S-Clarke

Because he doesn't think there's anyone on the bench that can do a better job. He doesn't trust SDR, that's pretty obvious. He's not been bad all year, but the funny thing with Guly is that when he's bad he's awful, yet when he's good he's a bloody genius. I guess he's the sort of player you need to take the rough and the smooth with, and you have to say that he's contributed to more good things than bad things this year. I would be nice to have something else on the bench to throw up top though when Guly is having an off day.

We could get an out and out striker, and an AMR...who could also operate as a striker. Sorted. I think that's probably what we'll do. Don't count on Barnard offering much this season though, he's out for 3 months.

You're moaning now, but if I'd said to you that the only thing you could moan about at Christmas.....was the pack closing in on us in first, then you'd have probably said I was mental. We were always going to dip. It's happening, and hopefully happened. Thankfully we had such an excellent spell it has enabled us to go through this poor patch and still stay top of the division. We've been top since the middle of september, that's pretty incredible really. I've gone from not seeing my team ever top a league, to seeing us as a perminant fixture there for the last 3 months. Our away results need to improve, absoloutley, and I have doubts that they will. We've got a terrifc group of players and even though we didn't win today, I felt heartened by the display. We weren't nervous, we didn't freeze, we were bang up for it from the off. It wasn't a pretty game, but that was more down to Portsmouth and how they set the game out. They didn't intend to win that game, their game plan was about stopping us playing and crowding us out in the middle. This is where I felt we fell tactically short at times too, because we didn't have the option to change it and we were all too often crowded out in the middle with 3 incredibly similar players in there. We need a striker for sure, but I don't think we can ignore our need for an out and out winger - someone like Antonio who can pick the ball up and run, run, and run. We don't stretch the game and our breaks often start promising and then slow down to a crawl because we don't have that 'injection' in the final third. I'm sure Adkins is aware of it though and from what I've heard we're looking at a ST and an AMR for the January window. That would set us up nicely, because there's not much missing from this team at the moment.

He did start to struggle, after ''bursting'' into the season. We still look bright with him in the team though, and IMO Lambo's eyes light up when he's playing alongside him. He's the sort of nibble, nippy, technical striker that Lambo is the perfect partner for.

Fox gave a signal that he was injured a few minutes before he came off, I noticed he wasn't moving as freely as he was before this as well. I assume Adkins confused face was him trying to work out what was up with him, and Fox explaining. I think the last few games his passing has been casual and his distribution has been some way off. Defensively he's pretty sound though, much better than when we first had him here and I don't think there's anyone else in our squad with a left peg as sweet as his, some of his deliveries this season have been unbelievable - and Lambo is seriously benefiting from his and Frasers superb supply from the flanks.

That's a point people have clearly missed - he had a free run into total empty space, I'm not 100% sure who was meant to be tracking him, but they didn't do it well.

You're spot on about it being congested. Neither team had any real out and out width, and I think if we had that in our side (I.e we still had Chambo) it would have beena different game, and we'd have given Mattock, who I think is incredibly dodgy, a more difficult afternoon than he was given. The middle 4 we are playing with at the mo are too central and games become bitty and congested in the middle of the park. Get an Albert Adomah type player in January who will pick the ball up and beat players with pace down the flanks, that's what we miss.

Nope, a police request afaik.

He's been a disappointment and quite clearly Adkins doesn't trust him. He's got quality but we need to see more of it.

He is back in training, but he's been carrying an issue with his thigh that's been proving hard to shake off. Wouldn't be surprised to see him on the bench over the christmas fixtures.

Should be back in the squad for Boxing day. I'd expect he'll be a sub though.

They will be without Barnes and Vincelot for sure. Not 100% sure on their other situations, but they are also missing players through injury - notably Will Hoskins, Vincente.....it will be a tough game, but I think we can give them a game there.

Clairidge is an excellent pundit, so balanced and fair, yet really knowledgeable in all of his responses. One of the best pundits out there.

I think the fact that there doesn't seem to be a stand out winner shows that we played well as a team today, quite easily our best away display in a while.

Joel Ward got the MOTM I believe, quite simply just because he equalized. My MOTM is Lambo, followed by Deano who showed a real desire.

Now this game is out of the way and we came away from it with a decent point, we can now focus on the rest of the Christmas period, and a quick look at who the teams around us play as well: Boxing day games: Birmingham v WHU M'Boro v Hull Watford v Cardiff Us v Palace New Years eve games: Derby v WHU M'boro v Peterborough Forest v Cardiff us v Bristol (we play the day before, so could open up a game going into Saturdays fixtures) New Years games: WHU v Coventry Cardiff v Reading Blackpool v M'boro Brighton v us WHU have got it tough in the next 2, no doubts about that. Boro haven't got the most straight forward games either, same can be said for Cardiff. If we play as we have been at home we'll be fine, and by the new year we could easily have a cushion at the top again.

He deserves criticism today.

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.