derry

I think the players had Monday off, but Pulis called them in to training. Beattie fell out with him, possible blows according to some reports. Stoke did train today but Beattie didn't show up. Stoke have issued a statement that they are convening an official enquiry into the incident.

The designated seat can be changed even for league games at the club's discretion but they guarantee a seat of equal value in lieu under rule 6 in the front of the ticket. I fully sympathise, as I would be disappointed if I couldn't get my usual seats. I can understand the JPT and the Carling Cup but I would have thought the club would have been a bit more circumspect with the FA Cup. I think that the way the team is now playing together with the results would have more of an influence on how many go rather than who we are playing. After all it is a Saturday match. I would have thought if we have a good run, that the gate would be getting close to 20000. By closing sections of the ground the club are themselves limiting the gate. If the Kingsland and Chapel are reopened it will bring a lot of extra work as those with tickets will want to change back, although I can't see that happening. More like opening blocks next to the Northam corner.

I nominate Markus Leibherr.

Leeds 46 points from 19 games, Charlton 42 points from 20 games. They are right out of reach unless they collapse. Let's see where we are after January and who we sign. If we keep this up we could be pretty close to the last two play off places with 18 games to play.

Out of contract in July, keep him on loan, sign a pre contract agreement and sign him on 1st July for nothing. Sign Waigo now his price could well go up if others get interested. Good class holding/passing midfielder, regular scoring striker, quick left sided midfielder who scores regularly, right back and centre back preferably tall quick left sided.

That is pretty much what it takes. Like you say time will tell, could be a real asset if coached correctly and responds intelligently.

I'm pretty open minded about him, however I put a big premium on pace. I personally would knock back almost any outfield player who lacked pace. It would have to be some special ability. I think a team with lots of pace will be much more effective, all other things equal. To be a really successful team, the players must have pace.

There were two of them included in the original deal, one is already signed for £5m and playing in Manchester, the other one stayed with the option of signing this summer. However MU have now said that they have been monitoring him and decided he is now no better than their other youngsters and therefore have decided not to take up the option.

The transfer window is immediately after the next pay day, if they default on December's salary payment the players would technically be free agents because of the breach of contract and could choose to walk out apply for free agency status and join another club. I'm not even sure that transfer rules apply to free agents in this context. It may well be I suspect that Pompey players are pretty much overpaid so won't go anywhere, just like our high earners last summer.

Isn't he there on loan from I think Ipswich?

I like the way it's being run now. No freeloaders. We've got a President/owner, he saved the club as far as I am concerned everything else is meaningless. Time to move on. (55 years watching Saints.)

Cheating is ingrained in football including appealing for diving, throwins, corners, holding, shirtpulling, handling, etc. It is down to the authorities to empower and instruct referees to clean the game up and put in the rules the use of video replays, goal-line cameras and hawkeye in all national leagues. It isn't going to happen, scapegoat time, Henry to get a cynical ban to make no point at all.

There will probably be a lot of players available who are out of contract on the 1st July for small fees. If we strengthen in January the team has the rest of the season to gel and if we make the CCC further strengthening to hit the ground running in August. I sense that the owner wants to see promotion as soon as possible. Unlikely this season but not impossible. The last two places could be possible as a lot of teams will beat each other.

The big things going for Antonio are pace and strength, he does knock it past the defender and go which is a good thing. If he played more heads up he wouldn't get in to so many cul-de-sacs. He could also benefit from passing inside and going for the wall pass. I would like him in the same team as Waigo at some point in the game. He is young and will get better, how good? who knows. I would take him with his pace over the likes of James's pedestrian pace or Mellis wide every time. As for Waigo, I see an exciting player but as always with players like him a touch of frustration. He would start every game for me. As for Lallana, it is obvious he is being mentored, as he is now tracking the wide runner pretty well, plus concentrating more on the team width whilst still being able to drift into the back post and do his thing in much more dangerous areas. He looks like a decent footballer at last rather than a skilled non-productive enigma.

It doesn't stop their parent club recalling them so they can be permanently transferred to another club.

+1.

I rate Waigo, but I think we need to cut Antonio some slack. He is powerful and quick, can be taught to be better, especially playing head up. Antonio could become a dangerous attacker whilst James will always be slow.

The comment was in answer to the question who? if Lambert unfit. If Saganowski unfit (current knee ligament injury) bring back McLaggon or try Trotman or Paterson with Waigo and Antonio/Lallana. There is no easy answer, I think Waigo would do a job and do it well if they could get him to play five yards deeper.

His cross for Waigo's goal on Saturday was first class, he has 14 league goals, is a consistent penalty taker, isn't the quickest but has a good football brain and we are lucky to have him.

My sentiments entirely, Antonio and Waigo on at the same time would have restricted the opposition's ability to attack us wth impunity and made us defensively better without conceding ground and possession.

Waigo up front with Connolly and Antonio wide right, Lallana wide left. The pace and movement with Connolly's clever runs would cause any side problems.

Nobody else in the team would have got near it. Secondly he got to the byeline on one occasion and nobody was quick enough to get even to the edge of the penalty area in support. He is a diamond, maybe a rough diamond but still a diamond. You can't coach what he has.

The bloody problem is a negative approach in the last half hour. We usually make changes from about 65 minutes, take off attackers and bring on negative players, then we defend deeper and deeper, have fewer outlets up front and start hoofing the ball out and waiting for it to come back in. Last night was classic, We take Waigo off whilst he was running them ragged, ok he was offside a few times, we left James on and brought Antonio on wide right. It would have been better in a defensive sense to leave Waigo and Lambert up front and bring Antonio on in place of James wide right. Mellis for Schneiderlin added nothing and Wotton heading the ball back to the opposition and giving the ball away half the time or passing it back the rest of the time was asking for trouble. I think the manager has an Achilles heel, he is essentially workmanlike but errs on the side of caution. Bringing on negative players at the end doesn't make it safer and easier to defend as it means as there are fewer outlets and a mass of players retreating towards their own goal, the initiative and possession is handed on a plate to the opposition at a time when they should be at their most vulnerable. I come from the school of thought, that leaving for arguments sake Waigo and Lambert up front plus Antonio right midfield and Lallana left midfield with a normal centre midfield tightening up in front of the back four gives better possession and greatly enhanced opportunity to attack the opposition if they throw caution to the winds which they do with impunity the way we go negative. I think the mere fact the opposition can't press forward because of the extreme pace now up front plus Lambert and Lallana would take the pressure off the defence and stop the ball continually being lost. Besides the wide men would still track the opposition's wide men. Having the slow Wotton and James on at the same time reduces the team's ability to break out and keep the ball and makes us play backwards and deep..

Big plusses for me, I felt much more comfortable with Bart in goal, Waigo despite the offsides gives us a cutting edge that is very difficult to handle. Adam Lallana worked his socks off and is playing well down our left, tracking back and getting into dangerous positions when the play is down the right. Morgan Schneiderlin is beginning to get the measure of English winter football and just needs to start driving for the box more when the ball is out wide.

Waigo would get in my team every match. He tracks back, works hard, rarely gives the ball away, hit a beautiful crossfield pass last night, is lightning quick. He lays on goals and gets to the byeline and is regularly getting into the box and scoring some goals. He put one over the top yesterday from close in but nobody else in the team had the pace to even get near it. His cross for the goal was quality as was the cross for Lallana's goal on Saturday. On another occasion last night he got to the byeline and because he was so quick and nobody bust a gut to get into the box, he had to pull it back to the edge of the penalty area for the nearest support strolling up. He is a pretty unique player in this league and his pace makes him pretty near unplayable at times. We couldn't score from play until he joined us and together with Antonio gives us real pace. I would like to see him play alongside Lambert with Antonio wide right. I see him as an alternative to Connolly also as alternatives wide right and left. I think he is a valuable asset.