derry

Chaplow and Cork.

FFS Alpine, Falque was taken off the other night because he was hopelessly lightweight. With Sharp, Lee, Chaplow, Puncheon, Guly, Connolly, Barnard, never mind Lambert to come in he is a long way back. Unless we have stupidly guaranteed appearances he won't get near the squad.

Think about it, Cortese is burning the candle at both ends to bring in players, he is hardly going to waste his time negotiating a fee for Lambert. If Everton in the Premier want Lambert the haggling might well start at £10m, there isn't enough time to even think about it and a loan isn't a runner.

Sky have just said that personal terms were already agreed.

It might well be. He has scored quite a few, might even have been the Ipswich top scorer. Surprised he doesn't fit in at Blackburn.

Keith Andrews, goalscoring midfielder at Blackburn just handed in a transfer request.

The Doncaster Chairman was quoted in early December when this £1.85m contract release fee was put about that the CRF was £3m as from 1st Jan 2012.

I caught a bit on SSN a minute ago. Collins fallen through but Leicester trying to sign him and Morgan.

It wasn't, it was just an example of inept defending that he has to learn not to do. As I said he was positionally woeful, his distribution was poor, strong in the air but headed as far as he could back to the opposition, he has little control over his left foot. He is strong and could develop but he has a mile to go. He might have had a decent game yesterday which after Tuesday's debacle shows a welcome strength of character. At the moment we don't have time for potential in the promotion battle, we need high level competence such as Fonte and Hoiveldt plus a couple more of the same. Martin is work in progress and is no more than a stopgap and cover on the bench pressed into service due to a lack of experienced cover.

I used to get a box of Romeo & Julietta No 1s in Cuba for US$15 a box of 25. One of my FOs used to stick three or four boxes in his case and sell them to tobacconists for hundreds of pounds. I didn't want to know, 25 was the allowance, I used to give them away. We used to get in about 0600 to LGW there were never any customs, just a tray to throw the paperwork in.

No but one of those there reported that. (Sotonianproud - post 75 )

The cameo that led to the goal showed where he is as far as his ability is concerned. He turned his back and was skinned by St Ledger FFS. That was the sort of defending that forwards who can't defend regularly show but a centre back, definitely not, he had to stand up and not turn his back and sell himself. In fact he should have been showing him the line rather than buying the dummy. This thread does him no favours. He was slaughtered on the after match thread. All season the forum has been moaning about the need for another experienced centre back. The jury is stll out and you quite rightly point out that he needs regular football. We need two more experienced centre backs and Martin needs a season or two in the Championship if we get promotion. Centre backs rarely mature in their early twenties so he has plenty of time. He needs game time and good guidance, improve his control, passing, especially his left foot and to play in a team that passes the ball.

He is pretty poor in terms of where we are. His distribution is abysmal, his control on the ball is poor, he is a decent marker, a good header of the ball and he has a weak left foot. Last week against Leicester he was woeful. He is young and has a long way to go if he is to be what some people on here are suggesting. He was fifth choice at the start of the season and is no better than a fourth choice now playing due multiple injuries.

Week commencing 6th subject to TV.

If you want an answer, look at how he sold himself for the second goal v Leicester. A centre back was allowed to get a cross in from the byeline because he turned his back on a feint.

Cortese said the other night that we had agreed fees for a number of players but he would not break our salary cap for anyone.

I'm not being funny but that is the no brainer. It's obvious but very few get it

For anybody that is still interested. DeRidder played in four and a half games, three were won two lost, three clean sheets, 8 for 2 against. Hammond, Cork and Schneiderlin together, six and a half games only beat Notts Forest, drew 2, lost three, plus 0-1 at half time v Hull until SDR replaced one and helped turn the game for a win. 6 for 9 against only clean sheet v Forest plus three of the goals. So really very poor. SDR is supposed to be poor defensively but the figures show that the defence is far better with SDR in it rather than the three holding midfielders.

Then, the three major non leagues were the Southern, Northern and Isthmian. Most of the teams around if they managed to fulfill the ground requirements for level 3 etc are either in the Conference South or the Southern Leagues. Some of the players had played in the Southern, half the team played representative football, most would have been regulars now in CS/SPL/S s&w depending how far they were prepared to travel.

DeRidder could be a key player in the Cardiff game. I've had a look at the results in league games that he has started or played at least a full half. In four and a half games we won three scored 8 goals conceded only 2 the two games he was in that we lost were Bristol City where we were outmuscled and Doncaster where the three central midfielders also played. To complete the picture the three central midfielders played together in six and a half games and were 0-1 down at half time v Hull when DeRidder was brought on and turned the game. The record in those six and a half games was won 1 drew 2 lost 3 and a half (0-1 H/t v Hull) scored 6 conceded 9. Even the goals scored is misleading because 3 were scored v 10 men Forest. So much for the safe option. DeRidder has been accused of being defensively inept but the figures say not, in his four and a half games there were three clean sheets with the so called safe defensive three central midfielders there was one clean sheet v 10 men Notts Forest. I make no bones about the fact I like DeRidder but I think a major part of the recent slump is down to bad selection and playing the three central midfielders together when there was an alternative. I think that he should now start a run of games and let Chaplow get properly match fit then him and Puncheon compete with DeRidder and let the best man play. Chaplow could even play with DeRidder as a central midfielder alongside one of the three. IMO we should, unless a game is vital, play nobody v Millwall that is in the squad for the Cardiff game. I think we should start DeRidder v Cardiff and subject to fitness play :- Davis, Richardson, Fonte, Hoiveldt, Fox, DeRidder, Hammond, Cork, Lallana, Lambert, Guly. Depending on performance v Millwall if they play, from Chaplow, Puncheon, Lee, Schneiderlin, Martin, Harding, Butterfield, Holmes, Falque, Bialkowski on the bench. Provided we don't compromise selection this team can beat Cardiff.

Next year if we get promoted Davis needs to be replaced before the first game. Premier sides will slaughter him and pick off his well known weaknesses.

He's back training with the first team as of yesterday.

If we want to play out from the back we need a keeper that wants to play that way and is comfortable passing the ball quickly. Davis is very uncomfortable and takes forever so the ball usually ends back with him then being lumped first time anywhere up the field. With Davis as long as he is here we might as well let him do what he is comfortable with in the first place and hit it long to Lambert. Not ideal but better an accurate long ball than a hurried punt.

It probably won't happen but I wouldn't start anybody who would be in the squad for Tuesday night.

What would now be the level below the conference Premier which didn't exist then.