derry

I don't think I would want to swop our debt free circumstances together with the owner's proposed capital investment and steady progress with any club outside the Premier league and certainly not Portsmouth. I think looking at the big picture, we are far better off than most Premier clubs who are existing, fuelling their massive costs with tv money and debt.

James is really too slow and leaves us open to counter attack. I prefer Thomas there but I don't think it will happen. I wonder what Wotton would be like. Pardew may be tempted not to spend money on a right back when there are other permanent priorities. We know there is money available but Murty is a decent player and I think Pardew may well gamble on his fitness. I think another alternative would be either a quick centre back who could fill in or a holding defensive midfield player who could play right back. I see Nicky Butt is looking for a regular game but I think his demands would be far too high even if he would drop down.

That was an aside, not the main point. It is a fundamental right to be able to object to development in one's locality, not that it does any good, as it is going to be people that don't live in the area making the decision at NFDC, from New Milton to Lymington to Totton which is the real weakness in the objecting principle. Virtually all projects are eventually passed even if it means an appeal despite local opposition, this will be no different. What makes this different to most other clubs, the owner is paying for it and the club remains debt free which is almost unique in football.

They may well bring a big following. No pushover as they beat S****horpe in the JPT final at Wembley in May.

This is probably startup brand new investment including the land, We've already got a decent training setup and are upgrading. With the upgrading Staplewood would probably be compareable to equivalent new Premier style setups.

dluker@saintsfc.co.uk

JPT. Charlton.

I must admit, I did take it to mean the Kingsland/Northam corner plus the Northam and the Itchen as previously.

Lallana for me for one reason. His ability and ball skills are easily recognised however he spoiled this with a lack of discipline and team play but at last he seems to be getting the point about team play. He is now playing with discipline, tracking the opposition runners and helping out the full back, that together with playing like a proper wide player, providing decent width and getting into the middle to keep up his threat on goal makes him easily the most improved player, consequently because of the unexpected sea change in the way he is now playing, to date our man of the season.

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.