CanadaSaint

Not picky at all - you're right. It was a half-cleared corner and Harding wasn't trying to get back but marking space in the box while Martin headed out to cover the wide man. Other than that I'll stick with what I said.

For me the pivotal problem was Harding, and it spawned a number of other problems. He was unforgivably beaten on the inside (his "good" side) for the first goal. He was still trying to get back for the second goal, which caused Martin to head out to cover for him, leaving us that crucial man short in the middle. From that point (0-2) we were chasing the game, which just made many of the same problems worse. Harding got caught time and time again, which sucked our midfield (especially Cork) back on covering missions, so no quick counter-attacks. It was not a good tactical decision to pit a left-footed full back against a fast, left-footed, line-hugging winger. I think that Nigel was badly out-managed today but I'm not heading for Alpine territory because we'll get a hell of a lot better with our returning players.

The distinctly un-wired Nigel is probably trying to figure out how to pin a tweet to the dressing room wall.

Sure he will, but thankfully there's a lot more to our selection process than "Is he a good player?" We won't live in an ego-free world (players without egos are usually crap players) but we can certainly choose players wisely enough to minimize the challenges. They're not all self-centered ego maniacs. And there may well be a certain value to having a Puncheon situation inside the club as a warning to others. It's not a one-sided financial equation.

Principles often have a price tag, and when it comes to running a modern football club, Cortese has his principles. We might not agree with all of them but things are working out well so far. He clearly has issues with overblown player egos and I suspect it has cost us some decent signings in the past, but who knows what it has saved us in the long run? If more chairmen were to set and stick to principles like his, perhaps the modern game would be much healthier than it is, at least financially.

He shook his head and mouthed the word "Nooo".

Van Persi's reaction to the substitution was very telling.

But then we need to ask whether we need someone like that anywhere near our developing kids.

He can't be that bright or else he'd realize that all clubs have a chairman and 99% of them have a big ego. Take a shot at one of them and all the others see the warning signs. I can't help but think that they are the tweets of someone who has been drinking.

Cortese's not going to like this. If I was a horse in Hampshire I'd keep my head down. Literally.

I haven't seen a team in this division that has impressed me, other than us when we were playing really well. If we can get anywhere close to that form again I think the OP will be proven correct. If not, I'm still confident that it'll be playoffs at worst. And when it comes to which team (not which transfer budget) is best-equipped to stay up if they go up, that would be us as well.

The book on Forte when he arrived was that he can be great if he thinks that people believe in him. If not, he's abysmal. Enough said, I guess.

Two can play at that game. Perhaps we should put in a bid for Robert Green. The only downside to that strategy is that we might get him.

I discount most of what Lennon says. The apparent lack of interest matters because, when strikers of his supposed calibre become available, there's never any shortage of interest in them. And the noise around this suggests that Hooper is - or may be - available. It doesn't mean we should start back-pedalling but it is a valid question.

Ron, that exact question has crossed my mind - especially given the number of Premier League teams that desperately need someone who can put the ball in the net.

I think we might be transitioning to a different era in the Club's evolution, the one in which we start seriously preparing for life in the Premier League. In fact, I suspect we've been doing that for some time with key players (such as Lallana, Fonte and Lambert) - in the form of "accelerator clauses" in their contracts that provide for a significant wage boost if/when we reach the Premier League. If that's the case I'm less concerned about Hooper's alleged wages unsettling the dressing room because the ones we least want to unsettle are looked after. I'm much more concerned that these continual apparent leaks from the Celtic (or player) end will cause Cortese to walk away, given how much he detests publicity around matters such as this.

For those, like me, who have had a nervous eye trained on Pardew - especially since Lee signed and the Hooper rumour gathered steam, I've just received this update from a Newcastle-supporting mate: "By the way, I think you can 'almost' be assured that Rickie Lambert is staying put. The Magpies have agreed a £10million fee for a striker... Pa**** Demba Cisse, big on scoring, a national team mate of Demba Ba and is looking to transfer from SC Frieburg in the Bundesliga. It's pretty well just a matter of his signing for us." EDIT: The "Pa****" is because his name is actually "Pap*ss", which offends the swear filter and will invite all sorts of comments.

Didn't realize that but I'm sure it'll be in the scouting report - something like "vulnerable to bedroom injuries".

I mentioned Vardy back up the thread because he was very, very impressive in Fleetwood's cup tie against Blackpool - not "flash in the pan" impressive but extremely good at a whole bunch of things, and against a decent-ish marker. I recognize the big gap between league and non-league but I'd definitely take a punt on him.

Sad thread. It should have been strangled at birth.

I'm not as anti-Harry as most on here. His big mistake was trying to work with Rupert and his futuristic ideas when he's as old-school as they come. I don't think he bears us any malice and he might even feel a tiny smidgeon of guilt every time he watches Bale play. And then again ... Having said that, Harry's out for his own best interests and sending Falque to us reflects them because of the playing styles of the two clubs. Even if Levy handles the deals for Spurs, I can pretty much guarantee you that this one wouldn't have happened unless Harry was cool with it.

The underlined words may be the key ones. It could be that we were searching for value in order to be competitive in the Championship and hopefully to get out of it - the "value" being important because most of those players would probably have to be replaced if we were to secure promotion. Now that promotion is looking much more likely, a different strategy might be in play - we're willing to spend more to acquire players who are capable of playing in the PL. The underlying implication is that there may be two different budgets - one to get out of the Championship, and another one to get established in the Premier League. We might be getting our first sniff at what the second budget might be like.

I suspect you're dead right, and letting us aid in the development of a player of his supposed calibre is a reflection of the respect that Spurs and Harry actually have for Adkins and our style of football. He could have gone to WHU and learnt next door to SFA, other than how to watch the ball fly over his head en route to the front.

Thanks.

No problem, I pinched it as well! I'm not sure whose wise words they are, but I love 'em. I just wish I could remember them before wading-in, rather than after.