rallyboy

I didn't think I'd see pompey on MotD2 ever again so it was a pleasant surprise to see them get a brief mention last night. For those that missed it, the credits were dedicated to relegated teams who are out there somewhere and who have never returned. The Bradfords, Barnsleys and Swindons of this world - plus smaller clubs.

Just win. Nothing else. The end.

Presumably because FIFA and the FA were going to finance the Maradona Harbourdome until the underwater casino, Saab dealership and Mr Clive consortium stepped in and stopped them hosting World Cup games. I see another 18,400 sell-out saw them consolidate their position as joint leaders, or should that be joint champions now?

One minute ago they could go into the automatic slots just by winning their game in hand... Two quick Plymouth goals and that dream is now over!

Ball to hand! Accidental.

I'm staggered to discover he's a fan of anyone, I thought he'd never seen the sport before they sent him out to referee our Liverpool game. From his decision-making I presumed he was just a competition winner who had been given the chance to jog around the pitch with the players.

Pension him off - with Motson. What a brilliant save! No Motty, it was straight at him, you could have kept that one out. But he got the ball! He hit the bloke two-footed at knee height and the ball just happened to be nearby - it's not 1968. No keeper in the world would save that! Yes they would, it was two yards inside the post. He's only just offside. Yes, that's called being offside. He wanted it more! No, he judged the cross better and had the technical skill to connect with it cleanly. It was a late flag. No, he wasn't offside until he challenged for the ball. With time on their hands you'd think they could keep up with rule changes and the way the game has evolved. #dinosaurs

1p in the pound of the square root of f*ck all.

The same number that considered they had just experienced the best atmosphere in world football.

Where's Brendan Rodgers when you need him.

So to sum up, Le Tissier was a useless and lonely individual who craved affection and couldn't trap a bag of cement - but had be played in front of their toothless cross-eyed crowds of 8,000 they could have turned him into a decent player?... And why are we having this debate? Have they run out of stuff to talk about down there?

Now Carlton Palmer, he was a player! I'll never forget the day I saw him clear a corner - it was incredible.

Xavi? What does he know! Mick Quinn was better than Le Tissier, and faster. Fact.

Come and meet the bus? Presumably the guys who didn't get paid were less keen on a reunion. And to throw a dash of historical accuracy in, the very worthy Pompey Pals battalions included men recruited from as far afield as Liphook and Warsash, so rather than hogging it on Portsea they could take that exhibition around the county, perhaps on the most famousest bus?

Well done justice system, did a cracking job there. He's free to happily continue spouting his 1972 hatred in the face of anyone else who looks different.

Presumably a tacky skate, scouring the south coast for a team smaller than them?

Good work. At least the more intelligent skate now has somewhere that has actually looked beyond the welcome, analysed the accounts, and is offering a realistic picture of where they really are. If they don't go up I can't wait for the next lot of accounts. #carcrash

That wages increase is quite hefty, and presumably repeated in the next lot of accounts. With little growth available in their matchday takings without a price hike, and only a modest increase in TV money, the benefits of League One over League Two are minimal. They need to follow their floodlights into the Championship before they can consider being properly solvent, and that's if they don't go a bit silly on the wages. This business model is great for non-league or League Two, but it doesn't work much beyond that.

Bless them - but you can understand the excitement of any club that has never been to Wembley before. They have come a long way in three years.

I don't think it's harsh at all, but I agree that others have been treated leniently.

His only crime was taking a break from watching animals being raped, to spend a long period of time grooming so he could have sex with a child. To this day he is still trying to pressure the victim into some sort of mental breakdown to help him evade jail. Poor bloke.

I bet it wasn't that simple a statement! I suspect it will have been a determined hands-off warning being issued to Premier League teams by the pompey boss, as a raft of Champions' League teams battle for the signature of the next England captain-in-waiting...

Could this be the death of the plucky media template? Cook stopped his players talking to the media after their glorious joint-table-topping point at Mansfield, because he says they talk too much, and the fans agree that there is too much cliched back-slapping. But will this stop the minnows from bigging themselves up? I doubt it. The battling troops will be back at the sold out fortress with a rallying cry sometime soon.

That'll change if they get to a play-off final, the 250,000 will emerge in their Premier League shirts, with their 2010 cup final flags, asking the names of the current players.

Yeah I think we have potential for another wobble, but compared to others, life is pretty cool. We are not going down, we have not produced Liverpool's excuse for a title challenge, and we have not blown the budgets that they, Man City, Man Utd and Chelsea have. Benteke today - £32m. Days like today don't come around that often so let's savour it, before the next wobble.