derry

So where are all the halfwits that were underwhelmed with Brian Howard, a good Championship player who lives locally and Reading didn't want to let go. Of course Stephens must have had a blinder against us last time we played Oldham.

So do I Nick, we should have signed Brian Howard last week while we had the chance. He proved on Saturday that Reading would be silly to let him go in their present circumstances. The idiots on here who rubbished him didn't know what they were talking about as usual. He is a good player and would have improved us no end. I think we hacked him off with the way we enquired then did nothing. I think we didn't realise that he was a supporter and wanted to come and by doing nothing made him feel after his original enthusiasm he had just been used.

Charlie Wayman was Saints best player and top scorer. I think it was 9 points clear but we just couldn't score, if I remember correctly even Alf Ramsey was tried at centre forward in desperation. It didn't work and we couldn't score enough goals. Football is a funny old game, one minute you are flying the next minute you can't buy a goal. I won't be happy until it is all done and dusted provided we are promoted.

Frankly yes until we went two goals ahead and they gave up.

You just don't get it, do you? The away support is right up against the Itchen, you are on the other side of the ground, away supporters are all singing, consequently the away support is very noisy in the Itchen, on the other hand the Northam doesn't come through. You might be the noisiest part of the ground to you. but you are not as loud as you think. You are the noisiest Saints support, but it was much better when blocks 1-3 sandwiched the away support and mirrored the Northam singing. As for the list of teams that sound louder than the Northam in the Itchen, nearly every home game until the team gets well ahead and shuts them up. Do you get it now?

It doesn't matter what you think because I'm telling you what I hear in the Itchen and that is the away supporters who are right up against Block one. It doesn't need many more than were there on Saturday to blanket out the Northam where I am in block 5.

You might think you are making a lot of noise but you aren't making enough to drown out the away support which is next to the Itchen and drowns you out most of the time.

What you lot in the Northam can't see is our supporters are tucked into one corner, a great swathe of empty seats then the away supporters in the other corner and you are only heard when the away supporters shut up now and again.

I know it will be unpopular but all these ditties that nobody knows and because of the away supporters become a meaningless drone in the Itchen and the other end of the ground are never sung by anybody else. If you were really interested in making a loud supportive noise then 'the Saints go marching in' sung slow or fast is the Saints song and has the best chance of being sung by the whole ground. That way there could be a really loud noise supporting the team and drowning out the away support rather than a few hundred being drowned out by the away noise. The present practice dilutes the potential of a really loud noise. Forget all the ditties and sing the Saints song loudly.

I think we played better as a team in the second half when Hammond and Chaplow played closer to each other. Up to then they were mostly about 50 yds apart. It's the same with the two stikers they have to double team and play off each other. The second goal, Davis, Lambert nod on, Barnard shot blocked, Lambert scores from 12 yds was the way they should play but often Lambert drifts wide and leaves Barnard isolated.

Howard would be my no1 now or the close season. As it isn't likely to happen we couldn't do better than get Gary Jones the Rochdale skipper/Playmaker and leading scorer (14 ish in league). 33 I know but he knows how to direct and run a midfield.

Tall fairly quick left sided midfielder.

If Utd don't pay up front it won't happen, we don't do the never never. There is no point in letting him go for half now and half maybe sometime never. Set a fee plus a sell on and let him go for that.

Central midfield is an important specialist position. We are in too tight a situation regarding automatic promotion to gamble in any way shape or form on a stopgap or an inexperienced midfielder.

There are two things in this that haven't been said, I actually think that Reading didn't want him to go but had to tell him of our enquiry because he would want to look at it as it is his home club. Secondly knowing Saints paranoia about secrecy leaked it immediately to the Reading press and also insisted that if they wanted to recall him they could. I think if this was true it was the recall condition that stopped us going any further with it. Brian obviously had a decent game at Barnsley because McDermott talked to him about their run in and his further involvement. In my view he would have made a big improvement to our midfield and teamplay and it is our loss.

I've seen Doble play but I thought he lacked pace. I wouldn't want to rely on him. As for Chamberlain he might have ambitions to be a central midfielder but he would be a lightweight seventeen year old trying to fight it out in the centre of midfield. He may be one day but I wouldn't want to lose him out wide this season.

Obviously trying to get rid of him.

Patently you don't have a clue how Brian Howard plays. He is a left side, central midfield playmaker and would be ideal to serve the wide men and play forward passes up to the front two. We don't have a playmaker, even Schneiderlin isn't a playmaker he just links up and goes sideways and backwards to keep possession, his forward attacking passing is almost non existant. Howard on the other hand is always looking to put the ball into the attacking danger area someting we need.

It's amazing that there are so many critics of Brian Howard on here. Some of the biggest critics don't even go to our games, never mind Readings, yet have expert opinion on a player they either have never seen or seen once in a blue moon. More than likely based on the expert opinions on the Reading forum. He is on no more money than our highest paid players. He has had injuries this season and suspension for a sending off. Lots of our players have also had injuries but he has still played in 22 games. He is a better end product passer of the ball than anybody at this club and is capable of lifting our central midfield which is a long way short of playing well. Having said that he isn't coming unless we do something this week. Reading are not trying to get rid of him just because we enquired, he had to be told, it was left up to him as we have done with players this year. He has a contract until 2013 and doesn't need to go anywhere. The current defensive midfield at Reading is not his style at the moment, if it stops working he could be back in favour again. Reading are not putting any pressure on him to go and as we never went back with any offer he won't be coming unless we do.

Hugh Fisher definitely on left as I speak to him most weeks. It doesn't look like Paul Gilchrist?

I don't think so. Could that be Chris Woods on the left?

Colin Clarke.

Kerry Dixon, Graham Baker, Terry Paine, Ivan Golac, pass???, Charlie George, Hugh Fisher with ???? Terry Hurlock maybe.

Nice to see a competent analysis.

Of course, central midfield is where it really isn't happening for us and for me is the way we can get the best from the four attackers if we get in an incisive passer like Howard.