derry

If he needs help, his Southampton 'friends' will help. Count me in, it would be a privilege.

He really is going through the mill. For those that didn't know he was arguably the best attacking aerial threat in the world at that time. I hope he pulls through this, he gave me and thousands of others great pride in his goal scoring.

If Pardew decides that Lambert, Connolly, Waigo and Lallana all play it will be almost certainly be 4-4-2. In any event 4-4-2 is Pardew's plan B. Torquay second half, certainly the last 15 mins at Oldham were 4-4-2.

I don't see Wotton as the answer to a holding midfielder. He has his limitations but he is a man who gives 100%, that deserves respect. I don't see a holding midfielder as vital. I prefer one of the midfielders to cover the one that goes forward. I prefer 4-4-2 but if another formation works and suits the players that is the way to go. Shoehorning players into rigid systems is counter productive. The best way is to accommodate the strengths and weaknesses of the players and play whatever provides the best teamplay and results. Even a wide left midfielder of 3 in the middle complemented by a wide right attacker like Waigo can be seen as 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 but who cares if it suits the players.

I would be surprised if Pardew changes the side/formation that has won three league games on the trot. However if Connolly starts scoring regularly as a substitute and Lallana doesn't or gets injured then there will be a pressure to include him and go 4-4-2. Unless Waigo falls out with Pardew he won't be left out. It will be a choice in midfield, I would go for Schneiderlin with Hammond but I suspect it will be Wotton. If Lallana provided width down the left touchline then drifted in outside the far post for play down our right it would give us more solidity on the left. I personally think Wotton doesn't do much in the middle, a few headers, uninspiring passing, no attempt to pick up anybody, just floating around and gesticulating.

We didn't start scoring until Waigo came in on the right and with his pace opened things up. If Waigo is left out it won't matter a monkey's who else plays, because our lack of pace will cause a reversion to the narrow hit Lambert and hope scenario of the first nine matches, allowing the opposition to compact the defence, cause a static midfield and crowd us out.

I wonder why that is?

I've just watched the replay of Oldham's goal, the wide player strolled past him, he really is slow.

Yes but the Man City game and everything with it is the only one I vividly remember.

Just before Waigo's first game. Since he has come into the side we have pace and width on the right and are stretching defenders. Until he arrived we couldn't score.

That is in itself a really significant change. Have you noticed over the years that the good confident sides that seem to get goals appear to score a proportion of what appear to be easy/fortunate goals. This is probably the phsychological pressure of playing what is perceived to be a better side putting more than normal pressure on individuals promoting errors. It is something that we have been susceptible to for years. I've lost count of the number of these sort of goals we have conceded. It is good to see the opposite effect, long may it continue.

****ing rain, strong winds am.

A brilliant ball juggler when a youth player at WBA, on tv at half time interval gave a display keeping the ball up the whole half time. He was a good player for us in the early sixties.

It seems to me that Pardew is sticking with the present team on the back of a couple of good results, however he still intends, as soon as that run ends, to introduce Connolly alongside Lambert provided he delivers and switch to 4-4-2. Pace is important everywhere and the more we have, wherever it is, can only be beneficial. Wotton is playing like a very limited front sweeper. I would expect a lot more mobility and a better passing completion from a defensive midfield player.

I'm not fixated on that aspect alone but it is a weakness that needs fixing if we are to progress. There is no such thing as a successful team that doesn't effectively use width. There is no way that a team can be predominately narrow and be successful.

You may well be right as this is what has happened since the closure, until then there wasn't a problem in blocks 4/5

It isn't going to work in the long term. You are right in one respect a pacy left sided player will have to be brought in to play 4-4-2, furthermore a proper front sweeper with a high pass completion will be needed if 4-3-3 is to be played. Gillingham were a poor team, Southend aren't much either and the space in front of/behind Harding will be exploited by the better sides.

Okay, I'm wrong we didn't need any width and the goals have magically appeared. If Waigo gets injured it won't make any difference. Ferguson is wrong, Capello is wrong, the Brazilians are wrong, we are going to walk into the Premier playing narrow, just like Total football was going to pulverise the Championship last year.

I don't give a rat's arse about foul language however a lot of people don't like it and I happen to think they are right. Another thing, just why do you think this thread and the reason for it has happened? I sit in an area that contains a large number of club seats reserved for staff and their families. I know for a fact that there has been a reaction expressed to me about some of the behaviour we have witnessed. Bearing in mind that some of these people have relatives that are connected by work to the very top, I'm not surprised that this has now happened. I was told by one of them weeks ago that it was going to be sorted. It certainly hasn't come from David Luker it is from way above him.

No. More width, it is only since Waigo came into the side that we have had any width at all, enough at the moment to give us enough space to score some goals from open play. At the moment everything we create comes in from the right side, we create nothing down our left. That gives us two potential problems, firstly the better sides will work us out and load up their left side and block off our supply. Secondly and it happened against Bristol Rovers we leave our left side open and Harding is exposed to a triangle of right back, and two midfielders coming at him down our left leaving us wide open. It is only by occupying the forward width that we protect our full backs, which we do down our right. It is all well and good having a front sweeper, but unless he fills that gap in front/behind Harding (depending on his attacking position) as the opposition break out down our left, which Wotton doesn't, we are exposed. By playing a wide player on the left rather than a very limited, poor passing front sweeper, would make us more balanced in attack and provide better defence down our left.

If you would like to check the law of both the land and football, 'foul and abusive language' is an offence. Swearing really isn't clever and shows a person's inability to express thoughts verbally plus a lack of respect for themselves and others by not caring who is present.

What the hell has awearing got to do with sexism. Using foul and abusive language isn't smart just ignorant. The women near me obviously hate it and let those that do it know they don't like it and that it's not acceptable. I think they are absolutely right.

The two are playing better because they have more space now that Waigo is opening up defences with the threat of his pace and ability to get goals. Lallana always had the ability on the ball but it was wasted in midfield causing poor performances. He is a different proposition altogether as a forward now the room is there and the goals are flowing. I hope he stays up front. Another wide left player would open up things even more rather than a holding midfielder. If we are going to play that way I would like to see us maybe play Hammond there and play Schneiderlin + 1 or get in a good passing holding midfielder.

It comes out Sat evening about 8pm at several outlets, one I believe Somerfields filling station at the top of Hill Lane. I still get it every Sunday, apart from 'scare are they now' it isn't a patch on the old Football Echo.

The club have a problem with standing and subsequent behaviour at the back of block 4. There is also complaints of people buying seats and finding others with tickets for different blocks occupying them. The club in my opinion is resolving those problems. I personally welcome the all season ticket rule in the Itchen blocks 4/5.