DrunkenSaint

if we play the diamond formation we will get slaughtered, i would go with the 451 formation which is 433 when attacking just as the OP had said. Swansea play it very very well, Norwich have also played it a few times this season and done well with it and Wigan of late have done very well with it and of course we all know that Barca play with it. For it to work you need your forward wingers to help the midfield and to track back, you can't have a lazy midfielder there. Ince and Philips from Blackpool would be great there along with Lallana+ Lee we would have 2 players each side that could play there, all would help the midfield and get into the box to help the striker. I would then buy a box-box midfielder to play alongside Morgan. ......................................Davis/kasper...................................... ...................Fonte/New CB...................Hooviveld....................... Richardson...........................................................................Fox ...........................................Morgan......................................... .....................Cork/NEW CM....................NEW CM/Lallana.............. .....Philips/Lallana...........................................................Lee/Ince.. ...........................................Lambert........................................ Our 442 formation will get sussed very quickly we will need to pack the midfield, we could change to 442 as the game goes, switching lee upfront, lallana LM, Philips RM Morgan and NEW CM in the middle. It's not negative tactics, we can still pass the ball around, we just have that extra width which we lacked most of the season and have bodies in the midfield to help the defence.

I'd have a look at Ince while they are there, he is very good and has a bright future. Forget Jarvis, get Ince and Phillips if they don't go up.

No thanks Lee is alot better than Hooper, Lee stretches the defenders, helps the midfield and has pace, Hooper is too lazy for our style. I'm also sure Jarvis plays on the left, last time i saw Wolves on match of the day he played on the left but isn't a bag of pace, i'd go with Ince from Blackpool.

If my memory is correct back in November we were linked with a keeper from Holland for around 1.5m but he wouldn't be able to move til the summer. Newcastle was also scouting him.

This...from what i've heard from celtic fans he isnt that good til the ball is given to him inside the box, do we need someone like that? will he fit in the style of football we play? will he pull defenders away like lambo and lee does? If you ask me id spend money else where and probably get at least 2 better players.

This is very true but we do have big question marks on many players since we can not deal with pace or width and most of the Premiership teams play with both. At least 2 new defenders, 2 midfielders and 1 striker is needed but id start off getting the 2 defenders and sort out our right midfield. I believe Lee will be great for us in the premier so we might not need a striker.

I'd play Punch, he has a lot still to give and would want to prove his worth in finding a new club or having a premier league starting place, if Guly starts i'm going to say we'll lose, he's been crap since November and he is tens times as bad when we're on TV.

We're doomed, why oh why don't we just say NO, we play so much better without the camera's there.

If we're on TV no, if we are not we'll do it.

Jelavic works for the ball, Hooper doesn't he's lazy and thats coming from Celtic fans. We could get better infact we have better in Lee.

Worked on Tuesday...Same starting eleven please Mr Adkins but Morgan on the bench if fit instead of Guly or Harding.

Since he covers a lot of positions £3 milliom is nothing and don't forget if we get promoted we will have money to burn, he also fits our criteria, young and has high prospects.

Can play anywhere along the midfield mainly on the wings but just as good in the centre and can play that position just behind the striker, can use either foot i also think he's played upfront for Barnsley this season but anywhere in midfield is his position. It's a player i said all season that we should try and get in but i think he was injured in Jan but yeah a very good player who id like to see in a Saints shirt.

same team please which started against Reading, apart from Richardson for Butters, we dominated the game on any other day we would have been 5-0 at HT.

can't help to think that if this was the team to have played Pompey we would of done better which means this game wouldn't have mattered all that much. Yes they are winning but it was against to run of play and some sloppy defending but our midfield is so much better we just need to learn to cross or shoot instead of passing one to many times giving Reading enough time to get players back.

Same here thought he should be given a chance and he would be good to sturdy up the midfield when need be.

Same team we had against Palace please NA, we played well enough to get something against Reading although it will be a harder game.

Let WH and Blackburn fight over him, we have better in Lee and Lambo and i reckon Sharp will improve over time and become a good premier player, finding 2 box-box midfielder's+ two defenders is more needed for next season.

Right i know i have slatted Guly a lot from November onwards due to poor form but he does not deserves the boo's but from the form point of view he does not a starting place either. I see him as a playmaker and nothing else and a team does not work well with too many playmakers in the team. We have Lallana who's great with turns, passes and crosses who i see as a playmaker type, we also have Morgan who sits back and like to pass the ball around again a playmaker type so there is no room for 3 playmakers in the team. Against Palace, we only had Lallana and the team did so much better and yes Lallana plays a lot better than Guly on the tip of the diamond. If Lallana and Moran are fit, Guly shouldn't be in the team, if Lallana is injured that's when Guly should be in the team. NA should stick with the same team as the Palace game against Reading since that midfield he played is a lot stronger in all areas.

Chaplow instead of Guly is a lot better also, we have more bite in the midfield, 4 ppl who tackle is a lot better than 3 ppl who tackle, just hope NA sticks with that side on friday.

That team or... Davis Frazer Fonte Jos Fox Punch Chappers Cork Lallana Lambo Sharp/Barnard Subs: Martin, Harding, De Ridder, Sharp/Barnard, Hammond

Anyone but Guly but a friend of mines reckons he'll play whenever fit as it's in his contract or NA fancies him either way he is poor and we have better options than him at this stage of the season. I say we give Punch a game.

Well i said to myself, if we got anything from Blackpool game and won our home games against Pompey+Coventry and won one away game we would be fine, but 1 point from Pool and Pompey isn't good enough, i have us finishing 3rd.

Your joking right? he's pulling the defence to the left when he goes left only sub atm should be Guly, yet another game he's not been in.

Well we will miss his pace and movement but i suppose we could play SDR upfront if we wanted pace or go with Sharp or Barnard, i wouldn't play Guly he was useless there on sat and last time he played against Pompey he was utter crap. I can really see my prediction coming true a draw