derry

Pride before the fall! It would be better to leave threads like this until the season is over, it's just tempting fate. Last season at this time Portsmouth and Bournemouth were doing the same thing look what's happened since.

He didn't????

I think this was always going to be settled out of court. Downes wasn't one of the central figures but was at Pardew's side.

Adkins has it right, possession football is the way to go. If that is the way we are going to play in the long term we are going to have to get in a goalkeeper who doesn't delay the pass until there are only poor options left. Teams that successfully pass out from the back usually have a slick passing goalkeeper. It is easy to see why most managers have had Davis playing it long.

Davis showed a complete lack of judgement, the header was under pressure and if he had stayed back it was easily saved.

Beattie loves the club! Don't make me laugh, he is living in Southampton and it is the easiest option for him, apart from us being top of the league. He had no problem walking away or sticking the ball in the back of our net for Everton. Time to move on and bring in a striker along the lines of those already bid for. He might do a job for us but his last two years have been dire including failing at the best club in a very poor Scottish League.

The council were looking at building a municipal stadium somewhere north of the docks with the Saints as the main user, however I believe the Saints wanted sole use, which the council couldn't agree, so the idea was dropped.

After forty years without one, I doubt a copy of the original no matter the significance, after a cooling down period, really is that important to him now.

He could be useful if fit, however wasn't there a driving disqualification due to a drink related driving incident in Bedford Place late at night? Anyone remember?

Beattie in the Echo tonight confirmed that the playing management were interested but it was a no from above. Exactly what I was told on Saturday morning. Chaplow and Cork weren't ex Saints with a history they were short term loans.

I get the feeling he is wiping the slate clean. I expect he is well aware of the politics and what he has experienced since.

I was talking to a mate of James Beattie's on Saturday morning, he told me that this had happened but Cortese has vetoed ex players coming back.

Arsenal are really getting the treatment from the big clubs and are likely to lose more of their stars so it's not only one way. On the up side they will bring in loads of money so if they force the sale of one of our players it will cost them megabucks. Probably far more than the individual is worth to the club as a current player, making the megabucks easily useable to buy a number of better players for the team, rather than never have the mature (potentially, maybe, sometime) great player possibly after some years of development and constant unsettling media which could lead to a weaker team overall.

When Cortese came in he said two things about freebies, 1) There weren't going to be any and Markus and he were buying their own. 2) All those ex club officials, servants were welcome in the Directors Box but would have to pay, presumably the corporate rate. If that is what he wants to do it's fine by me. Everybody pays.

Read Inverting the pyramid (a history of tactics) by Jonathan Wilson. A very comprehensive explanation of the development of tactics from the start of football.

Some people are missing the point with Hooiveld, the lad is getting to know the team so needs a little time, however he is a good footballer, that has struck up a 'partnership' with Fonte who as a result had his best and most confident game this season. Centrebacks come in pairs and this looks like a pairing that can become dominant and the bedrock we need. As for the Davis short passing, he is trying his best to pass out, but it is easy to see why managers had him just kicking long. He is not a natural short passing goalkeeper because those that are, already know where they are going to pass the ball almost before it is in their hands. It is the time taken by Davis to make his mind up who to pass to, allowing the potential recipients to be closed down and then have to pass it back to him because of the pressure. Some of the passes he makes short really only drop the recipient in the mire. Eventually we will have to replace him if we are going to play out from the back, the more the opposition see of him, the tighter it will get for our back players to receive the ball, as they will plan to pressure us when Davis has the ball. He will inevitably kick it long more often.

Much better this week, only missed a couple of headers, teamed up well with Fonte who as as result had his best game this season against two big strikers who were well marked.

Very good performance, Birmingham pressed us until the penalty, good ball in by Fox, attacked by movement from the edge of the box leaving the goal area clear, Lambert on the far post pushed over, clear penalty. Two class goals good passing Richardson free on the right, to the byeline, cut backs to Guly and Lallana at the penalty spot. ball driven in. Well on top. Just after halftime, silly free kick, badly defended. low through the wall gave Birmingham momentum. Several more silly free kicks given away caused us problems. Lallana failed to track Carr who drove through and hit the far post, Lallana then made sure he shut him down after that, Richardson blocked on the line and Davis made some good shotstopping saves. Quality goal from Chaplow after good passing, Connolly ruled offside, Adkins said it wasn't, well on top, Chaplow, Schneiderlin and De Ridder came on and fitted in well. Fonte teamed up well with Hooiveld and had his best game to date. Fox needs to check more behind him as he sometimes reacted when he needn't have put the ball out of play. Excellent team performance

We have three left backs already but he could play there as cover, as I said he could cover all the back four positions but I see him as a covering centreback not dominating in the air but also a decent right.

He did make a reasonable job playing left back in several games in the Premiership for us.

He looked a good player in the Coventry game this week. Even if we didn't need him to play centreback he is better than any of our right backs and could cover anywhere across the back four. If he was available, which he isn't, I'd like to see him back at Saints.

Hammond's position was under threat, the competition has made him raise his game. At the moment Cork and Hammond are the first pick central mdfield. Well done.

Schneiderlin giving the ball away in midfield allowed Forest to break quickly for the first goal, we were short at the back, Cork and Fonte were bypassed, the left side were sucked across as was Davis the cross missed them all out and was tapped in at the far post. It was a good goal and executed well, it was down to sharp counter attacking by Forest rather than any one individuals failings.

Apart from being correct about the amateur part the rest of the post shows a complete lack of understanding of two great sports.

I thought both goals were through our right side, drawing the left side defenders across allowing them to overload us on the back post for tap ins.