S-Clarke

I don't think we've lost our way at all. There was no way we could keep up the form we had in the first part of this season, we were always going to have a blip. I don't think we've been playing that badly in the last couple of games, I think we just need another goal threat out wide and in behind to stretch teams a bit more - And NA thinks the same. I'm as frustrated by anyone by the last month but you'd have to be naive to think this patch wouldn't ever happen. We just need to keep calm ourselves, I'm sure the players will keep level headed, and as long as we continue to play with the belief we've shown we'll be there or there abouts.

He was an absolute beast. Although he could have possibly done a bit better with the header in the leadup to the goal!!

I just don't think Adkins trusts De Ridder at all, especially when we're in a position of 1-0 up in a Derby game like that. Frustrating player who promised so much.

We're in a great position, unbelievable really. Bit frustrated by our away results which aren't anywhere near the standard we need, but I'm sure they'll improve. We have 2 good home games to come, and an away match at an injury and a suspension depleted brighton side. It could turn into a pretty good Christmas programme yet.

I think a portion of criticism today is justified. He hasn't been great for the past few months, he's had good games here and there, mixed in with awful games. He's a very patchy player and I'm not sure he's one for the away games. Frustratingly we all know how talented he is, but he's one of those players that struggles in tight, niggly away games like that.

If that's the first game you've seen this year, there is no way you can come to the conclusion that the side is not good enough. I've been to most games this year and this month is our bad patch, before that we were unbelievable and we knew it couldn't carry on all season as that, we were due a blip. Hammond was excellent today and has been a solid captain for us for the last 3 years, and Cork is a tidy player...similar to Hammond and Morgan, which I feel gives us a problem at times in terms of midfield balance. I think we'd hold our own in the premiership.Compare our starting 11 today to that of Norwich last season. Very similar, I wouldn't swap too many of our players....and look at how they've adapted to the league. It's not always about the quality, it's about the team, the spirit and the momentum. We have all 3 of those and that counts for so much. We do need a bit more pace in the team, up front and out wide so we can stretch teams a bit on the break, but I think we're quite a tidy side.

That's rich coming from you...!

i'm 90% certain Fox had a knock, he was limping before he was subbed.

Feel sorry to see Guly being made the scapegoat, but he had a total shocker. Not just the goal, but he wasn't in the game, His touch was poor and he offered no support what so ever. I felt we played well, probably one of our best away efforts for a while. Pompey were utter **** and I honestly felt we'd killed them with that goal, the atmopshere and their players just died....and I felt this could be one hell of an historical day in our history, but Guly decides to wimp out in a derby and that's that. Based on that performance though we need to improve in the middle of the park, too many misplaced passes at times and it got a little too narrow (not enough natural width in the side). and for Pompey, what an horrendous team to watch.

Small time club.

It will be streamed live on the BBC website, but only to UK viewers.

Out of interest, what did you make of Ched Evans? Seeing as we were kind of linked with him.

They've been doing these antics since he's been there. In L1 not many battered an eye lid because they won most weeks. Now the cracks are starting to show and he's not the messiah that they believed he was.

They lost their first 2 games IIRC, and didn't pull up massive trees until the final third of the season when they went on a terrific run to secure second.

I'd imagine they're still on about the Cov player, Lukas.

Not an horrific day of results in all honesty. Amazing match @ Hillsborough . 4-4.

boro lead

And it's all the ref's fault! Obviously....!

Would be gobsmacked to see anything but a strong WHU win today.

WHU are panicking. They havent' really taken the league by storm, even when they had all their players available. Carlton Cole for e.g. has been rubbish this season, and has been used as a sub more often than a start. Based on his history and record at PL level you'd expect him to be banging them in all year. I know some WHU fans and they all detest big sam, they hate what he's done to their club in the time he's been there. In their opinion, which surprised me, they say they're in the worst place they've ever been and the longer he's there the worse it will be. They say it's mainly down to not using the players correctly. He's trying to play long ball football with footballers like Noble, Collison, Fabuert, and it clearly isn't working - but he's not trying any other alternative. We saw a fine example of their decline when they played us. They were utterly hopeless, truly inept and didn't have a clue other than to hoof it - that isn't the West Ham way and it must be painful viewing for their fans right now. If we can regain a bit of form and start stringing wins together again I think we can fly ahead of them. I can see them continuing to stutter.

TBF the media bigged it up, the meto were always keeping their cards close to their chest. Just happend that the system took a southern track and hit France with storm force winds, rather than us.

Really good read that. Agree with the Pardew segment too, and that's possibly the first quotes we've seen from him since his sacking? He did lay the foundations and swung this club around in the season he was here. Promotion in the first season was always a total fantasy and it was more about changing the mentality of this team - and that's what we're benefiting from now. Luckily we have another terrific manager in place to take us on even further, but you should allow time to thank Pard's for his contribution as he steered us back onto the road.

I'd imagine it'll be players from the U21 squad like Sordell, Cork, Mancienne, Clyne, Cleverley etc.. (maybe Caroll at this rate too)

I think it's original and separates us from all the normal mundane crests out there in the FL. It's instantly recognizable too - wouldn't want to change it for anything.

I would be blown away if we signed Zaha - he's being tracked by a host of top European clubs and would cost a bomb. Has your source been right about transfers before? Ambrose would be a sweet signing too. He can play on either flank and offers us something different to our current cork/morgan/deano midfield 3.