Gigersaint

Good news, and please pass on my best wishes to Mrs Hamster with her continuing recovery. Understanding the pillar of strength you need to be to support someone suffering with cancer I send my best regards to you too through a difficult emotional time for both of you. Gigersaint

Interesting to see how others view games on here, I guess we all see something different and all look at different area's of the game while we are watching, many not being much different to how I view games in my own way too. I have an even greater respect now than I did before for anyone who would want to be a football manager to have the ability to see everything that happens during 90 minutes of 22 players in front of huge crowds. Several years ago before we had the benefit of web forums, discussions in the pub about games we watched and things that happened on the pitch could be open to quite a lively debate about what we had actually seen and who agreed with it. Quite funny that the same still happens on a larger scale with different fans seeing different things in greater numbers maybe with a beer in hand at the computer screen further to our ongoing footie discussions when in the pub with our mates and still discussing the same points.

If only to add to a couple of good points raised by John B, at the start of the season when we had just signed Lambert, Harding, Mellis and Murty ,we weren’t getting results we expected then losing to away Huddersfield, Swindon, and then going on to draw several of our next games against Brentford home, Stockport away, Colchester home, Charton away, winning with penalties against Yeovil, drawing away again at Carlisle before losing at home to Bristol Rovers. Up until we signed these players we had no strength in the spine of the team still with little in depth when making subs with several new players all learning to play together as a team during this span. Also in that time we had added Jaidi, Trotman , and Papa still without getting the win we were all looking for. After losing to Bristol Rovers we went on a good run and finally started to look like a team who could play together and knew how to win with the further addition of Connolly but still lacked the quality in depth on the bench, through Oct, Nov and going into Dec and with the exception of the Brighton game we remained strong with few changes to the first team and there were the first comments of the same players becoming tired playing week in and week out. With the January transfer window open and a chance to improve by adding quality to the bench and rest players this was going to mean changes in the first team selections, and as Pardew had stated that sometimes you need to take a step back to move forwards. Judging by our results over the last few games that are similar to our start of the season he is correct as we give the new signings that at times look ordinary until given time to settle into a team that we all know can win but now starting to add strength to the bench as we did with the starting 11 earlier in the season. Without giving them all the opportunity to play as Pardew did with the other new signings when we were drawing and losing games we expected to win earlier in the season we wouldn’t be moving any further forward than using our strongest 11 who can’t possibly play every game for 90 minutes over a season. Now we have quality subs on the bench too and a much stronger squad overall and I’m sure after several games, and given their chance to play over the next few weeks each of the new January signings will become every bit as confident and part of a winning team as our earlier signings have become and we will become even harder to beat. I understand that as we have improved AP, NC and ML may have looked at the Play offs as a possible new target for this season but in the overall scheme of things this season originally began as a one for consolidation and strengthening and so far we are doing just that. I really wish as much as everyone else that we could be up there challenging and although the Play offs are a long shot now I do think we will be very strong contenders for the Championship next season after the progress we have seen in a relatively short space of time in the last six months – On and Off the pitch. Isn’t this more than many of us expected this season anyway however disappointed we may feel if we don’t go up this year?

Wouldn't Pompey also have put a stop to the continuing loan/sale of their players too if there was a deal close to being completed and the embargo lifted? I notice that most of the rumour is stemming from The Mirror. Usually most of the rumours that have any kind of substance are in the Guardian, Telegraph, The Mail and as much as some hate... The Sun, and even then it's usually backed up with something more from SSN but even they are using The Mirror as a source for the story and not a leading one at that. Just can't see this rumour to be true, it's almost too far fetched even for them after all that has happened so far.

If there was any substance in this wouldn't the PL have lifted the embargo today knowing that Pompey had provided evidence that their future looked to be secure?

That tells me that I definetely have to move from the seats I'm currently sat in where the atmosphere lacks somewhat.

The same as we all had hope with the Pinnacle fiasco?

With so many varying opinions on the same games we all watch together I was wondering what everyone looks at in particular when they are watching that can make us all see the same game so differently. Admittedly I tend to mostly ‘ball watch’ and follow the immediate area of where most of the action is and sometimes miss a few of the ‘off the ball’ incidents that others notice that I only become aware of when coming on here and seeing other peoples opinion of a game and what they have seen. Other times I might watch a certain player for a while but then miss ‘that tackle’, ‘that header’, ‘that pass’, ‘that turn’, or ‘that run’ or at worst ‘that goal’ that came out of nothing! Over a single game some people seem to have the ability to watch and remember, every player, every tackle, every pass, every run, every header, and every kick of the ball for both teams and name every player of the opposition at the same time, including every mistake they made! Between, home fans, away fans, the papers, and TV each reports something different, so this surely dispels that one person can take in everything of a single game without being challenged on what they have seen. Is it the difference of which aspect of the game we watch that causes the divide of our opinions and what do you all watch in particular to form the opinions you have on a game?... as there is so much to keep your eye on!

I don't know if it's of any signifigance but it appears that either players, or clubs linked with taking players from Pompey only seem to be on loan deals? Is there a bigger picture to this too with these players/clubs only seeking loan deals? It seems odd that Pompey need funds but not getting them and only reducing wage bills which are surely marginal by comparison. This still leaves the mounting debts to be paid with a weakening squad as more players are loaned without being sold for hard cash to help their situation. Are other clubs circling to get their loanees on the cheap afterwards when Pompey go in to Admin or get wound up?

Hasn't the Gaddafi rumour started from Wiki amd cascaded from there? I've seen a few threads while lurking on Pompey forums where the blue few like to quote daily updates on Wiki as FACT and believe a lot of what is posted there.

Today I consider myself to be quite a lucky guy, my Mrs started coming to games when I got her the odd ticket or two. That became regular as she doesn't drink and knew I liked a beer or two on matchday and was happy to drive from time to time. From someone who hadn't ever seen a game of football a few years ago she is now a Season Ticket holder, loves the Saints, doesn't drink and always drives us, and is now looking forward to her first derby game against the skates, even if it's on Valentines Day!

Absolutely love this one, would love love to hear that ringing around St Marys at full volume.

Hopefully that **** Westwood will be banned from this one after ****ing over the seats last time. Dirty Bastard.

Get in, will look forward to this one!

What has happened to Fringe on Sky 1? :confused: And also Flash Forward on Five? Anyone know? Both were in mid season just before Christmas and neither have returned. I thought it was only a break during Christmas but now 24 is back on a Sunday night so looks like Fringe has either moved to another day or it's not coming back. Happy to see the return of Jack Bauer though.

Surely any new interested parties will walk away after a thorough due dilligence check unlike the current and previous owner?

Has anyone had a fan failure in an LCD TV? Switched on mine this morning to a warning message of "Check Fan 1" and after looking around on the net discover that one of the fans has failed and needs to be replaced. Does anyone know please how much this is likely to cost me to get it fixed?

Beards are also no fun when you have a coat zipped right up to your chin and you turn your head quickly either.

Found this on the NOTW website, looks like Norwich maybe heading into trouble now too. Would this mean a -10 point deduction for them this season if it happens? http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/football/695976/CANARIES-ON-BRINK-OF-ADMINISTRATION.html

Say we did get drawn at home to the Skates, would the passion of a derby game from each set of players on the field to the support from the fans throw the actual playing standard of each team out the window? Plenty of lower division sides have raised their games and knocked Premiership teams out of the FA Cup before over the years in games that weren't even derbies. I wouldn't mind if we were drawn against them and at least could give it a shot, sure it would smart a bit if they won but just imagine they don't and we do...

Maybe a possibilty that his fitness standard is not quite as good as Lamberts? Would be my thoughts considering how much fitter Lambert is now than when he joined from Bristol Rovers, I could be wrong though.

These tense endings can't be good for me health! Heart racing, stomach in knots, followed by sudden relief when we win. But it is great fun though!

Just another reason why the Premier League are probably embarrassed to have Pompey in their brand of 'World Class' football and can't wait to be shot of them. No offence to the Blue Few but if I was one of their fans I wouldn't want the world to think this was an 'ambassador' representing our fan base as it seems he has become for them down there whether they like it or not.

I took more notice of what Roy Keane had to say about us rather than the posted comment. A lot of managers often comment how they "Have a job to do", "Get a result", "Concentrate on our own game" without making a decent comment about the team they are playing. To hear the compliments from Roy Keane about us is really pleasing and not something I would have expected from him. Mainly I suppose because of his response to us when Man Utd sent us down and all the comments I hear and have read about him hating us since that day and to be honest I suppose he's not quite as bad as I actually thought he was... ...But as a player and because of his actions on the day we were relegated from the Premier League I still think he is a C*** though.

Don't know if there is any truth in Post No#81 but someone reckons they've been down to the Club and tomorrows game is expected to be called off. With a username such as 657hooligan I don't expect it to be true, but funnier things have happened so far along the way that it wouldn't surprise me. http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/frattonlatest/Stoke-criticise-Pompey-over-James.6006749.jp?CommentPage=9&CommentPageLength=10#comments