derry

My son is a mate of his, I've asked him to check with Brian. He would be a great signing but he will cost at least £10k a week and he has two more years left on his Reading contract after this season, secondly he has said that he doesn't want to play in div 1, however he does want to play for Saints before he retires and he lives near Cadnam.

We definitely are not playing well. We are grinding out wins. Worryingly from one point we are not producing much from play however on the plus side we are scoring regularly from set pieces.

Push the boat out and spend whatever it takes to get Gary Jones of Rochdale in. The best controlling central midfielder I've seen at SMS this season. A proper captain in the centre of midfield and has scored 14 league goals. 33 but would give us real depth. Having said that we will probably bring in another Gobern type as cover.

Is it that they still don't believe that they can be promoted, and that we will see them off on the way to promotion. This is shows a real inferiority complex in Bournemouth. Who the hell cares what Bournemouth do or think. We haven't thought much about them in the past and only have a passing interest tomorrow. After last Tuesday's result they have to win if they are to have any chance of automatic promotion but I get the feeling from their hyping that they are worried that their season might blow up tomorrow. We still have 12 matches after tomorrow and two home games in hand which I think we can win and overtake Bournemouth. After tomorrow their results will have no more significance than any other team we are competing with for second place.

One big weakness on the field, all Indians and no Chief to organise, direct and pull the strings.

One player that would improve us immeasureably in central midfield and give us a playmaker in chief, a captain and organiser and already the scorer of 14 league goals from midfield. 33 years of age but would make a big difference and probably would be available, Gary Jones.

Best Capt, playmaker I've seen all season, also scores regularly.

We are on the run in now. Every win is vital. Agreed that we weren't very fluent last night but we are finding a way to grind out a good result. Better to win than play well. Having said that Lambert is a peripheral figure floating around in front of the midfield. Except for getting into the box at set pieces he isn't trying to get on the end of moves any more. He is an excellent passer but he is playing more like a playmaker than our main striker, we need him making more effort to get in on goal.

Of the 12 games played 8 have been away and brought in 14 points, Only 4 games at home brought in 10 points. We now are back with 7 home and away to play, so we should be looking to better the return rate of either Brighton or Bournemouth.

I think Tuesday could define our season. If we win and Exeter beat Bournemouth it would put us 3 points adrift with two home games in hand. The result on Saturday would not be then so vital. Win and we are ahead, draw and we are 3 points behind and 2 games in hand, lose and we are where we are now. For that reason I think the results on Tuesday could either set us up for Saturday or turn Saturday into the most vital game of the season.

More of a concern is the lack of goals from general play. Yesterday both goals came after set pieces and another two against Swindon for example. At the moment discounting penalties and direct free kicks Lambert has only managed 8 goals in 37 appearances, Lallana-10, Guly-9, Chamberlain-8 in about two thirds of the appearances have outscored Lambert although he has recently picked up 6 goals in the last seven games. I just don't see Lambert making the runs into the box any more, Ok he is in there for free kicks and corners but not by making runs when we are attacking. He seems to be out wide and passing the ball but as our main striker he is not getting in on goal and scoring from play. He just doesn't seem to be as aggressive and dynamic as last year. He was never quick but last year he was always dangerous this year drifting out wide he isn't.

Even if it doesn't affect us I think the top places should be promoted. It doesn't happen in the Premier, the first four go in the Uefa Champions League.

This was a big win as it pushed Colchester back, it is another away game out of the way and means we are two home games in hand on Bournemouth.

We did well today as Colchester is a difficult place to go. We don't seem to be able to really take advantage of depleted sides and take them apart, but I'll settle for this result. Bournemouth is a massive game for both clubs next week, a win for either team will put the loser in some difficulty. I think Orient are capable of winning against the top teams especially at home. How is Vancouver? Harry and Adsy are cruising the Caribbean until 10th.

Is that Les Reed?

This is a major problem. He has created goals but he doesn't bust a gut to get into the goal area. We as a team also never seem to go on runs that one, are designed to move defenders out of the way and secondly into the goal area time after time on the chance of picking something up. The same at throwins and free kicks a lot of players just stand around with the taker pleading for movement. If everybody moved it would open things up but we don't do it.

I thought we should have given him more time despite signing Martin.

I do know that a current Saints player is very critical about the absence of vocal encouragement and leadership from the captain after the Hartlepool game. He felt that he was the only one trying to gee things up. Even the old heads are very quiet. Martin and Richardson (shame about the passing) have it but we are a very quiet team. It seems to me that Brighton and Bournemouth have a collective team spirit based on a siege mentality caused by the knowledge that everybody is waiting for them to blow up. We don't have that but we do seem to have a fragility and only now and again seem to be able to overcome adversity and scrabble out an ugly win.

Thanks, doesn't take a lot of perception to work that out, that is if the brain works quicker than the mouth.

One of the problems is that the players know Hammond isn't a leader. Certainly a leader or leaders are needed on the pitch. There is a great emphasis these days on the influence of the manager/coaches from an early age to the detriment of free thinking which develops with leadership qualities. Ball, Case etc were independent thinkers sad to say a breed that now seems to be nearly extinct. For that reason we should be ready to pay whatever it takes to find a couple of real on the pitch leaders.

Nice to see them getting reamed out they are far too quick to dish it out. Remember how we used to say "Pressure doesn't win matches" after a difficult game we had turned somebody over. I think it was a clear case of that last night. After the match on Saturday I said to Ron that the result was better than the game. Lambert is a clever footballer and scores regularly but lacks the pace to be incisive, what we need is a rapier rather than a broadsword and a lot more leadership in the middle of the field.

Also played in the same Saints team as Mick Channon and way out of your league.

Jaidi could hardly be faulted for the goal it just skewed the wrong way as he tried to clear. In the video it looked like Fonte was caught blindsided by Macken and Butterfield was caught square and unable to cover. I don't blame him as he was exposed but I did think Davis was a bit too far out and might have been better not coming quite so far, allowing Fonte just a little more time to challenge Macken and less easy to easily lift the ball over him.

I think it is a waste of time discussing this with you.

If that's what you want to think, fine.