benjii

Well, you said you disagreed then listed a lot of attributes I didn't comment on! I agree he worked hard. The problem is, he needs a lot of time on the ball to play dangerous passes and even then his success rate is pretty low. It is only his second season of regular professional football, I think, (and last season was a pathetic farce so that barely counts) so I'm not having a go. I just think the way he is lauded by some on here is over the top and is probably more a symptom of how dire we've been as a midfield unit for several seasons rather than how great he is. He has potential for sure.

Burley obviously overspent here but that's not Wayne's fault. He has played well pretty much every time I've seen him this season and that's just about all you can expect of a player, especially when they're in and out of the side alot.

If we stick with him we'll get promoted next season. So I hope that we do.

Yeah, I think Wayne must have a positive net total? Frannie, on the other hand....?

I think "better" is irelevant. Hammond is more important IMO as he gives us something none of our other midfielders do which is an engine and a physical presence in both boxes. Schneiderlin is good in games like yesterday but continues to dish out as many lame performances as good ones IMO. He also deceives a lot of people with the occasional flashy pass. He did far more poor raking balls than good ones yesterday, although he did a good job in linking play from defence. One thing I like about Barnard is his movement in getting in front of the defender to receive low balls from the full-back; it varies our play more and means we don't need to rely on Schneiderlin playing a cross-field ball to the other winger (which has a pretty low success rate) or chipping it up to Lambo.

I agree, sorry I meant as things stand in the squad at the moment. Hammond is the one we can't do without for the rest of this season IMO.

Mods! Mods! MODS!!! Please put me on nickh's Ignore List immediately!

If Chanrai buys them back it will be to ensure that all avaible money goes into the Fratton Park rental payments. It certainly won't be to ensure PFC does well on the pitch. And if he buys them back it will cost him a lot of money to avoid a points penalty next year. That is, if they don't receive a penalty becuase of "ireegularities" or some such other euphemism. They are buggered for many a year

Seriously, you have some problems to address!

He was brilliant. People won't want to hear this but IMO, if Belmadi had stayed fit in our first season down and Quashie hadn't got a silly four match ban for a red card away to Hull (I think), I reckon Saggychops might've got us back up that year. The Leeds home match was the nail in the coffin IMO. If we'd won that I would've fancied us but it seemed to destroy confidence (not too surprising I suppse!)

They were usless weren't they!? It comes to something when you can stroll to an easy win and still be annoyed by the officials!

I can't believe someone is slaggin Davis off.... Anyway, back to the point of the thread. Yes, he was excellent. Otsemebor also had a good game (although Walsall were pathetic and he was hardly challenged defensively). A defence next season of Harding - Fonte - Seabourne - Semi/Murty/another sigining should be formidable. We would win 90% of home games with that platform. This means you only need to win away one-in-three and pick up some draws to average two points a game. If the current squad is maintained over the summer and even added to in one or two areas we will be promoted. Simple as that.

He was very good. Fonte, Puncheon, Lambert, Barnard, Harding, Lallana and Davis are all contenders for best in their position in League One. Not bad when you can say that about half of your first team.

He was decent but he gave the ball away numerous times with predictable and telegraphed cross-field balls. He needs to stop doing this because against better teams it will cost you. Hammond is our key central midfielder. James and Schneiderlin are good players. Next season we should be looking to add one more to the mix IMO, preferably someone who is better than MS and LJ and they can respond to the challenge.

We played well, but I've rarely seen a team quite as lame as that. Apparently they're in mid-table!

Can anyone confirm if Walsall are in League One, or did they win a competition to play us today?

Come to think of it, I've no idea what the PL or FL would make of that? Maybe they have some sort of footballing debt rule that covers that and makes it extremely unpalatable? No idea. I can't imagine it would be much worse than what's going to happen anyway!

Haha. We still had something to play for. They, er, well they really don't!

Exactly. If any skate fans think Chanrai is going to keep paying David James £50k a week until a buyer shows up I think they will be mistaken.

Not really. The administrator will have control of all the money coming in and going out, including the parachute payments. They will not go straight into Chanrai's pockets. They are, of course, relevant to any deal that is cut between the creditors and any potential buyer - and Chanrai, being owner of the ground and possibly the largest secured creditor is in the best position when it comes to those negotiations.

The administrator can disclaim (ie cancel) any player contracts immediately, should he wish.

I think that is a very pragmatic and sensible post but if Chanrai hadn't decided to fund administration (at least for a while), which must have been an uncertainty (especially once he had taken ownership of the stadium) then I don't think there is anything that the PL, Fifa or even the mighty Storrie could have done to avert liquidation.

If not all, then much of it (depending on his income from the stadium or if he can sell it). Having said that, the status of Gaydamak and his debts is still uncertain. It's hard to predict with any accuracy because you would have to say there are "question marks" over some of these people's motives.

Yep, pretty much and then negotiate with the council over selling the stadium to Tesco I guess.

Chanrai is like Aviva or Barclays were when we were in admin. He's owed money and any deal to come out of admin will probably need his acceptance. The main difference is that he's also managed to squirrel away the stadium so to a large extent he has any new purchaser over a barrel and so has strengthened his negotiation position.