david in sweden

I think you mean the BACK 8 - don't you? Although we have a " recognised start side " some of those clean sheets have also included; Richardson, Martin, Seabourne and Dickson, too.

good points Nick G. I think it's good to see that in games that last 95 mins. or more, we can hold out to the final whistle and score even in the closing stages when many sides have tired, or try to pack-up shop.

great analysis lads, better than the TV... however, you can see that the defender nearest to Guly is behind him... because his trailing leg hides Guly's boots - OFFSIDE! one might question if the defender nearest in the pic. with outstrethed leg might have played Guly onside ?...but maybe not. borderline..... but I think the lino got it right, but I've seen worse given offside when it wasn't.

I'm not so sure he'll go to Spurs, and I'm not so sure that 'arry will get the England job either (Barnard is not the only one with a court case hanging over him -is he 'Arry ?) However, I'm fairly sure that BHA will have a problem finding another 20 million (after funding their new stadium)... to buy new players if they intend to mount a serious challenge on the CCC title. After the first lapse of form, I expect Gus to move to a " bigger " London club...(NO ..I'm not ITK, nor do I have any names) but it will happen.

I've never seen Lambert as an out-and-out, old-fashioned CF. (though he may have been in former times at Bristol Rovers.? Anyone who can score 30+ goals, in any league at any level, really knows where the goal is, like MLT and Channon before him, Ricky gets more of the ball by roaming around and getting/winning the ball himself, instead of " waiting " for it to come to him. (As someone who recalls the GREAT Ron Davies (no apologies for the CAPITALS) it became harder for Ron after the first couple of seasons when everyone had "sussed him out " and he became more mobile, and people forgot that he was also a good player on the deck, too.) Lambert's great strength (last season especially ) was his command of the situation from set-pieces and when he took free-kicks himself, and had a good penalty record, too... (did he miss any?) With good wingers we don't have to rely on a "big man in the middle " and defenders are more aware of that these days. I think Ricky does OK moving around as he does, and thankfully he's not the only marksman we have in the side.

To be fair, Poyet has "by hook or by crook" moulded a title-winning side from a relegation-haunted side from two yearsago. However, whilst crowing about their new (and by all accounts very nice new £20 million stadium)...they will likely have to find another 20 mill..(for new players) ...if they are to mount a seríous challenge to the CCC title next season. My guess is - even if they start well , they will struggle to maintain a mid table place in 2011/12. and if he doesn't get funds to buy, the Gus will be on the move up to somewhere bigger, brighter and more lucrative.

with the relentless on-going prattle about attacking midfielders (type AOC /Lallana /Schneiderlin) some people have lost sight of the fact that sometimes we need a few more " ball-winners" in midfield, and at various time in the past have suffered MF's who can win the ball without committing a foul. (If you gonna do anything " fancy " with the ball - first you have to get it ). I long for the advent of another Jimmy Gabriel, Hugh Fisher, Nick Holmes, or Jimmy Case.

listening to a radio commentary..? you're lucky you heard anything about the match at all. Commentators seem obsessed with talking about ; other people's opinions. asking questions of "experts" who couldn't tell you the way to the local pub, dragging up old stories and wasting vasts amounts of time waffling about what "should have happened" and why we DIDN'T score ! Doesn't surprise me you didn't hear names, sometimes they don't even give out the team line-ups, or mentions on-coming subs.

well nice to read you Baj (instead of you wrapping us on the knuckles for infringments of " the code of behaviour" ) ----for what it's worth - I agree. The idea of playing " mediochre" football and yet still winning the points isn't unusual.. is it?, but some fans seem to think we should play like Barca every week, even when Alex and Adam are out. But two things come to mind. 1) AP said last season that we needed good L1 players to get out of this divison..I think we've got those and hopefully - we will. 2) It has been recognised that many sides come to SMS intent on "battling it out..with 10 men back and not getting beat". The idea of playing "attractive football " goes to the bottom of the list. We have actually lost more home points that we should have (due to a number of reasons ) compared to other top teams in L1. The fact that we have won 10 away games - by hook or by crook - suggests that we have successfully adapted ourselves to varying styles of play, (as illustrated on saturday). I thought Gus Poyet was pathetic in saying we played the long ball.. (- Hey Gus ..get a life ! . Thats the way we beat your " unbeatable side " Is it our fault that your best side couldn't adapt to it ?) 3) though I agree that some of our squad wouldn't be regulars in CCC, I think they are fewer than some think, and some have made remarkable progress and are worthy of a higher level, though I can see two or three absolute requirements when we go up.

well thanks Crab Lungs, that explains everything... except why Brighton lost yesterday when they are the greatest team on the south Coast..(not my words). I still rate Nigel Adkins as an inspirational manager . After all I can remember Ian Branfoot ..now there was a manager as smart as any TWO England managers..'cos he didn't want to play MLT either !!!

I think they have a greater fear of liquidation rather than relegation. (remembering our own recent past).....If I were an Argyle fan I'd be glad to have a place in L2 next season.

NO !..but it did seem a very long time ago, and I sort of forgot how far we'd come since he came.

one of NAs many recent comments was.. that when he came to the club we were 22nd in L1. ..and you know what ...we were. Looking back I noted the following; NOTE; L. Orient were 23rd. AP "departed" after 3 league games and it was gaame 6 before Nigel took charge.... game 6; 0-2 MKDons (a) we were 22nd, and the climb was s-l-o-w........ after; .............................................. and the top 6 were............ game 12 : 0-2 Huddf'd (a) upto 15th. Brighton, P'boro, Bournemth, Sh.Wed.Hudd, Carlisle game 18 : 0-0 Brighton (h) now 7th. Brighton, Charlton, Brnemth, Sh.Wed.Hudd, Colch. game 24 : 0-0 Notts.C. (h) went 3rd. Brighton, Hudd, SAINTS, Brnmth, Peterboro,MKDons game 30 : 4-1 Swindon (h) were 5th Brighton, Brnm'th, Hudd, Peterb'o, SAINTS, MKDons NOTE; In all this time L.Orient has also improve greatly and have an outside chance of a play-off spot, but with SAINTS...now sitting in 2nd place, it's easy to criticise those past games where we dropped points but we have to say that this far .. Nigel Adkins has done a fantastic job..and the best is yet to come.

Don't know that he " going " anywhere else, BUT.... according to Sky Sports on Saturday, Saints started playing 4-3-3 ..(don't know if thay actually did, but my point was in the absence of Barnard, we have two " not so well-known" strikers available. Rickie doesn't really play a traditional CF role - does he ?

YES - but I think even 'Udders have picked up points from Plymouth already ...they'd lose those too.

Brighton are surely one of the few SCCs NOT to have had a points deduction at some point in the past - aren't they?

it's abit complicated now. 1- we don't have a "reserve side " but the upside being that we can arrange as many friendlies as we want with an U21 side and exception for over age players, and everyone can get an "airing ". 2- Some Academy have started very early - even as U12s - and the U16 side has talent, too. U18 side (third year Academy) can have 16, 17 or 18 year olds in it. Allowing for injuries, loss of form etc, you can't have enough youngsters..but the real crunch comes when they reach 18 ..and haven't (made the grade) impressed enough to be challenging for a first team spot. Those who did and gone before are well-known names. Bridge, Walcott, Blackstock, Bale, Surman, Lallana, Alex Chamberlain...and now even with Gobern and Doble on the horizon. Of course we have " caught a cold " over the years and had a few slip through the net...Dennis Wise and Kevin Phillips (as teenagers) in the 1980's are prime examples....as some players tend to mature " late-on " in their mid 20's rather than as teenagers. It must be very hard to look at a youth player and say .."he's not going to make it " ..but it has to be done. You can only hope we get it right. For most of them, a career in L1 / L2, or Conference is the most likely outcome..and if someone has to go ..it's good to get £10 million for them beforehand, then it doesn't feel quite so bad if they end up playing in the Premiership with someone else.

....and getting it in the net, too. ....and at least we didn't have people diving left and right in the box all season in order to get penalties.

no worries - it is only a statistic..and we hadn't beaten Brighton either - until yesterday. Most teams will have watched Barnie and Rickie all season, it might throw a few of them to have to cope with Guly and Connolly up front. COYR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

of course he's done a great job in winning the title, regardless of the shabby tactics sometimes used. (the old Leeds sides of the 70/80's were much worse!) ...but I genuinely believe that they will struggle next season. CCC football is very different to L1. Having spent £20 million plus on a new stadium, they might fill it every game at the start, but might well be glad of another £20 mill.for a player budget - if they are to make a genuine challenge for the Premiership. we'll see.

interestingly, with four games left--we haven't beaten any of those sides this season. we lost the home game v.Plymouth 0-1. ......as we did at home v. Brentford 0-2 later on ....we lost away 0-1 at Walsall and just managed a clean sheet at Hartlepools 0-0. ...let's hope we can do the job properly in the remaining fixtures, and pick up all 12 points.

very encouraging..as I recall Strachan only had one game plan.

shame on all who criticised Saints for persisiting with keeping David Connolly. He's been injured for most of the season and now pops up with a most valuable goal YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!