david in sweden

well I wasn't expecting a response so quickly, but whether the story has any credence or not, the fact that he's ambitious enough to refuse a contract and that Everton are " broke" really amounts to the same thing - doesn't it ? Any money they can raise will be needed to fund their next overseas buy. As I've commented before, the "post Academy period" is the real crunch for our youngsters - when they stop playing schoolboys and come into the man's world. I expect a monumental clearout of the Academy in the summer, partly if we don't go up, and certainly a lot - if we do. we have a goodly number of U21 players out on loan at present; Jack Dovey, Harlee Dean, Ryan Doble, Sam Hoskins, Ben Reeves plus of course Lee Holmes, Jonno Forte and Ryan Dickson. I don't expect more than a couple of them to stay beyond the summer..I wonder which decade Tommy Fourpast's contract goes out ? There hasn't been much emerging talent since Alex OC's departure and only Ward-Prowse looks good enough to retain. The newest crop; Stephens, Shaw, Sinclair and Chambers are still too young - but I don't think that we would ignore someone else in that age group - if he were suitable. But I agree with the idea that this look like an " agent's invitation " and a win-win situation for the player.

How long before the first person comes on to post how ru**ish he is , and we shouldn't bother to sign him?.

.....and I don't think you will . Not at least until the end of the season.

all the younger fans are having a laugh ...but we all had haircuts like that at the time. Look at the old videos of Mick Channon. In twenty years time, your kids / grandkids will ask... why did you play a lot of old men with bald heads?..and all the others had beards ? Anyway, his determination and ambition is obvious - even at that age. Articulate, too. Who could have thought that one day ...........(not him I bet ).

Saints and Reading both have only 4 home but 6 away games each. Reading's away games are (on paper) toughest; Brum, Brighton, West Ham and SAINTS. West Ham have 5 home games but all are against teams fighting for a play-off spot; Midd.boro, Reading, Brum, Brighton and Hull. Saints play Reading at home- but the other three homes are against the bottom three; Doncaster, Coventry and POMPEY. All three teams above must visit Peterboro' who are my outsider tip for relegation.

well you get extra Brownie points for that, but the trouble is - you can only use in on odd occasions.

.........and so he is, too. dealing with some of those over-paid prima donnas in the England squad takes a certain nous . You need a hard-headed type with a good football brain. There are too many of the first, and a real lack of the second. Trouble is most of them...... are either Scots, or Italian !

ER...don't look now, but he has improved a bit since then .

yes but I think you forgot the bit about not bothering to take anything with you when you have to leave swiftly. Hope you didn't have anything of national importance on your laptop, because I'm pretty sure that Fitzhugh Fella wouldn't let you take it with you ....(would you Duncan ?) ....of course, maybe if people went back to learning the Green Cross Code there might be a significant decrease in pedestrian road deaths, too !

I'm still not sure if you are complaining about the bad grammar, or the subject of the request for names ? Whilst I cannot defend the poor use of the English language, a name list of personal and visitors is fairly standard in many organisations, schools etc, - especially when carrying out emergency evacuations, fire drills, etc. I've noticed that many people seem to ignore the emergency instructions given on every airline flight we take.(!) Is it that we take it for granted that we will all get out in the event of an emergency landing - or do we think it'll never happen and it's a waste of time ? Having watched several of the Australian produced " Border Control " TV programmes, I can only hope that the staff at SFC treat Aussie Dog and his guests better than the Australian Customs handle some of their visitors.

......probably a good reason why we bought TWO strikers in the January window.... Lee apparantly injured by "friendly fire " ....

''Not at his age, and maybe not at present, but I recall during the McMenemy period - we introduced a couple of promising youngsters into an otherwise good side ..at different times, they were...... Bobby Stokes and Steve Moran ! Give Sam H. time, you never know what might happen ...in a year or two.....

saw a quote from the Oxford manager (crying in his beer). Lee's one month loan was up - they hadn't the funds to keep him and Swindon stepped in.

I had that as a poster on my wall in the 1960's. As memory serves it was written in a church in the American Colonies dated 1625 (or thereabouts ).

perhaps it was a reasonable response at the time you wrote it, but the main question now has to be .. WHEN do you think he will "kick-start " his season ..soon I hope !

Don't know much about the player named, but if he's a good signing for us - then there's no arguement. Tough on Pomp*y ?....maybe, but we lost Best, Dyer and Surman for only a fraction of their real value -just to keep the club solvent and pay salaries when it was our turn. It's par for the course when a club is in administration. If Pomp*y can rebuild - as we did - then they can buy themselves a new side - as we had to. my only hope is that we have seen the end of the scathing comments that come form a lunatic fringe who continually condemn any player (unfortunate) enough to play for both teams in their career. That somewhat exclusive list includes ; Peter Crouch, Alan Ball ; Mick Channon and Ron Davies ! I don't think any of them ever thought they might (one day ) play for both clubs when they first signed for the other. I really think we should be past that by now .

it's sad that this type of thread has to be brought back, but to be fair...many fans think that a new player on staff is somehow the quick fix, and if they don't end up as MOM each week then they're classified as cr*p. There is a list as long as your arm of (past) players who took time to settle in - whether it was coming into a good side (like now )... or to a poor side - as we were when MS arrived. Signing one player doesn't change the side overnight. Looking back to when we signed Ricky Lambert (surely no-one will complain about him now) ..scored a few goals to begin with, but he was already a proven scorer in L1 .......but on his own admission not a patch on the player he is now. Chaplow took his share of flack when he was here first on loan, but has since proved he was a "steal " at £50K. I won't bother to look back but I recall some scathing comments on this site from some regular contributors who ought to have known better - about Jos Hooiveld - even before he had kicked a ball, and condemning him in his first few games. A player who has single-headedly scooped us 4 points off West Ham this season ... Now we have the "not so fit" Billy Sharp fighting for a place, and Tadanari Lee, who according to some was a bad buy ( except that he was a free transfer ) - only because he wasn't from THIS continent ! I've been on record in the past as saying that I don't seriously look at the League tables in the first six games of the season ..(for a number of reasons ) ...I take the same view with new signings. Everything takes time. Before the season is out I (hopefully) expect to see both players on the score sheet and that will be the sign that they have found their feet in the team. Sadly I think that some rash criticism too soon only makes for embarrassment later.

looking at the present Prem. table.....(aside from those who were destined to go down from the end of Sept)....there seem to be a lot of also ran's between 8th and 16th who jump up and down the table every time they win/ lose a couple of games. I'd go for that, especially after spending the majority of those previous 27 seasons below halfway, but we still managed to play some good football at times. If Cortese has plans to import some "big names" (from whichever continent he will) ..I'd be happy to be pleasantly surprised at some opportune moment in the future...

sounds like the sort of " fan " who would call for Messi to be dropped when he doesn't score a hat-trick every week !

they all want an outing.... and don't care what level it is. Any striker is happy ot score in a 6 a side, it won't do Barnard's confidence any harm either, and nice to see that we haven't forgotten Falque.

I'm pretty sure this is supposed to be a thread about Tadanari Lee - isn't it ?

this entire story is a hype to give him options at the end of season. IF ...we were still L1 and had him on loan we'd be screaming to sign him for next season, so too will Notts County. As it is - he's certainly good enough (and a bit to spare) for L1 and County are in the play-off slot right now. Unless he scores another couple of hat-tricks I'd say he bedding himself in for a move IF County go up, then he'll still be CC level - and v.good at that. If he becomes Jordan Rhodes mark 2 ..NO! I'm not comparing them.....then we'll have him back because he's still our player, and he'll be happy to sit on the bench - if /when we become a Prem. side.

Amen to that !

I didn't think we WEREN'T playing Billy Sharp! (not deliberately anyway). Why aren't we playing Puncheon and Chaplow?... The manager makes the call and (thankfully) we have a very good squad for him to choose from. We can still only play eleven at a time, and if the game is going well, NA may /may not decide to sub. some of them. At a rough check, NA has used 2 or 3 subs. in ALL but ONE game. (only Harding used v. Pompey).The rest of the time he rings the changes every game. IMO.. whilst Billy is a good signing, like Lee - is struggling a bit to find his feet (and fitness) Saints style. I think we'll see him a bit more in the coming weeks and if he scores a few vital goals he'll become a fan-favourite very quickly.