sidthesquid

I think he is just what we need - an 'impact' player for when plan A doesn't work. Don't see him starting to many (assuming Alex O-C stays and Lallana stays fit) but he is what our benchj definitely has been crying out for, so happy with it.

How come every one of their loans/signings has come from the Prem. Anyone would think they had money to burn....

What does this mean?

Davis is like Paul Jones was, and we only saw his limitations clearly after we signed Niemi. Both Davis and Jones are amongst the best shot-stoppers I have ever seen in any team, but both had the same fatal flaw - an inability to claim crosses in the penalty area. The best keepers (not even the great ones) dominate their area and would expect to claim everything inside the penalty spot. Kelvin won't even come for crosses inside the six-yard box. It makes the team defend deeper in open play and it keeps the pressure on for set plays. As soon as the keeper has it in his hands the pressure is off. And, though he doesn't always fill me with confidence, that generally is an area where Bart has been better. Kelvin is unlikely to change now, but I have long thought that this weakness offsets many of his great saves, and why , I suppose, he is in league one, not the Prem. It's a tough call, but decision time is getting nearer, I feel.

To answer your question - obviously. I'm not one of the wrist-slitting brigade, but I still think this latest defeat just highlights our weakness over the last two seasons, namely our inability to cope when a team sets up 4-5-1 and gets in our faces from the start, and if we then go a goal down we are done for. The trouble is other teams are beginning to suss that if you give us time and space we are unbeatable, but go negative, niggly and tight and we will bottle it. Worrying

I think you'll find he thinks he's a bus-driver.....

Yes, I hate it. But specifically when chasing the game in the last two matches it has taken us from bad to clueless. In te Notts County game we lost all shape and direction and it sounded like a replay of that today.

And another thing, why does Adkins not use all three subs when we are losing. He did exactly what he did against Notts County, taking off a wide man to accomodate Barnard, and moving AOC inside, whereupon we lose all shape and capacity to get any width or movement. Once is unfortunate Mr Adkins, twice is just dumb.

What worries me is our inability to cope with teams that get in our faces - Brentford & Notts County for example - and we fail to get an early goal. One up against anyone after twenty minutes & I'd bet my mortgage on us winning by more. Nil-nil or a goal down by half-time & you might as well give up. It's not a lack of talent we have but a lack of bottle and a lack of brains when plan A fails. It's no coincidence that we can't score/win without Lallana because he is one of the very few in our team who has both. And neither Pardew nor Adkins have addressed this issue, seemingly seduced by the nice football we play when it is going our way. It worries me.

Interesting that Cotterill is being set up as the scapegoat in the quantity-not-quality saga. And perhaps somebody needs to tell Steve that size does matter.

I can't copy & paste the quote, but read the lasty two paragraphs and rejoice (a bit, anyway) http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~2272024,00.html

I think Matt Oakley was one of the most under-rated players we ever had. He was the oil in the engine of midfield, keeping things moving forwards, slick and simple, never appreciated till he was missing. It was no coincidence that our fall from grace coincided with him doing his cruciate ligaments.

Unless we have some deep moles on the Skate News site, there is something stirring in the caves of Portsea Island. It might just be the sound of two rocks being banged together as evolution begins. I'm so pleased Mr Lampitt put it in words that the few could grasp, because, slowly, one by one, they are..... DenmeadBlue, Denmead 17/01/2011 19:21:52 'QUALITY OVER QUANTITY' Club policy has written in DL's Diary on the Club website. Sorry SC, you made choices, one was bringing in LL and DK on big wages, this was 'QUALITY OVER QUANTITY'

Poopey could be doing this with several big earners to get them shifted. Not only are they unlikely to get a fee for someone like Nugent, but they could be paying out half a mill to save half a mill just to get him off the books. Similar arrangement with Brown, Hughes & maybe one or two others like Utaka. The chances of them raising any funds on transfers is virtually zero I would have thought.

Not the worst ref, but he should have booked Harley sooner. AOC had the beating of him and he was going to get booked, so the may as well have booked him for the first or second foul, rather than let him carry on fouling until he hurt him. It's surely not coincidental that the worst refs seem to appear when we are struggling against the niggliest teams. (Incidentally, none of the players appealed for a pen which is always a good guide.) Walton v Leeds last year was truly bad - how many times do the fans do nothing but boo the ref after an exciting game that we won? Not a great ref, but not the reason we didn't win.

Do you think Ince was at the same game as his team? Notts County manager Paul Ince told BBC Radio Nottingham: "You can't be greedy but I always like to win games coming here and, to be fair, it could easily have been three points. I think it would have been thoroughly deserved." A mi**** free-kick and a corner in stoppage time being the only chances they created. Typical niggly negative Ince team. Born a ***t, will die a ***t, I'm afraid

A bad day - dropped home points, Lallana's crocked - God, where would I be without Poopey to bring a little joy back into my life?

An interesting/borderline intelligent assessment from the Skate News thread, suggesting that Chainrai is in for the long-haul in a bleeding them dry sort of way. We're running at about 10 pages/500 posts a week on average so far, so we could be onto 2500pages and 1,250,000 posts before he decides to sell up. I'm up for it, I'll seriously miss my daily fix of enjoyment when it finally ends.... Steve W1, 12/01/2011 16:52:43 Had a little look at the CVA(sad) this afternoon,and as i guessed nothing unexpected in there. Brief calculations of what BC will get repaid and some. Para Payments we know are £48 million. Football creditors £22.4mil CVA £16.5mil,reduced by approx £3mil next month. Balram Chainrai. £14.2mil Sacha Gaydamac. £2.47 Totals Approx £52mil BC's secured debt has/will increase by paying the Charities and creditors under £2.5k. Secured Creditors will be repaid over the next 5 years, Year1, £3.9mil. years2,3,4,5 at £3.86mil. Total £19.3mil. BC's interest charges for his "loan" will be paid as follows, Year1,£1.1mil, Years 2,3 &4 at £840k, Year5, £828k. Total 4.5mil. So BC will get approx £25 million over the next 5years his Chairmans salary and own the Club lock stock and barrel. So any selling price is straight profit. The CVA also targets an £11.5 mil profit for the 5year CVA period. Like i said BC isn't going anywhere soon.

Going back a bit further there was Steve Moran, Graham Baker, Trevor Hebberd, Ian Baird, Steve Williams, Malcolm Waldron and, of course Mick Channon, to name but a few.

And Alan Shearer of course. And others like Kenna, Oakley, Maddison and a whole raft of players who went on to have good careers in the lower leagues.

I thought that but decided it was best not to mention it.....

Firstly an apology, I forgot we played City in 2007. Otherwise of the other 'top' teams in the last fifty years we have plaayed Spuds 4 times, Liverpool & Everton 3 times and Arsenal & Chelsea twice. So overall, I rest my case.....

Why do we always draw United in the FA Cup? Just been looking back and thought I'd compare with Man City as an example. We last drew Man City in 1960, but since then not once, however this is the TENTH time we have drawn United. (Fyi - 1963, 1964, 1972, 1976, 1977, 1992, 1996, 2005, 2009 & now 2011). As Motty would say, extraordinary

Do you think Pompey will be in trouble for fielding their entire youth squad in a cup game.......? His name is Tom Kilbey

A direct quote from Lampitt regarding their squad size, to be used when you hear anyone expressing sympathy for the Skates' plight - From the start of the season we have pursued a policy of quality over quantity, acknowledging that it’s an approach which comes with certain risks