derry

A good team is all about blending. Ramirez and Lallana give us the necessary unpredictability, Cork and Schneiderlin the bite, Clyne and Shaw the width and pace, Rodriguez the direct running, Lambert the vision and strength. Really talented unpredictable players play on the edge. We have plenty of safe players, too many and the team goes round in circles. Ramirez is brilliant at times and sometimes careless and frustrating. His lay off and turn at the Northam end as he peeled around the WHU defenders into the Penalty area was outstanding only negated by the WHU defender rugby tackling him and the knobs of officials ignoring it. The finish for the goal was class.

I feel really envious of Pompey now they've pulled it off. I wish it was us:adore: On second thoughts I think beating Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea makes up for playing Torquay, Aldershot etc.

Lambert by a country mile for me. 14 vital goals along with the way he makes everything tick. It was one of Adkins big errors in my view, either not starting him or taking him off after an hour, that was a nonsense. He has the best football brain in the team, brilliant technique and more than compensates for his lack of pace. Shaw is a standout at 17 for the young player.

If there was any justice the court will allow Portpin to take FP in lieu of the debt unless the charge is cleared.

Two things from this photo, JR's foot is studs down on the ground after contacting the ball and no contact with Federici, secondly Federici isn't looking anywhere near the ball that is underneath him. It looked like a classic bottle out. Sky had a referee analyse it (Alan Wiley?), his verdict was the same , no studs up, downward motion, watched the ball from over his shoulder, no contact with the keeper until after the ball contacted and then only because the keeper was late and advancing.

P22 W8 D9 33pts GD +7 Top third form. 57 pts if averaged over 38 matches.

The £12m we paid is not a really big fee in comparison to the £80m for Ronaldo etc. However it is a massive fee for us especially as it was paid up front. It bought us a good player plus great potential for a 21 year old. The impediment for any club wanting to buy him, is the £12m minimum they will have to pay up front. It might be easy to link to him but without the ability/willingness to pay up front it's just not going to happen. As soon as a club takes that on board, only the seriously rich will pursue it.

Florida Marlin's synopsis looks to me like the opinion of a professional media/journalist.

Stick him on the next Jordanian flight to Amman. Notify the Jordanians and they can arrest him as soon as they are airborne. He hates this country, christians etc just do him a big favour and release him from custody.

Papers today saying it is likely Utd will rest players on Saturday before the Chelsea FA Cup tie.

I don't think it was going to a court or industrial tribunal. The LMA representing NA would be invoking the Premier League Arbitration Tribunal which covers this. Given 42 days after application and appointment of Arbitrators by each party should reach an agreement. Failing that a Legal Chairman is appointed by the PL and a hearing convened where the Chairman has the final say without appeal. From the little that has come out, it appears that there was an effort to reach agreement to avoid breaching his contract as set out in the LMA general statement on the use of 'Gardening Leave'. It wouldn't surprise me if there was a settlement with Reading paying compensation to cover it. Time will tell.

As long as he lines up replacements and makes the arrogant buggers pay through the nose It won't be a problem.

Nigel Adkins situation is rather complicated. The LMA have a current statement regarding the use of gardening leave ie suspension, where the individual continues to be paid provided he doesn't breach his contract in any way, such as make a statement or take another job allowing the club to terminate the breached contract without compensation. After requesting arbitration and each side appointing an arbitrator, a minimum of 42 days is allowed to reach a settlement. If no settlement is reached a hearing is convened with an appointed Chairman who has the power to finalise any settlement. The chairman has to take into account the actions/co-operation of the parties in trying to reach agreement. He has the power to terminate a contract and impose a settlement. Up to that time both sides would have to comply with the contract. If Adkins now breaches his contract and goes to Reading SFC can terminate it without compensation. If they agree a settlement to allow him to go to Reading they would be entitled to be repaid compensation. That isn't going to happen. If Adkins goes to Reading he will effectively end any arbitration, as he has been paid up until walking out on his contract.

I'm not sure of the exact position but the company put into administration is either a subsidiary of SISU or of the Football Club so is not the Holding Co as SLH was with us. It appears that the court hearing re administration today is an application by the stadium owners (Council/DR's Charity?) against the FC for £1.3m outstanding rent. If that is successful it will be the FC in administration, whilst the company SISU have already put into administration has no assets or employees and is a subsidiary. (Does it rent the stadium?)

I think we were a bit complacent at the start of the season. It was a hell of a start in terms of fixtures and we were not able to step up in terms of getting results conceding far too many goals. After the WBA game Cork and Shaw plugged the leaks and for the next 12 games under Adkins we turned the corner and moved up the table W4 D6 L2 and our away form was solid. Pochettino then took over a team that had turned the corner, we then W2 D3 L3, but for some reason I felt we were playing better than that. I have always felt that unless Adkins was presiding over a debacle such as the first ten game form continuing, he should have been given the benefit of completing the season. His team was averaging 1.5 points a game at the time, with good away form and at last a solid back six and a goalkeeper now living up to his reputation with his last game giving Chelsea a two goal start. I think he was unfairly treated. Having said that I sense that the players have bought into the way Pochettino wants to play. AL said that he has a presence. I also think that NC may be right, ruthless but nonetheless right. I don't think we would have become much better as a team whereas I just feel that Pochettino and his coaches have added a sharpness to the side. I hope that we can pick up the ten or so points to put this season to rest. Then I think that we may find, as long as we are in the Premier next season, that we will be an entirely better proposition next season. I must admit I like the way that Pochettino sets the team up and pressures from the front. He has also allowed JR to step up effectively.

You are just an ignorant know it all with no manners and a massive chip on both shoulders. Not worth bothering with. Grow up and get a life.

And Shaw playing regularly at left back.

Since we sorted the team after WBA we have taken 27 points from 20 games with a +4 goal difference. If we just keep doing that we will have 42ish points.

Adkins is still employed and being paid but on gardening leave. His contract is being honoured. The LMA tribunal is to try and reach a severance settlement. If he goes to Reading now he could be tearing up his contract. Saints will want Reading to pay any settlement.

I should think there will be a little matter of compensation required by SFC to release him as they will have to pay a considerable sum to NA to pay up his contract. There may well be obstacles there. If I was NC, if NA takes another job, I wouldn't feel obliged to pay up the contract he has broken prior to arbitration, which in the circumstances would have been short circuited.

Another with attitude. Agree or disagree, so what, it's only an opinion. I thought he made a meal of it.

Liverpool were poor against Spurs who looked like they would win comfortably until Walker dropped the goalkeeper in it, then Suarez, a second after a touch threw himself on the ground for a penalty. A lot softer than Shaw's at Norwich. A decent enough side but not unbeatable.

Lambert's goals and penalties we couldn't stay up without them.

Ramirez was limping for about five minutes before substitution.

Two full backs, three midfielders and one striker on the bench, Mayuka surely would have been better than JWP to try and rescue the game.