derry

Weston and FF had heard previously about the pressure Pardew was under and posted pointers on here as I did. A couple of weeks ago Pardew was widely quoted on the Sunday in the Observer/Guardian site regarding the pressure he was under and that he was going to do it his way. On the Monday am BBC Solent Sports published a statement from Nicola Cortese stating the priority is the league and that the league results are not satisfactory. Since then Pardew has made several comments which would have been best not said and now it looks to me that the remark about 18 months is a measure of his concern. If a Chairman makes an appointment and lays down priorities that are not met, it then leads to repercussions. Clearly a Chairman, once he feels that the objectives are not being met has to decide if they will be met and if the answer is negative then a change is invariably made. At the moment my feeling is that the jury is still out and that the Chairman is giving the rest of the season to come to a resolution. IMO if we don't clearly demonstrate that we can win the league next year having not been promoted this year then there will be a change. I doubt that if there is any doubt about next season that it would be left until halfway through the season before changing which could waste another year. That wouldn't be acceptable to Cortese who is probably on a multi million incentive to get us to the Premier League in a prescribed timescale.

The ambition of our billionaire owner is the Premier as soon as possible, because of that nearly all the players here at the moment are now just passing through. Sooner rather than later they will be replaced by better players and Davis is no different from the others.

I wasn't talking about yesterday.

With the tax bill going up at the rate of about £1.25m every month and the salaries at £1.8m every month with a match income of about £1.2m every month, Gaydamak's defaulted £9m, Chainrai's £17m, HMRC's £11.5m and rising, Stage payments of £12m by the end of May even Vantis will struggle to justify not winding up.

A lot of the late goals come about because we stop passing and going forward and try to tighten up by defending deeper. This hands the initiative to our opponents and puts us under pressure. That, together with bringing 10 players back to defend corners, means with our forwards milling around not properly picking up, our big men don't have the room to attack the cross in the crowded penalty area and players steal in for free headers as the forwards aren't marking. It would be better to leave 2 or even 3 up on the halfway line which would leave probably only 3/4 opponents to attack the cross. Then if it is cleared allows quick counter attacks a la Pompey yesterday rather than coming straight back into the box.

I think we have to go for it but as Pardew is a bit safety first I can see the one or two centre backs plus Puncheon for Antonio.

Utd, Arsenal, 6 West Ham 4 especially. Liverpool 0 only two going down. I can see writs flying if they try to do it.

I sit reasonably close to Pardew and now and again he makes the odd gesture but most of the time he makes notes. There are times he needs to change things and doesn't. Colchester and Brighton were typical, he anticipated battling against big men and picked that sort of side. They played nippy strikers but we didn't change and were beaten.

Soon only one team in Hampshire!

I've heard that is the intention but not which side. The other alternative is leave the front two and put Puncheon in beside Hammond as an attacking MF.

I doubt they can do it Nick, There will be as many teams against it as for and I wouldn't be surprised that the seven not affected would oppose it.

My view of it Bill is that the scoring on the break was predictable, as Pompey are struggling in the Premier, their game is built on battling, soaking up pressure and hitting on the break. Knowing that, we should have retained our back four across the halfway line. We aren't the quickest at the back, so giving Pompey the room to exploit it wasn't sensible. A number of times this season we have been technically out-thought and we need to get a handle on that. If we can continue to play the same way as the first 75 minutes we could have an exciting season. The last two teams selected were right, against MKD we tucked in the wide players at half time which stifled our passing, we didn't yesterday which was good. If Pardew resists his natural negativity and gives it a go we might make the play offs.

We were beaten today not so much by the pace but by the fact we didn't keep our back four as a unit and allowed ourselves to be outnumbered when they counter attacked. I would have thought with the known pace of the three attackers and the left back, we would have opted for the back four to hold their positions and not throw them forward as we did when level.

You Sir should learn some manners. I think you should apologise. This is an unnecessary insulting, juvenile, rediculous comment.

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.