Gorgiesaint

Not sure you can apply the Gray - Wigley theory on this one, Meulensteen just hasn't had the opportunity to benefit from the new players brought in. Mitroglu played for the u21's and scored twice this week, I'm sure Meulensteen would have hoped to at least get a couple of games with all of the January signings before being judged. I say that as the squad going into January was obvious relegation material. If I were Shahid Khan, I'd be questioning why MacIntosh didn't make the decision to get rid of Martin Jol as quickly as he has done here, as Jol looked like he was doing his best to get the sack. My best guess is there's been a major fallout behind the scenes. Would love Fulham to stay up as it's a great away day but Magath needs to make an impact from tomorrow morning. That said, they do have some decent fixtures in the next 4 games: West Brom (a), Chelsea (h), Cardiff (a), Newcastle (h) - they need a minimum of 6 points from those games to have any chance of staying up. Who'll go down? For me, it's any 3 from Fulham, West Brom, Cardiff & Norwich

Meanwhile.... http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/pompey/would-you-like-free-tickets-to-watch-pompey-1-5869158 Ah, so that's where the passion is coming from! And 4 tickets, can't they give away any more than that? (Not surprised, after Neil Allen's 6 year old admitted preferring banana milk and a mutilated hamburger to watching pompey, maybe they're struggling to give away that many!).

I see Osvaldo came on in the 66th minute when Juve were 2-1 up, did he do anything? Couldn't see anything from the stats other than a foul!

Really? How many seasons at this level is going to get them to realise that this IS their level?

Yep, every club will try and buy decent players from those below them. We're no different in that. It makes me think where Luke Shaw would have been in terms of his development had we managed to clinch the signing of Alex Buttner before Man U came in for him at the start of last season. Would he have developed as much. So looking at full backs that are developed and bought in, that provokes the question if you had to sell one of Nat Clyne or Calum Chambers - who would you sell and who would you keep?

Brings back memories of 2003, sat at working waiting for the semi-final draw then being absolutely ecstatic when Watford came out of the hat. Ten minutes later, the desolation when I realised I'd booked a holiday coming back on Cup Final Saturday. Ended up heading straight into Luton town centre having flown in there, to find the roughest pub in town to watch the game - only to find it was full of gooners. So I feel your pain. Can someone explain why a player would feel any different playing in the Champions League on a Wednesday night & then again in the league on the Saturday, compared to Europa League on a Thursday and a league game on the Sunday? Other than everyone in this country de-values the Europa League.

Reading between the lines.... Their form in the last 10 as per BBC is 1W 3D 6L. The Chairman /board has wanted the strengthen on the coaching side by adding Gary Monk (possibly with a view to the summer), Laudrup has told him not to change anything and said if you do then sack me. So he has....

Monk was announced a few hours ago as joining the coaching staff, the bookies weren't wrong in responding by cutting Laudrup to 4/7 as next manager to go. Not the position that you want to be in ahead of the local derby against Cardiff at the weekend with their opponents in the bottom 3 and your own team quietly dropping into that relegation battle. Massive risk by Swansea to do that just after the transfer window closes, could see them heading down now.

Yesterday is exactly why Carroll shouldn't go. He's a more talented player than many give him credit for (after all he's restricted by Sam's hoof it up & knock it down for Nolan style), but a big, dominant in the air CF will always give away 20 free kicks a game at international level because of the way foreign refs view the game. The same happened with Crouchy when he went to the World Cup. Which Saints will go... Yoshi & Ramirez. I can see Roy bottling it and letting the usual dross go after he gets badgered by Moyes, Wenger, Rodgers at al to pick the players from the big clubs and so no Saints end up in the England squad. As a couple have mentioned, our players actually don't fit the England style - they try too hard and have a desire to win games.

David Connolly being interviewed on Talksport between 7 and 8.

And Connolly scores for Oxford!

Banega has left Valencia and taken a 6 month loan deal with Newell's Old Boys in Argentina. Presumably to help raise his profile at home prior to the World Cup. http://www.insidespanishfootball.com/96494/newells-old-boys-announce-loan-deal-for-valencias-ever-banega/

Signed

So the view that we're not worth £175m is based on what exactly - given that the only PL club that has changed hands recently is Fulham - for £150m? Given we're higher in the table so less chance of relegation this season and bigger prize money, our academy is considered 'the best in the country' to quote someone from Talksport & our stadium is larger so has better revenue production (not to mention the need to spend on at least one new stand at Fulham), I would say £175m is probably about right.

Accrington leading at Cheltenham to make them even more #lowlyportsmouth

Actually he might do, he does the breakfast show on Talksport with Alan Brazil once a week and I caught him this week spouting the usual rubbish about the fans being the bestest - and he said that his one regret was that he could have had the pompey job under Mad Milan before Redflaps got offered it. Still that was then and this is now, plummetng down Div 4 rather than having the proceeds of few million landmines to spend.

Weren't they supposed to be debt-free? (ok, apart from the football creditors, CVA, HNW, etc....)

Yep, according to the BBC text coverage, Fulham were even worse today than they were against us.

and had a man sent off.

Wow, two players loaned out to a Conference South side, and they're so good that one didn't play and the other was a 2nd half sub in a 6-0 defeat!!! And this breaks on the same day we have 3 players named in the England squad with 2 more in the u-21's. Focus on those permanently signed, yeah right!

Delighted to see Adam get in, congrats to J-Rod as well. Shame for Clyne, Ward-Prowse & Shaw but their time will come. 3 Saints in an England squad - must be record in the Premier League era for us although no doubt we had more than that in squads going back to the 80's

Hodgson has done a reasonable job with what he's picked... there is certainly more available for him to choose from. Whilst I understand why he's picked the supposed 'tried & trusted' so far (in order to qualify), this squad will be an interesting insight to his mindset. If Shaw is picked whilst omitting Lallana, Ward-Prowse & Clyne then I think it's fair to say that Hodgson is being reactive to the media & public opinion.

Colleymore also bigged up Clyne & Shaw to be looked at for the full back spots. And one of the two journalists on there Martin Lipton just mentioned Ward-Prowse. That forced someone else to mention J-Rod. getting plenty of support for our players.

One of my friends who is a Hearts supporter named his cat Rudi Catcel.

No great surprise at all, I even though Clyne might be in with a chance of call up as well since Kyle Walker is now suspended for the Poland game but no, let's play Smalling or Jones from Man U who've hardly played this season and who's first choice position is centre half (although both can do a job at RB) when the RB from the club with the meanest defence this season is available... but of course we're not a big club.