david in sweden

'cos he used to be on their staff as a player ...!

surely I didn't need a crystal ball to predict that one - did I ? I really have defended Nigel Adkins all season so far, but failing to sign anyone ín the summer..and then no loan cover for a striker - even until the last day....and now Lambert is out . What a shocking display to have over 60% possession at times, 10 corners..and a measly 3 shots on target. If Lambert is out for a longer period, what do we have for alternatives until January ..or putting it another context ..12 points away?

keep saying that , it's always good for a goal ...

.....kinda agree with that sentiment, too !

THX patred44 At least someone understood the real meaning of my contribution ..

No, it's not !

...Nigel Adkins is (probably) one of the few managers who actually understands injuries better than most . As a Psysio..he knows what injuries and stress can do to performance and that is surely the reason that he doesn't push GULY to play 95 minutes every game. Reading between the lines, Ricky has had a hip problem (obviously not publicised) for sometime past, and if NA saw he was suffering he did well to bring him off, especially as many fans noted that he wasn't contributing much to the game. Ricky may have been upset that the injury was troubling him..or (maybe) he was angry with NA ..if so.. it's Adkins' head that goes first when things go wrong (ask Steve Bruce)..so he must take the decisions. ..to Ricky." it's a team game, everyone has to pull their weight. Move on.. today is another game ",Let's hope (he's) fit enough to contribute something .

Actually Bill debuted much earlier than that - around Easter 72-73 season. First as sub, v. West Ham and then in away game v.Chelsea. We lost both. He then went a whole season without any first team action, until the game you mentioned at start of 74-75 season. In between he played in no. 6 shirt for Reserves, where there was fierce competition from Manny Andruzewski and Colin Waldron who both had considerable careers in later seasons. I used to watch a lot of Reserve matches as well as First team games. There was little chance of getting first team games especially as the incumbent defenders at that time were Jim Steele and Paul Bennett. A typical example of a good schoolboy player who just didn't have the "X" factor that makes careers, Bill played over 50 games for the "stiffs" but when reaching that crucial age around 20 just didn't make it in the early McMenemy set-up..but in that fact he wasn't alone. The number of local players who went on to have good careers, can be counted on the fingers of one hand. .

....then retires early and goes on TV as a pundit !

There are certain stereotypes in football that can make players a " fan's favourite ". - The goalie who makes spectacular saves - even if he's not so special otherwise. (we've had a few) - The big defender who makes those match-saving " crunching tackles "... (McGrath, Ruddock, Svensson) - The youngster in his first season who becomes a legend..in a short time. (Channon, Shearer, Steve Williams, MLT, Walcott, Alex O-C) - The natural "leftie " who terrorises the opposition and put a different complexion on the attacks. (Sydenham, Brian O'Neil, Bale) - the "big time", old-fashioned CF who scores from all angles with glory..(Ron Davies, Colin Clarke, Ostenstad, Beattie... and now Lambert, I suppose) - and the "overlapping full back " who steams across the half-way line like an express train on full throttle ..(Ivan Golac is first who comes to mind..+ others.) Richardson has a little of that about him and it is surely only a matter of time before he bags a goal or two for himself. Great signing !

.... THX for the simple explanation of what sounds to be a complicated " paper " arrangement. Steve. .....as for the fee. In todays market, I think I would say that it was more of a steal... than a buy !

Fortunately for us..the Celtic Board didn't, though I can understand that Lennon and some of their fans weren't happy. Jos looked the right fit to me from day 1 A no-nonsense defender in the mould of Michael Svensson !

You're right of course, we will probably end up signing some totally unknown foreign player who will (hopefully) be a real success. However, it struck me as being a bit ironic that just these three players have had more threads on them than all the other " possibles " put together... and there's no smoke without fire ...

isn't barbed wire more appropriate ?

.... it will give Nigel Adkins the difficult problem of deciding which "extra " striker he will bid for in January. With Lukas J. and Nicky Maynard already having out one past Kelvin, it remains to see if Billy Sharp is as good as his club's evaluation of him. Regardless of the results, all three strikers may end the season sharing the same ignominious distinction of having scored against the league champions.... in the same season that their clubs were relegated to League 1.

....really think this one was overdone Dibden...paranoia setting in because we conceded a goal before HT!!!!

...but they are pretty lousy away from home ..didn't Totton beat them 8-1 recently...?

well I think the answer to that one was announced earlier today ....

ALTERNATIVELY : " did he jump..or was he pushed ? " If he didn't fit the job, we're certainly better off without him....

Actually, I didn't like the constant use of the phrase " injury-prone " (ala sicknote Anderton and Kevin Dyer), but any striker worth his salt can expect some knocks and strains. Lambert has been EXTREMELY lucky, but sadly MLTs career finished far too earlý, but his wonderful goal-scoring feats masked some injury problems. " uncertain " = not definite, or decided Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. I can only base a statement on what I know - in this case I don't! When a player is fit - he's OK, when injured he could be out for a week - or a year. If it's a "new " injury, it's unlucky whereas if a recurring injury - it's a problem. I haven't heard the extent of Connolly's current malady, but if he's back in 2-3 weeks that's probably par for the course - do you know more... or ?

As a Saints fan in the early 1960's.. it seemed the Sunderland game was a highlight in the season in a division that lacked "big name clubs ", and as the years went by I found myself still looking at their results as they played "jack in the box" between the bottom of the (then Div.1) and the following season getting promoted back up - again. In January this year, I was pleased to see Steve Bruce (someone I admired as a manager though I disliked as a player for some reason) take them up to sixth place in the Prem. Then they sold Bent for a massive £24 million, and later lost Jordan Henderson to Liverpool and then were hit by an unbelievable run of injuries that saw NINE of their first team squad injured, SIX of whom had major operations, and they plummeted down the league. Having survived at the very end, they bought the talented Gyan for £13 million - only to see him loaned out for the season!. No wonder Steve Bruce's world had fallen apart. Sunderland fans were as impatient as you would expect and not very polite with their comments either. It takes real money to get a good Prem. side together, and a good manager to turn it into a successful team. I think they had the manager - but not the team, for which their Board must take a share of the responsibility - but no matter. Looks like Mark Hughes or Martin O'Neill might be coaxed back to try and bring some respectability back to the Stadium of Light. Steve Bruce, will in time, get another club managership and the only people to make a real profit from the whole mess will be - the agents!