derry

Tim, you make a very valid point but it would have been better not to link it to today. It loses it's emphasis because of it. I think today was unique in as much as the last three goals were on the counter where we are pressing forward, normally we are getting a lead and backing off, defending deep and gifting the initiative and possession to the opposition who invariably score. We also concede late from set pieces.

Good performance, just a bit naive in the last 15 minutes getting outnumbered by quick counter attacking. What was a shame was Schneiderlin's miss kick across the area that led to the knock on for the first goal. The thing to do is take the positives, play that way for the rest of the season, and enjoy the death throws of today's victors as their story unfolds. Will they even be around when we are at Wembley on March 28th is a question yet to be answered. They won the battle today but unless they find an owner like ours in the next fortnight I know who will win the war. I wouldn't swop places with them for all the tea in China.

I am totally relaxed and recognise that Pompey could well win. I don't want a draw but would take it. If Pardew is positive and doesn't tuck in the wide midfielders we have a chance to play well and win. If he is negative, as he was after half time on Tuesday and tucks in the wide men, we will be back to hoofball and will be picked apart. The beauty of football is that anything could happen. I've been to two great upsets by Saints, beating Man City 5-1 at Maine Road, 3rd div v 1st. Then beating Notts Forest 5-0 at White Hart Lane in a second replay, 2nd div v 1st div. Now wouldn't that be something.

There will be quite a few teams against the payment, Liverpool who gain having been beaten by Pompey, Chelsea four points clear, Wigan and Burnley move up, some like Utd/Arsenal lose 6, West Ham would lose 4 and go from 14th to second from bottom. Comparison tables are in the mail.

There are three camps involved and it's by no means a shoe in. Some teams have taken 6 points off Pompey - for, Teams who have taken 3 points, for, about 6 teams no change. There are teams that will move up if they go, top and bottom, they will be against. The comparison tables are in the mail.

Going back to Tosic, I thought there was quite a lengthy qualification for FA Cup registrations of players unlike the league. I think it used to be 7 days. I've checked the rules, it is now the same, noon on the day before the designated day for the round.

And while we are at it, send them the u tube downfall video, now that WAS funny.

I haven't, but Cortese seems to have come to at least an interim conclusion that the owners don't find the league results satisfactory. He is the one who has a lot of money on the line when it comes to achieving the owner's target. If that looks as though it will be jeopardized there will be changes.

If we don't end up in 6th place we won't be in the playoffs no matter what pie in the sky calculations you use and after Saturday we could well be 18 points off 6th place.

No, but I would have no problem being a Southampton fan if Cortese decides to get rid of Pardew if he thinks he isn't the man to take us forward and the next 18 games back that up.

We are 15 points off the playoffs and currently going backwards from 7 points 5 matches ago.

It doesn't matter what you think as Cortese has already publicly announced that it isn't satisfactory. It is what he thinks and what he decides is satisfactory, on that, Pardew's job will depend.

We have taken 14 points against the sides in the top half in 15 games beating only MK Dons and Walsall, that means only 8 points in 13 games. We have played 13 games against the bottom half and taken 30 points losing only one. For the lovers of statistics that is a pretty damning piece of evidence indicating exactly how good we are. We are nowhere near as good as some wish to believe, we need to be able to take a high proportion of our points from the top half and a lot more against the bottom.

I think Pardew should heed what Cortese is saying because the people that matter see the cups as a sideshow even if there is a profit. If we don't pick up the pace in the league and start making ground up whilst improving the performances, demonstrating if we don't quite make the playoffs or get promotion we have a team structure that can beat the best regularly next season. If that doesn't happen this sideshow though brilliant for us could be the end of him.

SSN said this morning a hearing booked for Wednesday during an interview with Vantis.

HMRC say PCFC is insolvent. Even if administration is possible the club must have the funds to continue trading legally. If there is no money then it is a winding up.

Bottleing!

It could be that this is the last time we will see them in a derby. Pompey are 8 points adrift, 13 games left, the tax bill is going up by a million a month, the £1.8m salaries are due in 14 days. The deadline day for this seasons administration, only if there is enough money to trade, is rapidly approaching. Vantis are independently assessing the accounts so the spin has to stop. It is put up or shut up time at Pompey, either the money is put in and paid to the revenue or it's over. We will probably be beaten by a better side on Saturday, but if Pompey manages to survive and the £60m is paid off, the team on Saturday will be gone in the close season. The ladder has been climbed and the snake is imminent. The reality is we are at Wembley for a cup final, we are a third tier side at the moment. We don't owe a penny, are refurbishing our training complex, own 41 acres at Hedge End, Can afford to buy any player we need, have a nearly new 32500 seater stadium and wouldnt change places with Pompey for all the tea in China. So before you come on here sneering take a bloody good look at your end and it isn't pretty. Even at it's worst last year we didn't owe the HMRC which was the smart thing we did and it bought us time. You didn't and HMRC are looking to make an example and I hope for your sake you are not it. I remember going to some bloody good games at Fratton Park before the stupidity about Skates and Scummers built up, it was just a local rivalry but sadly not any more for a lot of people and honestly what passes as rivalry now I wouldn't miss.

The Pompey tax bill on the salaries alone is going up by about a million a month. That is without VAT liability on trading. HMRC said insolvent. Only another 14 days until £1.8m has to be paid out in February salaries plus the tax, NI, VAT etc added to HMRC bill. Only way out, Current owners invest and satisfy the creditors they can continue trading legally, new owners pay the bills or do the same. From our point of view the Leibherr's don't allow their companies to borrow money.

If you need to pay over the top to get to the game so be it but after the match email dluker@saintsfc.co.uk with the seat number/s and tell him they were touted. The customer numbers will be matched and the greedy buggers won't get any more.

Without doubt Kelvin Davis is a first class shotstopper but is deficient in most other areas. He doesn't dominate his goal area, looks tentative under pressure and when the ball is passed to him, his distribution is appalling and he only belts it long, the very thing we are trying not to do and only adds to the hoofball. We need to build from the back, last night in the second half we hardly passed the ball at all. We need Davis to get his act together and start passing/throwing the ball to defenders who have to come looking for it, which doesn't happen, as he almost always delays and ignores options, to kick long which mostly gives the ball away.

Weston summed it up nicely for me. I was delighted with the team picked mainly because of Thomas at right back and Harding restored, together with Hammond in midfield. The best thing was the playing of Waigo who in my opinion was easily the best player on the pitch in his natural position, that together with Antonio on the right gave us pace up front. We played them off the park in the first half and could have been out of sight. What I didn't like and in my opinion was the cause of the second half negativity, was the tucking in of Antonio and Lallana forcing us to hit balls straight at the front two which put us back to square one. The manager, probably because of the criticism picked for once a team that wasn't a compromise which was great, but he should have left it to continue instead of going safety first. It is this compromising and negativity that is stopping us from being the side that we could be.

The premier league automatically, on the club entering administration, dock the 9 points. In the same way Cry Pal were deducted 10 points by the FL immediately.

I saw that, but one only has to look at the way United cut teams up, down the lines with runners through the middle overloading the defense in the penalty area. For the attack through the middle there has to be wide options. The difference is exceptional pace, once the wide player gets behind the defenders the defenders are dragged across and can't double bank. It's only with conventional players passing the ball that gives the defenders time to double bank, real paceand a direct approach upsets this concept.

I would expect the wide players to track the full backs as it is always done. I would prefer the wide players to stay up and not track the full backs as it wouldn't be very long because of the pace that the full backs wouldn't go forward at all. I would of course like a stronger midfield and at the moment like to see Gillett given a go. The other thing that Pardew does and I think it is a major factor in conceding goals from corners is bringing all 10 outfield players back. Nobody will ever convince me that Waigo, Antonio, Lallana indeed nearly all attackers can mark effectively at corners. All it does is put fifteen or sixteen players in and around the six yd box, leaving congestion and little chance for the best headers of the ball to have the room to attack it without being baulked. If we left three up the opponents would have to leave four back to cover. Two more would have to drop outside the area, one has to take the kick, that only leaves three to attack the ball. Two defenders on the posts, three marking tight and the two best headers of the ball free with the room to go for the ball. It would also free up space for our linebound goalkeeper to be able to be more proactive in taking crosses.