shurlock

Thought he had a decent game - King and Wood, two big lads, won very little in the air. His positioning for crosses was sometimes off but that will improve as he, Fonte and the other defenders develop a better understanding.

Exactly- pretty obvious that the interviewer wanted to know why they hadn't produced or created more - just being polite and that backfiring. If a more direct question gets asked, the interview is pulled up for being presumptuous. I don't have much sympathy for the media but in this case they're damned if they do, damned if they don't.

True, though while we're unbeaten at home, I can't see NA going with anyone other than Guly/De Ridder and Lallana on the flanks with freedom to roam inside -and taking the rough with the smooth. Away from home will be a different matter. For all the problems Brum will pose in the air, I can't see Stephen Carr bombing on/doubling up with the wingers in the same way Gunther did last week, reducing the defensive load for our wide midfielders, though their left hand side looks more dangerous than their right.

Guess my reference point is still Huddersfield away last season (yes a long time ago) where we were done in the air and were pressed high up the pitch all day (coincidentally one reason why Seaborne, NA's starting CB to that point, lost his place to Radhi). Christ sake, even Rory Fallon gave us a hard time away at Plymouth! With RJ out and question marks over the new lad (brought in specifically to address this weakness), we still look fragile -think of Henderson (Millwall), Miller (Forest), Emmanuel Thomas (Ipswich). Tmrw will be interesting precisely because Brum -Wood, King- like to mix it about.

TBH, would have preferred a draw. Listened to the Leicester commentary -and brighton didn't have nearly the same amount of possession or pressure we had but that, in part, is because they are more a cautious and cynical team. DOn't think Leicester were anything special either- Ankergren had very few saves to make and they'll blow hot and cold like all of Sven's flatter-to-deceive teams.

agree - we struggle against physical, direct teams. still wouldn't want a derby of tippy-tappy football and we have players like radhi made for these games.

If you don't ask, you don't get, suppose. Think it's one of the bigger injustices of allocation policy that ST holders get automatic priority over people who don't have a ST but nonetheless travel up and down the country (obviously the club's response is that they do nothing to fill the coffers). The membership system at least used to reward those supporters.

Top of Itchen North (Block 4) anyday.

Edit

From Turks username to his own self-description, I have visions of Roland aka 'geezer' Erkan Mustafa out of Grange Hill.

You're right about the improvements in the numbers going to the midlands, though I would be surprised if numbers are as high as 1800, even if the league has more of a southern feel this season.

You might be right - im sure we get about the same as a lot of biggish NPC teams such as Derby; but obviously less than Leeds and West Ham but probably less than the likes of Wolves and Sheff U when they were around (we should be aspiring to that kind of level). But my larger point is the sheer variation - we take huge numbers to London clubs and places like Reading/Watford - far bigger than what they take to our place, suggesting we have greater potential to raise the number of core regulars; yet that support fizzles away for other games. It also appears that at the margins our numbers are swelled by more supposed 'lads' -you'll know its a totally different vibe when we play in London- who then disappear when it comes to less glamerous games.

Fair play and I'm sure your circumstances aren't unique. Money's tight and it's easier to go when you've got a few years of work experience. I couldn't start doing away games on a serious basis until my mid/late 20s and its probably easier when you're based in London. I still end up scratching around for cheap tickets/deals and occasionally have to turn down games for work (fortunately I'm self-employed), though I try to make sure they're home rather than away games. Was talking to a West Ham fan who was telling me that while they don't get massive away numbers - say compared to Spurs on a game to game basis, their numbers don't fluctuate and they have one of the highest numbers of core regulars. Don't know how we compare to the rest of the league but ours is about 1000 and ideally it should be higher. A good number of our regulars are the thermos and blanket brigade. Why they shouldn't be anymore eligible for a massive game like the skates is beyond me.

Love some of the big i am on here - just a shame most of the 'proper lads' go into hiding and barely muster a whimper for the rest of the season. Our away support barely breaks a 1000 for most games - that's f**king pathetic compared to decent NPC teams. They are the plastics, the sky generation of away supporters and crawl out of the woodwork only when a booze up in London Town can be justified or are be ar $ed to travel a few miles to the outer reaches of Reading or the bleak depths of Brighton. Fact is many of our supporters who put in the hours are the elderly and to a lesser extent women and children - and fair play if they get priority.

Of course, there's even less chance of trouble now that Hampshire OB is under the watchful gaze of the Beeb.

Missed the pleasures of block 4 upper today- how was our resident piece of bait for the away contingent, the fat, slightly f**ked-looking lad who's a carer in the disabled area? Always steps up when there's a big game. Top lad.

Thats true to an extent; but, with this formation/line-up, we've been gifting teams space down the flanks for a while. I didn't go today but the commentary suggested that Guly and Lallana weren't doubling up with the FBs while Forest were using the overlap v.well.

In part, the midfielders don't give the full backs enough protection - both our widemen, Lallana and Guly, like to come in-field which gives the opposition plenty of space down the wings. Contributes to our fluidity going forward but makes us vulnerable defensively. Its a particular problem against conventional 4-4-2s.

Not really. Harding had a decent half and I would be surprised if Cork was moved to RB just because of FR's performance.

Listening to McClaren's interview on their equivalent of Saints Players, seems like they have picked up a lot injuries as a result of the international fixtures - something which we were largely spared of.

Decades and Eternal are fantastic (though Decades is slightly better than Eternal IMO because of the way it is more layered and unfolds more); but as I say above, those songs and the JD catalogue in general owe as much to Martin Hannett as to Curtis and co. From the synths to the overdubs to the simple insistence to slow everything down, his production values are all over the band's work. Without him, JD's songs would have sounded more like the early Warsaw era output.

Always been cr*p. Redeemed only by the novelty of seeing decent bands -usually hammered- on the show (but that novelty wore off as they would appear and reappear). At least, today, it doesn't take itself as seriously as when Lovec ock was doing it.

What? like this

Will check out the new CD - have found it difficult to get into his solo stuff and skipped the last album 'real emotional trash' whereas pavement always slipped on effortlessly. Only band around that could play the same song differently every night on tour.

Agree with this - some of the recordings are arguably better than what were very good originals. Hurt is usually cited. Further on up the road is another fantastic cover - completely transformed the original.