shurlock

Cant think of a better time to play them: *they cant defend setpieces (it would help if they had a defensive coach) and to paraphrase one oppo's forum, physically we look like an east European basketball squad; *they've got relegation form and Ollie has always been a momentum manager; *tactics and team selections are being chopped and changed with unsettling frequency; *Matt Phillips hasn't looked the same since doing his hamstring in february; *they're having to squeeze more and more out of aging veterans (notwithstanding their class); * they're under massive pressure not to bottle the playoffs; * and from the reactions of their fans, you would think their chairman, oyston was old rupes himself.

When were mind games and stating 'facts' mutually exclusive? Surely its about tone and emphasis -and it came across as a weird presser (or at least as it was presented) when you consider they've got a massive game tonight. You might not think its a big deal - certainly its not going to stop us from going about our business; but am almost certain NA doesn't appreciate it given his almost puritanical insistence to focus on the 'here and now' and insulate the team from distraction or speculation, a task that's not made easier when headlines such as these get bandied about. That's why you or me aren't managers.

Follow the link, its on video.

He's obviously counting on his strike force in whom he's shown unwavering confidence

He looks like a fookin yeti on the verge of a heart attack.

Apart from the academcy, infrastructure projects in football arguably run into the diminishing returns very quickly. The scouting network is probably the next low hanging fruit.

Mate the equivalent of Nuremberg wouldnt be enough for your footballing crimes against commonsense

And who knows what would have happened had Lallana not missed sitter after sitter in the first half...that's my defense anyway

And a certain A.Pardew

Good article here: http://thetwounfortunates.com/chopping-and-changing-at-blackpool/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chopping-and-changing-at-blackpool

Its going to be a long old week let alone month.

Hope we pound them left, right and centre with crosses and setpieces. They've been a joke in the air of late. By the same token, I hope Fox remembers he's a ******* LB not a CB and gets tighter to his man - Ince and Phillips will be threats down the wings. That means Lallana and whoever is at RM -probably Guly (another aerial threat) or Chaplow rather than SDR for this one- are disciplined and provide decent cover.

"Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate". Tell Adam Blackmore and the press corps that...

Kirkcaldy's most famous son.

One of those players who clearly has cult potential if he's on your side. Or failing that is an enemy of your enemy as De Zeeuw and the blue few all well know.

Bore off. Don't have a problem with dredging up posts from the past if they represented a consensus or even a significant minority position as they merit discussion; but we all know where this bulb is coming from and that he alone holds these views and is irrelevant. So what's the point?

Remember the 2009 game well, especially as Donny were still somehow below us in the league- fans fighting among themselves, incidents flaring up all over SMS like a forest fire, parts of the Itchen North trying to assail the directors area. A really anarchic, ugly mood. Quite a buzz though.

Thought De Ridder looked good up top with this pace- surprised NA changed it. Chaplow did not do a whole lot (apart from one absolute wonder cross/ball which Sharp contrived to shoulder). Some people on here have blinkers - and to think Guly gets the reverse treatment. Still his introduction allowed us to go a diamond which freed up Lallana who was our main threat in the 2nd half. That said, doubt whether we would have gone to a diamond had Lambert stayed on. He won everything in the 1st half during which we looked quite threatening, even if the final ball wasn't quite there.

Solution is simple. Turn off the TVs in the concourses which are showing the game (or at least, turn them off with 10 mins to go) - surefire, if slightly OTT way to keep people in their seats.

Another down, seven to go. Was slightly nervous when Lambert went off as our bench looked quite lightweight; but it was good to see SMS stay patient and, in the end, we won comfortably. Thought SDR looked very dangerous down the middle.

I'm a superfan, I leave when I want.

He does my head in BUT The Solent interviewers are too ambitious in their questions. They should know by now that asking certain types of questions -say on transfers- is pointless and focus on those topics where answers are slightly more forthcoming. For example, experience shows that, if asked about tactical changes during a game, NA will answer the question relatively truthfully. Not tremendously exciting perhaps but at least its info. The same is true of certain other questions as well. As they've spent the longest time with NA, you would assume that Blackmore and co. would have clocked all this; yet they persist in asking the same, unsavvy questions as if NA is suddenly going to change tack and give them a headline and so the cliche, cat-and-mouse pressers continue.

Agree- he was probably used as more of a targetman under Pards and is much fitter now. But he still operates as a second striker/AM who likes to drop deep -essentially the same role he occupied at Rovers, whether he was playing alongside/behind Jo Kuffour or whoever. That said, his extra fitness means he can put in more of a defensive shift which he didn't before - and I guess that's whats being expected from Sharp.

Dont be a cheap b*stard and just offer to pay face value.

Cameron got outsmugged