derry

Davis, Murty, Jaidi, Trotman or Thomas (no standout), Harding. Antonio, Schneiderlin, Hammond, Lallana, Waigo. Lambert in a 4-5-1. As Connolly has a good left foot and is a good footballer he could be an alternative to either Waigo or Lallana. I expect James to continue trundling along at right back, Schneiderlin, Wotton and Hammond in midfield with Lallana and Waigo outside them. Probably Thomas at centreback with Murty on the bench.

Scneiderlin lost the ball wide right after winning a tackle with Brighton attacking down their left touchline, I didn't check Hammond and it's now deleted but the two centre backs were behind Lallana as the back four was in a line across the field about 15 yds goalside of the centre line. I personally have come to a conclusion how we should play. If we are going to play 4-4-2 we have to get in a natural left sided player as it is obvious now that Pardew doesn't rate Holmes. Shoehorning Lallana into a wide left position isn't the way to go. It doesn't work and makes us vulnerable to the counterattack down our left. Lallana by instinct is a central player so we should use him as either the head of a diamond (which I don't like - too narrow), a central attacking midfielder or a choice of second striker or in the hole 1/1 with Lambert but not as a wide player. It is not fair to play him in a position he doesn't fit. If he doesn't rate a start in a central position then I think he should be on the bench to replace a central player as appropriate. If Lallana is seen as a player that has to play no matter what, then 4-5-1 with him as a central attacking midfielder, but not wide.

If you lot want to argue the toss about what happened you could at least get it right. Because you were questioning what I thought happened I checked the video. Here is exactly what happened which is what I thought happened. Schneiderlin lost the ball in a tackle wide right on the halfway line, the Brighton player swept the ball square right across the field to the right midfielder who was wide, out on our left touchline. Lallana at this point was five yards goalside of the centre spot right in the middle of the field marking nobody. Harding was on the left of the line of the back four about 10 yds further back, Lallana then started to go left and Harding came out towards the ball. Before either got near the winger he played it inside to a midfielder coming up the centre of the pitch now on Lallana's right. The midfielder then played it first time inside and behind Lallana and Harding towards the corner. The winger in the meantime ran onto the ball and passed it first time into the middle where Murray got between Jaidi and Trotman to turn it past Davis. Lallana and Harding never got near to the ball or the winger. Their wide right player had taken up the sort of position that we need to get our wide players to adopt rather than continually being sucked in to the centre of the pitch. It was the superb positioning of their right winger plus our left sided midfielder being in the centre circle rather than goalside and left in front of Harding tracking the winger that allowed Brighton to open us up so easily. I don't criticise Lallana because I dislike him, I criticise him because he isn't doing the job of a left midfielder. As long as he plays like this we can't play 4-4-2 properly.

We have to play two banks of four if is 4-4-2. We don't do that, it is four at the back, two central midfielders and a right midfielder with a free player playing in support of the strikers and sometimes on the left. For me a disciplined 4-4-2. But as this is unlikely 4-5-1 warts and all. Wotton is a doubt, he has a knock.

Not with Lambert getting over the flu. He didn't play well as it was.

The home game, at the end Mills and Harding were back but the space was left, Their full back got to the byeline for the second goal and Mellis stepped out of the way. It's been a problem on the left no matter who has played there because nobody has played wide. We need a proper wide left midfielder.

I see Lallana being an unnecessary weakness in defence because of the way he plays. I recognise his talent and would be pleased if that was enough. The other players have weaknesses but are mostly doing their best I don't criticise them. however Lallana plays it off the cuff and isn't making the effort to track back wide. Obviously the manager sees this lack of control wide as a problem with his remark about our two wide players being 'loose'. I expect them to tighten up tomorrow.

Yes but be more disciplined. He can be both and if he moves or we sign more players he will have to. It is inevitable that he builds discipline into his play or he will spend most of his career outside of the starting team. For me he is just another expendable player that will move on when it suits. It is a two way street. There is no point in being attached to a particular player every player is replaceable. I just want to see a successful team and really don't care who makes up that team.

I don't like his lack of discipline. Defensively he is potentially a weakness. It was the space he leaves on our left side that was exploited. Teams have worked us out, watch for Norwich doing the same thing. We either close it off by occupying it or we will see the opposition looking to play through it on the break. Bristol Rovers also concentrated there and the MKD coach highlighted the weakness but didn't exploit it. Today Alan Pardew commented on our 'loose wide players'.

The cross was too good it caught both centre backs and Murray and Forster's movement all afternoon was good it only needed a touch. It was Harding caught between two players that opened us up. If we are going to play 4-4-2 the wide players have to be disciplined and track the runners on the counter.

'wide players were a bit loose'

Harding didn't make a hash of it because he was picked off by the two Brighton players wall passing him because he was left on his own. Trotman and Jaidi made a hash of the ball crossed in by letting Murray get between them especially when they were so close. If Lallana had been in front of Harding it might have been stopped. 4-4-2 can't be played with the wide left player roaming. If we are going to play 4-4-2 he has to predominately stay out wide.

I'm not pointing the finger at Davis he is the only option we have. He is as good a shot-stopper as anyone in the division but personally I would prefer an all round keeper. I think the Bristol keeper was a better keeper than Davis. When a goalkeeper is exposed as against Brighton I don't blame him for the goals he had little chance with. I just prefer goalkeepers who dominate the penalty area and pass the ball out quickly to get on the counter-attack.

Lallana was nowhere to be seen when two Brighton players picked off the isolated Harding for the first goal and Murray went in between Trotman and Jaidi to turn in the cross.

I agree Colin that a new goalkeeper isn't a high priority but I don't see Davis's shortcomings especially, crosses, distribution and communication being overlooked in the longer term. I think if a decent all round keeper becomes available who might sign for us we would be very tempted. Despite the aerial competence of the centre backs a goalkeeper dominating the penalty area is an added safety factor especially one who can quickly turn defence into immediate breakout.

You are just nit picking. Nobody in their right mind would want a keeper who couldn't stop shots. Davis just happens to be a shotstopper and pretty hopeless at all the other facits. The Bristol goalkeeper made at least two blinding saves from Lallana/Schneiderlin. I actually said in my posts an all round goalkeeper who might not be as good as Davis at the only thing he does well. It may well be that he would be just as good but a lot better at the other things. Davis is all we have got at the moment but that doesn't mean we couldn't do with a better goalkeeper and for that matter any player that was an improvement.

How true is that.

I think I would prefer at least half of the opposing goalkeepers I've seen this season. The Bristol Rovers goalkeeper was particularly good. I don't like a keeper that can't dominate behind the defence or get a break out underway. Of course a goalkeeper has to be a competent shot stopper but that isn't the be all and end all as it is with Davis. At the moment we don't have an alternative pushing for a place just a reserve goalkeeper. We need a quality alternative to push Davis and if necessary replace him.

Certainly right back and centre halves, a proper left side midfielder, a strong holding midfielder, strikers and a goalkeeper. If none of the loan signings are kept I would expect even more. James, Trotman, Mellis,maybe Schneiderlin, Lallana, Antonio/Waigo, almost certainly Forecast, Bialkowski, Saganowski, Perry, Thomas plus a bunch of the younger element that aren't in the plans and are not seen as potential championship first teamers. I can see more Bosman player brought in to raise the quality of the squad plus some key quality signings to strengthen the team. I just see the present weaknesses addressed and if decent bids come in for Lallana and Schneiderlin I think they will go.I can see there being no sentiment because next year no excuses will be accepted by the owner and Pardew will know he has to get promoted.

I wouldn't be surprised if at least a third of the present first choice team are no longer first choice by the summer.

I prefer the disciplined 4-4-2 but that is a personal thing. If we are going to play 4-4-2 and it's Pardew that decides that, it has to be a disciplined wide formation otherwise it isn't 4-4-2. If we play 4-5-1 we need a good holding midfielder and two attacking midfielders. I sometimes think looking at what we have, Antonio and Waigo wide periodically switching wings, Hammond holding with Lallana getting forward and Schneiderlin doing the same on the left centre joining up with Lambert. That then opens up the possibility of taking off Lallana and putting Connolly up front as plan B.

We are nowhere near the finished article. I expect major surgery in the next two transfer windows. I expect us to be in division one next season but stranger things have happened. If by good fortune we do get into the championship I think the surgery would be quite dramatic.

We have a difficult situation with goalkeepers, Bialkowski is now coming out of what could be looked at in goalkeeping terms as a nervous breakdown. His loan at Barnsley did him good and he had another decent game against Charlton he may however still be fragile, only time will tell if he is needed. It doesn't look like Forecast is rated and Poke is on loan. Davis then really is the number one. He is probably one of the best reaction keepers for shot stopping around. He appears nervous and that affects the defenders. He doesn't dominate the box and is pretty much line bound. He rarely throws the ball out and mostly after about 20 secs possession boots it up field creating a 50/50 situation at the best. I personally would prefer a good all round keeper that dominated the penalty area with instant distribution to keep the game going. Even if he isn't as good a shot stopper. At the moment unless we get another keeper in there is no real alternative, so there is no point in emphasising the goalkeeping situation.

Like you say time will tell. The fact he could get into most division one teams is no great shakes. I think he is close to 22, more is demanded the higher the level, I don't think he would be a regular in the Premier. If he applied himself he would be better for us and himself. He was told last year by one of the senior coaches that he should run about less and be more discerning about the positions he took up. It was felt less running about and getting into dangerous positions would make him a lot more effective. It didn't happen. He has scored a few goals in a purple patch of four games but since then has come close but missed all of the chances created, he has laid on about three goals in that time but we have consistently leaked goals. Our problem is that we play one way only, one side pretty narrow, runner on the right, Lallana roaming, empty left side, slow right back, no real power out of midfield, a goalkeeper that only hoofs it, we were well worked out against Brighton. I now expect most sides to double up on our right and try and counter attack wide especially down our left. If Lallana played as a more orthodox left sided player he could still get into the middle but the defence would be stretched allowing him to get the sort of chances a got a month ago from around the left side of the box complementing Lambert and Connolly rather than duplicating them. He would then be able to participate defensively in front of Harding. I'm not anti Lallana, I like his enthusiasm and ball skills, his unpredictability on the ball has the potential to be lethal in the oppositions penalty area. If he pulls the full back wide it opens gaps for the other players and makes it difficult to double bank Antonio/Waigo that then gives him the opportunity to drift into a blind side back post position and be really dangerous. He is putting in plenty of effort but in areas that don't really stretch the opposition and don't protect our left side. More or less the same sort of thing the coach last year was trying to point out.

Can't remember which thread but somebody doctored a photograph showing Pompey players, on the shirt the sponsors name is Jobsite but in the photograph it read gob s hite. Send it to the pompey site that should get them going.