is you, it would seem. Seems our education system is better over here, that's one victory today I suppose. And if 'Appy' set you up for that result, says a lot about how utterly ****e your team and club is, doesn't it?

Lazy journalism? Don't know about that. If you knew how much preparation went into doing a game like that, I doubt you'd be making such a remark. Jake Humphreys the presenter was bloody awful though, as I've said on another thread he infuriated me at one point with his comment about our league position flattering us. That's just a load of old ********, no two ways about it.

Exactly. Mistake to play him at all today. I don't claim to be able to predict the future but I thought to myself if he did play he'd be a disappointment.

Yeah sadly, Fratton being as **** as it is, the BBC had to erect temporary camera positions out of scaffolding, and were actually on top of the stands themselves. Equipment had to be hoisted up there using a rope and pulley.

There are a lot of things wrong with the BBC, and I agree the directing could do with a bit of help, but ITV over BBC? Crikey.

Their reactions tell you all you need to know about that game. They're delighted with a point - I'm reading about people on Twitter going for a pint to ****ing celebrate!

A bit like saying you'll take syphilis over a graze. ITV are woeful at covering any sport. The fact is in a live televised game, its standard practice to do shots like that. At least you didn't have repeat shots of the moon or planes arriving at Heathrow like there was for Fulham v Odense.

Exactly. THAT is getting on someone's back. This is justified criticism.

To be honest, I'm struggling with the idea of him as a flair player at the moment. I'm not being unreasonable here, I have seen far too many occasions where he's not performed, and as soon as I voice my concern I'm on his back and won't give him a break. Nonsense. I call it as I see it.

Does it matter where they're from? Don't think so.

Maynard will sign a new contract at City - according to someone there, he never got on with Millen and McInnes coming in has changed everything, so sod that. If we get anyone, and we have no idea if we're likely to or unlikely to, it'll be someone we don't expect or we've never heard of.

Jake Humphreys saying 'perhaps their league position flatters Southampton' with such conviction really ****ed me off. He knows **** all about us, obviously.

First half against Hull. He loses out in a challenge in the air for the ball and slaps his arms to his side, head drops as if a kid going 'oh what's the point'. Didn't see that today, but I didn't see him busting a gut either. I hate hearing the line 'he's not interested' as it's a stupid judgement to make but with him I do wonder. I don't like criticising my own players and I will never be the sort to stand up and shout abuse, but I will call it as I see it, Saints player or not. He was not good enough today and there are far too many occasions where he doesn't look up to it.

Let's be honest, nothing will happen to them. It is very rare for a professional club these days to go completely tits up, there is always some shred of hope or someone with or without money that will prevent the ultimate calamity. Look at Plymouth - how long were they supposedly hanging on for and about to go out of business? How long were we supposedly away from oblivion? It just doesn't happen at this level. Croydon Athletic I grant you, not Portsmouth though.

I tolerated one thread on this after the Hull game, I won't tolerate another. The guy needs to learn something called consistency. He's not a bad player but he often plays like one. Mistake to play him at all today. It is not his fault entirely today, and it's silly to say so, but he's certainly not helped. The warning signs were there against Hull, his incredible star jump to try and control the ball which totally failed being the worst thing in memory, as well as him being easily bullied by defenders and then sulking when he didn't have the ball - and walking around feeling sorry for himself. I don't think the guy deserved to start today. I'll repeat, I do not think he is a bad player, I do not think he alone cost us the game today, but he has got to buck his ideas up. I'm all for giving players time and I don't shout abuse at my own team's players when they're doing badly, but he is seriously testing my patience.

I'm going to get this out of the way first - I criticised Guly for just saying what I saw against Hull. His control was abysmal, he didn't look interested and he was sulking when defenders beat him to the ball. That's the worst I've seen of him. Today he made a mistake, we're all human, but it was the manner of it. Common sense drained out of him and he cost us two points. I don't think he's a bad player but I'm really unimpressed with what I've seen lately. When I heard he was starting I thought it was a mistake, I hate to say it but I was right. That however, is not to say it's his fault entirely. It's not, it would be stupid to say so. We had enough chances to wrap that one up, the only consolation I can take out of that game is that we didn't lose, because we didn't deserve to and it would have felt like the end of the world. We overplayed it at times and didn't do ourselves justice with scoring from just a set piece when there was enough positive signs in open play to merit two or three goals. On the whole, I'll take a point, providing we destroy the bastards in April. They're a crap side, enough said.

I like it.

Alfie's opposite the statue, straight on to the bus. Nice.

Ashley Barnes is more suited to diving than football, it is true.

Anyone hear 606 a while ago? A Brighton player or coach, possibly Poyet, I didn't hear who, was getting the crowd to sarcastically applaud the referee and his every decision. Poyet is the biggest ****ing joke going. Seriously. I really hope he's fined and given a touchline ban, the bloke is bad for the game. Oh and while they're there, Taricco deserves the same.

Confirms what we already know and what we saw a few weeks ago, they're a dirty team. They can deny it all they want, but it doesn't change a thing.