Saint_lambden

Can see the logic that it fires everyone up, including the players, to stick two fingers up to the FA.

Yep. They’ve only just charged the Cardiff CB for the hand around the throat incident at Pompey and that was the beginning of September

Slight contradiction there. It’ll be 6 months if he’s lucky.

RE: appeal. Stay of execution has to be granted by FA in case of appeal rather than an automatic right. ” Eckert would not necessarily have to miss Portsmouth on 11 October if he received a suspension on 24 September. The FA’s procedures expressly allow an appellant to apply for a stay of the sanction pending the appeal. There are documented cases where the Judicial Panel Chair has granted such a stay following an application by the person sanctioned. For example, in David Standing v Sussex FA, the appellant received a one-match suspension, applied for a stay, and the Judicial Panel Chair stayed the sanction pending the appeal. That creates a potentially very significant window: 24 Sep decision → immediate appeal/stay application → 10 Oct Portsmouth derby The fact that the full appeal might not be heard by 11 October does not, by itself, prevent a stay from being granted before then. If Eckert were given a suspension that would affect the Portsmouth match, the logical procedural route would be: 24 September: obtain the written decision/reasons. Immediately: decide whether there are grounds of appeal. Before 1 October: formally notify the FA of intention to appeal. At the same time: seek a stay of the suspension pending the appeal, rather than waiting for the full appeal. If the stay is granted, Eckert could continue to participate while the appeal is pending. The substantive Notice of Appeal would still need to be lodged by the applicable deadline (approximately 8 October on your assumed timetable).”

Corberan…

From an optics point of view, it would look ridiculous from the FA to ban him outright after letting him take charge of the first 8/9 games of the domestic season. Having said that, I read the play-off expulsion wrong so I’m expecting the worst. Parsons’ interview won’t have helped matters. He’s completely tone deaf at the best of times and playing the victim card a few days before the hearing is not a good look.

May as well get this started as we’ve got a 3 week build-up to it. How’s everyone feeling about it then? Let’s compare to a year or so ago when we played them at home: 1) Team playing better than then - albeit still with obvious deficiencies. We know our best team and the home form is good 2) There shouldn’t be the same level of nerves as there were for the players that we saw in this fixture last season now that they’ve experienced the atmosphere and got the ‘haven’t played them in the league for 13 years’ out the way 3) Their time wasting/slowing the game down from the off tactics shouldn’t have the same impact due to the change in rules since then 4) I’d argue they’re in about the same position quality wise, with a number of injuries again. Their 2 wins have come against newly promoted sides but they’ve looked very ordinary against everyone else. Murphy will be out and they’re pretty patched up at the back. Kavuma-McQueen has added a bit of spark for them but they’re just functional everywhere else. We know they’re going to come and try and frustrate us, especially as that’s the type of set-up we struggle against. 5) We don’t know the outcome of Eckert’s FA hearing. If (when) he has a touchline/outright ban, we’re looking at a combination of Lallana/Garner leading the team. Might add to the siege mentality or be a big hindrance. Hopefully we’ll have Scienza available and no injuries picked up over the international break, with Jander back in the matchday squad at least. Same starting XI then all being well. In to the skate bastards. Nervy 2-1 win.

2 clean sheets in 28 away league games since relegation. Thats why we’ll be nowhere near the top two.

That point at Lincoln looking more and more like a good result! 😄

Bruised ego I heard.

When Tyrone Mings is keeping you off the bench, you know it's not good.

It's not. He's a great goalscorer but part of the reason the ball keeps coming back at us is his inability to hold the ball up. Today for example - he completed just 3 passes. From Jan to May it got covered up by the fact we had Stewart as well who was excellent at that. But his goals value far outweighs it, of course. So we just need to find a way to control games better so we're not under the cosh so much if we can't make the ball stick at the top end of the pitch.

They'll ban him for a few games, the first one being Pompey for maximum impact. FA have planned it that way all along

One thing I noticed last night is how much more positive we were at throw-ins in their half. Constantly looking to go forward with it instead of the (often usual) backwards to a more safe option. It seemed to catch them off guard for the opening goal but hopefully that will be more of a deliberate ploy moving forward as it made a refreshing change.

The whole 'taking off a midfielder/forward and putting on another defender' never works, at least not for us. It just invites pressure and instills an attitude of 'we're defending what we've got' rather than having a front-foot mentality. Right the way back to Adkins taking Billy Sharp off for Dan Harding against Pompey in 2012, it baffles me each time. Plus our ability to never stop the cross or attack the ball in with any intensity, it's a toxic combination against sides that are direct.

Lincoln have had more shots from set-pieces than any other Championship team so far this season (25), 50% of their shots! Going to have be on our game from that point of view.

Has to be a win if we're serious about promotion. Won't be easy - again a very physical side who will be direct but we should show too much quality for them. Bring Matsuki back in on the right as Fellows was poor last night and would be tempted to rotate JWP in for Bragg who has played a lot of minutes in the last two, for a bit of freshness. 1-2 Saints.

Really need another forward...

Stuttgart did bid for Jander a couple of weeks ago but we told them where to go. Don't know fee. It was when they were expecting Stiller to leave so, given he looks to be staying, they haven't pursued it further (or our demands were too high, or both).

For what it’s worth, lad I know from work who supports Forest really rates him. Has captained England youth teams, played regularly in Europa League for them last season and has just been unlucky that Murillo and Milenkovic have had such a decent partnership together that he hasn’t had more minutes. Plus he can play right-back too which helps cover for Bree.

What’s the logic behind that? We signed Schlotterbeck to play left-sided CB and he was superb on Saturday. Abbott is a RCB so Stephens and will rotate with Wood.

People annoyed that we’re signing a player they’ve never seen play instead of another player they’ve never seen play

Played once and was sent off 13 minutes in to it. Full international doing some very heavy lifting here

And a LW'er when Edozie goes.

Looking on another level at the moment, despite missing most of pre-season. Top, top player.