derry

GM hold the key and they have locked the technology up tight, the US do the same with military sales. As long as they don't allow the transfer it won't happen, unless they take it back it isn't buyable.

I'm not looking to excuse him but I wondered whether as we water the pitch to speed up the ball do we do it at the training ground, it looked that the pace of the ball off the pitch was catching him out because he has hardly played at the stadium in the last few years.

Teach the bloody defenders on the back post to look out for the opponent stealing in behind them instead of ball watching. Jutkaweicz because he could play with or without Lambert because Maynard would be daft not to see his contract run out in June and make a lot more money.

He was offside because he strayed offside came back onside then immediately went for the ball. As he went into an offside position during the same phase that ended up with him scoring according to the offside law it meant he was still technically offside as he was the next player to play the ball. He would remain offside until the ball was cleared or played back out which didn't happen. The linesman missed him straying into the offside position. When he went for the header he was in an onside position but was offside already and shouldn't have been allowed to play the ball.

Neither of them look behind them and are regularly guilty of ball watching.

The players tried to lift him, Andy Crosby gave him a big hug at the end, Ricky Lambert said he made a mistake so did everybody else but if the goalkeeper makes one it usually ends up a goal. Not playing a league game for two years is soul destroying and all the training in the world is not the same. He didn't lose the game he made a misjudgement and he let in a goal, the first goal was Basham not being seen because Fox and Hoiveldt were both ball watching and getting in a free header. Schneiderlin, Guly, Hammond, Lallana and Lambert had scoreable chances and either hit the keeper or fired over. At least the team and the management are keeping a sense of perspective.

He is obviously managing that arch injury and isn't at his best yet. Having said that he worked extremely hard and had a decent game. The one criticism I have of him in the light of your comments is that he gets himself into the middle too often looking for the ball so is not easy to pick out. If he spent a little more time wide and delayed his runs into the middle he would give himself more room and be easier to pick out. He does get the ball far too often facing his own goal which forces him inside or back. I heard that Barnard is having/has had an operation on his ankle and is out for a while, have you heard anything?

I may be missing something here but what can you do except hold the missus' hand. Give her the car keys and a fiver in coins for parking and do what you do best.

I was conned into voting to stay in a single market not the political monolithic disaster that has evolved. It was no surprise at the time and it will be no surprise next time. Immigration, Fisheries, Transaction tax, Health and Safety, interference in Law and Order etc not to mention the German domination will see to that.

Like the AV referendum, doomed from the word go, it won't matter how the politicians and parties campaign, most people already know how they are going to vote. The political shenanigans over the denial of a referendum has stored up a great deal of bad feeling in the no vote and the politicians are going to get stuffed out of sight by the hacked off voters.

Asked for a rise, the boss with a yacht, cars, a big house, successful business told me he could only afford ten bob a week. I told him his need was obviously greater than mine and I'd be leaving next week. I ignored the change of heart and suddenly discovered extra funds and left.

Inevitably, in the end more than 50% will vote to leave.

When the riots start in Athens and Rome and life gets impossible for ordinary people in other countries how long do you think this arrangement will continue. Eventually the Euro will collapse or be just a few of the northern countries. It's inevitable that there will be an in/out referendum at some point in the not too distant future. There is now a majority for getting out of the EU and sooner or later that pressure will prevail and the politicians will have to go along with it. In any event we need to look at the new powerhouse economies and get our trade more worldwide rather than the stagnant EU. It is high time that those people that haven't had a chance to make a decision are allowed to as nobody under 57 has been asked and many of those who endorsed a common market not an EU are dead. It is time for those that are saddled with the EU for the future to give their decision.

I seem to remember Shearer quoted saying something along the lines of, after leaving the studio and arranging something for the following week they went their own ways.

If we make the mistake of starting all three central midfielders in the same team there is a good chance we will lose. Hull first half was hopeless and didn't improve until Cork was taken off leaving the standard two central midfielders. I don't care which two but all three is hopeless.

Not so silly as playing Schneiderlin to score goals, I think though Fonte would be a big miss at the back with only Martin to come on. I still can't get Butterfield's hat trick v Premier League Wolves a couple of years ago out of my mind. If Barnard had to start it would give us some optional cover if he was on the bench.

It's a fact that Adam Lallana doesn't like playing in front of Dickson and last season preferred Harding. Dickson has now been frozen out even though he can play forward. I do undersatand though that after bringing in Fox he is third choice anyway.

Any two from three Hammond/Cork/Schneiderlin please don't play all three. If Lambert isn't fit give Barnard a go from the start, subject to that give De Ridder a start but only wide right then give it a go. Everybody else in their normal positions and get back to playing as in the first 17 games.

We were not balanced, playing the three central midfielders does not work, they cancel each other out rather than provide the teamwork that is necessary. Two out of three works but all three causes a confliction which stops the natural flow. You are mistaking width for balance. It is a common occurrence especially when there is an abundance of good players all picked because of their ability but not their ability to play together. Nobody would ever say that Lampard and Gerrard aren't good players but they just can't play effectively in the same team, therefore the team is often better with a slightly inferior player who improves the collective teamwork which is much more important than the individual. It is the teamwork that has got us to the top, it is the deterioration in that overall teamwork caused by playing the three central midfielders that is causing the problem, against Hull, take one of them out and we immediately play better. I couldn't believe he made the same mistake three games in a row. As for Butterfield, he did score a hat trick in one match, Schneiderlin scored twice in a hundred plus games and is like a rabbit in the headlights when presented with a scoring opportunity, I know who I'd prefer provided he is fit.

He may well step up but his enforced absence hasn't helped. He is the only nearly fit striker so I don't see any other solution but throw him in. He had to be better than Schneiderlin if a chance came his way.

Playing Schneiderlin, Cork and Hammond upset the natural balance. In the last three games only the second half against Hull was ok.

Schneiderlin was played into a gilt edged chance and just shot straight at the goalkeeper, his record as a goalscorer is abysmal and playing him behind Guly was a waste. Sharp made no such mistake and being a striker went across the keeper. The conceded goal was poor, Richardson looked as though he lost track of Sharp and was caught flat footed. It is very easy to lose the balance and teamwork by playing players out of position together with other players that individually are decent but can't play together but in spite of that are fitted in. Barnard may not be right yet but he had to play a part and in my opinion the first half was where he should have played. I don't know how effective he could be but Butterfield scored a hat trick for Palace v Premier League Wolves in the FA Cup a couple of years ago. He could have filled in on the bench and taken over from Barnard if necessary leaving two from three midfielders in the midfield with one to come on. Lallana, De Ridder, Holmes covered the two wide positions with Guly in his usual position. Not ideal but at least the natural balance is retained. I've never seen a team yet that can be successful with players selected together who don't gel, balance is absolutely vital.

Butterfield on the bench could have given us an emergency fix up front allowing Barnard to start or vice versa. (hat trick for Palace knocking Wolves out of FA Cup a couple of years ago)

The last sentence is the only good thing to come out of this game. We need him fit.