redkeith

I'm not sure that Hammond and Scheiderlin are a pair, particularly in this league. Both seem to be more effective when they can roam freely, which is difficult without a holding midfeilder behind them. Maybe we need someone in the mould of Kavanagh at Carlisle, lots of experience, good tackler and better all round than Wotton. Other than that we need to work out how to combat teams who put 10 men behind the ball all game. Not always easy. Remember Chelsea away at Barcelona last year, dull as ditchwater to watch, but Barca couldn't find space even with all their stars.

A couple of good articles on newsnow today. The first is a comparison with how Burnley and Blackburn are now run. http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/5050688.Pompey_enjoyed_their_ride/?ref=rss The second is a biography of Peter Storrie and his sound bytes. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/359695-the-storrie-of-the-blues Both well written pieces, logical and easy to understand, and yet there are still Skates bleating on about how unfair it all is. Yesterday, Fifa were conspiring against them with this new 'must publish accounts' rule to get in the Europa League, and today Marc Wilson is complaining that Brum could make changes last night as they had a bigger squad because of the embargo.

That's the one, sorry should have known that Paddy Ashdown wouldnt fiddle his taxes.

On the News forum, they keep asking for more help from their MP, Han****. I think that they sould skip Parliment and go straight to the House of Lords. Lord Ashdown would be the perfect spokesman for them against the 'persecution' by HRMC.

On the subject of player valuations, does anyone know who is out of contract at the end of the season. David James is an obvious one, and I have read somewhere that Ashdown is out of contract and want's out, but who else is likely to walk in the summer, and also, what players will be 'Raisaking' the rest of their contracts next year?

I read somewhere that the PL have allotted £10M of the parachute payments for football creditors, and then are prepared to allow the skates to mortgage the other £22Million to pay creditors. Thus they will be the first team since the PL started to get relegated without any parachute payments, as they will have spunked them against the debt wall. It is also worth considering that Lens,Nantes and Udinese are not considered football creditors by the FA, and so do not have to be paid in full. I doubt that they would be very happy about that, and I would expect thenm to vote with HRMC if it comes to a CVA. Finally, irespective of the law and regulations, how can it be morally right for anyone to put a company in admin, and buy it back ... wrong, wrong, wrong .

I think most people are saying that it is possible that no-one will buy the club, and that the ground could then be redeveloped. Unless you have some other top info? Palace, like yourselves, do not own there ground but have nothing like the level of debt that PFC have, and so would be much better placed to come out of admin with the golden share and a CVA.

I think the most fitting 'Outdoor Leasure Facility' to replace FP would be Skate Park.

I see that Phil Hall has been chosen as Chinrai's mouthpiece. Hall was employed by the Skates when Harry returned as their media relations man and was reported to have put preasure on his former Fleet Street chums to kill any stories that would hurt the Skates (Harry ... Storrie ... Brown Envelopes ... Agents ... Gaydmark Familly etc )

I missed the 6-3 with Salmonela ! News on Solent, Chanrai has taken FP for £10 Mill off of his debt. Don't own there ground now. The new FC Skates would have to find £1 Mill a year in Rent .

Listening to the Exeter game, both Mills and James were hitting the first defender with all the set piece's, and we know from earlier in the season that Llanana could barely reach the first defender with his. I think that we need to get the whole squad to practice taking corners, maybe with Tiss popping in for some specialised coaching . With any of our current midfield taking them, you could have Dave Watson, Richard Hall, Ken Monkou and Ron Davis in the box and still not score, as the ball would never reach them.

Although we caused them lots of problems at the back, I always thought we needed Wotton or James, or preferably Case, sat in front of the back 4 or marking O'Hara. Still we played well and could easily have been 2 up before they scored. ITV were talking about the result being in the history books, but lets hope HRMC say otherwise.

Can they add 'Pay your Rates' by the Fall to the playlist please.

Jacobs' says there are "2 or 3 interested parties". You might expect him to know precisely how many people are enquiring about buying the club, as it is of some importance to it's future. Of course the buyers may not really exists, hence the vagueness in his numbers, and Pompey are just trying to blow smoke up HRMC's bottom.

commentary works fine in France, might be your isp Tim?

'When Sol went to Court to pick his bonus up we were there, we were there !' Wonder if they will all be signing that on Southsea Common ?

I read in one of the Sundays that Watford are due almost £2 Million on 31st Jan for Smith and Williamson. I think the PL would be a bit miffed if they let the Skates have the £2 Million now, lifted the embargo and later found that the Skates had blown the money on more players in the meantime onlty to get an embargo at the end of the month if Watford don't get paid.

Maybe it is time that they changed the tune that they run out to at FP from that god awful Mike Oldfeild tune to something more relevant. How about 'Three Wheels on my Wagon' by the New Christy Minstrels. Younger posters may need to look that one up on You Tube

Just read on a thread on 606 that they are selling this years replica shirts for £15. I seem to remember lots of bargains to be had at the Saints Shop in the weeks before we wen't into admin. Desperate for cashflow, or just co-incidence? Also, I tried to read the statement on the PFC official site, but it is no longer there. Curious.

Got my tickets for the gig in Paris. Bit pricey (40 euros), but I never thought I'd get the chance to see them. Must dash ..... the trolls in the glen are consorting again

I went to every single game that year, home and away, the only time I did a whole season. Looking back, I used to think that it was Notts County at home that cost us the title, but it was probably the Cup run. After the replay against Wednesday, Lawrie rested loads of players, and we lost at Everton and QPR. Four points from those games, and the top spot could have been ours. Mind you, after the Semi defeat we were mid table, and it was probably the hurt of that loss that spurred us on, starting with the 3-1 revenge on Everton 3 days later. I don't think I can remember a night at the Dell where everyone was so up for it, baying for blood. I doubt if Everton won a 50-50 all night. Looking back, we were probably not quite good enough to win the league, but the cup should have been ours. I still blame the groundsman at Highbury. A late bobble put Wallace's shot on the post and a weird bounce when straight to Heath for the goal. If only ..

I don't expect much of a turnout for the Legends Tour, as it clashes with the Stoke Away game, and I am sure that the Skates will take 15,000 away fans to Stoke. At least that's what they used to tell us when they where in Div 2, and we weren't selling our full allocoation at Bolton.

Scott Marshall, living proof that a Sunday League player could play in the middle of Seaman,Dixon,Adams and Winterburn and keep a clean sheet.

Peach had one penalty saved by Cooper of Ipswich, I think, in a game we lost. Nick Holmes had a shot come of the bar from 40 yards, that was so well struck it had Clive Thomas the ref shaking his head in disbelief .

I tend to agree, I think that the Premier League are bending over backwards to stop them from going into Admin, as it would damage the PL brand worldwide. Looking at the loses run up by the Skates, Bolton and Hull as well as the more serviceable debts of the big 4, everyone can see that the PL is a house built on a sand of debts. Spain and Italy have seen the reputation of their Leagues take a hit when the finances unravelled. The PL are propping up the Skates to try and delay a similar meltdown. They ( the PL) may well be wishing that Pompey slip into the Championship like Leeds did, before Admin hits home, so that It doesn't damage the 'brand'.