Lighthouse

We've been awarded a £136m contract to build an oil rig in the South China Sea apparently.

Chamberlain is in for a very boring trip.

Never seen that personally, but it's not th point I'm trying to make anyway. I'm saying we just need one more quality striker with or without Connolly. Having Connolly will just add another chunk to the wage bill, without really making a difference on the pitch. Barnard has been one of our best players this season. His work rate wont go amiss in the Championship and he is a pretty good finisher too. We've only lost 2 games he has started under Adkins, tough midweek trips up North to Walsall and Rochdale.

The solution will undoubtedly be a blend of sensible signings and giving youngsters a chance when they're ready. I don't think we will see anyone starting the first game of next season who hasn't already been a first team regular (or signed in summer). Have a feeling we might see a couple, maybe JWP, Doble or Shaw in the League cup and possibly come January in the FA Cup. Think we're more likely to see younger players loaned out if anything.

Never saw him play for Stockport, but I really can't see us using him in midfield any time soon. He's played 24 games in 3 years here. What makes you think that's going to change any time soon?

Guly yes, he can play accross the front 6 if needed. Lambert, not sure what you're refering too, I've only ever seen him play up front. Yes he can drop deep and drift out wide, but he is a striker. Forte I'd consider a more likely prospect on the wing, but yes he is another striking option. CMS other otherwise is likely to involve a considerable transfer and wage packet. Another reason we can't have any extravagances with the squad.

Bellamy has gone from Newcastle to Blackburn, to Liverpool, to West Ham, before signing for Mega Bucks City. I doubt he's taken a pay cut anywhere along the way and I'd say he was on nearer £100k than £40k. No idea how that breaks down with Cardiff as a percentage. I'd guess at 80/20 with Citeh still paying the lions share.

I've often wondered that too. Experienced players aren't going to take home peanuts, regardless of how much or little they play. I can't see too many players signing a contract which might pay them sod all for 3 months if they're injured or not picked. They would probably still want a basic wage of some description and a substantial appearance bonus.

I think the loss we made last season, despite 2 very lucrative cup runs, shows we need to keep the wage bill down. It's one reason I don't think we can really afford "fringe" players on the squad who can only do maybe 10-20 games a season. People are saying we should keep Jaidi AND bring in someone to replace him. Same with Connolly. Financially I don't think it's viable. Why have 4 high earners on the books, when we could just have two very good players on much less total money? Guly, Lambert, Barnard, CMS (hypothetically) - 4 decent strikers with varying atributes. Sorted Guly, Lambert, Barnard, CMS, Connolly - An unnescessary extravagance.

Matey taking the kick just passed the ball very gently to one of the Saints players in the wall. Can't for the life of me figure out what was going through his head. My favourite song was "You're our second favourite team" aimed at Bompey. Also quite liked singing "Rochdale's (and other places) a sh*t hole I want to go home" Sh*ttest song is pretty much everything aimed at Pompey.

We won't get another Puncheon, Forecast or Pulis though. Puncheon was signed by Pardew and clearly never looked happy once he'd left. Forecast and Pulis were two completely retarded transfers and God only know's what Rupert was thinking when he bought them. Quite how a sh*te goalkeeper is better than a sell on clause for Gareth Bale I have no idea. Anyway, I digress; Cortese and Adkins are in charge and have been fairly sensible in the transfer market. You will always get the occasional transfer which doesnt work out, it happens. I wouldn't get quite so excited about Forte and Connolly's contribution either. Other than those 2 minutes against the Dons, Forte has done bugger all else of note. Connolly has come riding in on a white horse at the end of the battle, but the rest of his season has been a nightmare. I'd much rather have someone like Nugent, CMS etc. than both of those players. We need reliable players. DC isn't and neither is Forte, although I would give the latter a second chance. Your statement about the midfield just illustrates exactly why we need someone fitter than DC in the squad. What if Lambert and Barnard both got injured? Connolly would most likely be injured too, leaving us with Guly as the only striker left. That would kill our promotion chances stone dead.

If we are serious about promotion to the Premier League, then we're going to have to put sentiments aside and be ruthless. There are certain players who did an decent job this season, but can't take us any further. Connolly - No There really isn't much point in 'PAYP' contracts. It's not like you can chose the games he will be fit. If Barnard breaks his leg, you can't just flick a switch and make Connolly fit for 2 months. Having Connolly is like having the worlds greatest health service, but the hospitals are only open on Tuesdays. Brilliant, unless you have an accident on 6 days out of the week. Jaidi - No Doing a great job last year in League 1 isn't the same as doing a great job in NpC. Let him go, get someone the same 10 years younger. Martin - Yes One for the future definitely. Harding - Yes Absolutely! Butters - Yes Has invaluable NpC experience. Gobern - No Never really troubled the first team in League 1. To go up we will need players who CDAJ in the bottom half of the Prem. OG is a long way short of that. I'd also get rid of Holmes, Forecast and Seaborne. I thought the former was out of contract anyway.

Eurovision is always good for seeing some East European totty get their 15 minutes of fame.

Will be about 7th or 8th when you add the other 6 teams in. Interesting to see the Skates are as high as joint 4th from bottom. They've got no players left and no money to buy any. I'd have put them down there with Barnsley and Donny myself.

Morgan is just back from a fairly long injury, so playing 2 games in 2 days would just be silly. Connolly is getting on a bit and is very injury prone. Butters didn't feature Saturday either so who knows, maybe he is carrying a small knock.

I hear he is also a massive fan of regular Premier League football and £80,000 per week wages packets. It's possible this might put another dent in our bid to sign him.

Let's be brutally honnest here. A large percentile of regular football goers are adult males and as such I think a woman with big knockers would be the perfect 'hostess' for our pre-match and half time entertainment. The competitions with Sammy Saint trying to save penalties taken by 4 year olds are pretty naff too. How about they get fans from each stand to try and wrestle a free season ticket which has been velcroed to a tiger?

The holy grain of overtaking is making cars able to follow each other very closely through the corners. At the moment it's nearly impossible as the following car get caught in the turbulence of the car in front. I think ground effect should help improve that when we bring back ground effect cars.

I'd like to come down: West Ham - Decent away day fairly close by and I think they would struggle with their board issues etc. Wigan - Pointless club. Once the overpaid foreign mercenaries all p*ss off they will be a fairly average NpC outfit Blackpool - Just to wind 'Olly' up and it'd be a cracking weekend away. Don't want Blackburn - The North is dark and scary. Brum - Mcleish is a good manager and will have them well organised. Wolves - As above with MM.

4 goals in a season for a striker isn't bad? It's irrelevant WHY he only scored 4 goals. It's still only 4 goals. A 1-1 draw is a 1-1 draw. It doesn't say "1-1, but Southampton win because Connolly scored and he's different class." As for 15-20 in a season, you have got to be winding me up on that one? Connolly's last 5 years: 4 goals in 18 apps 7 goals in 23 apps 0 goals in 5 apps 13 goals in 39 apps 7 goals in 27 apps Hasn't reached double figures since 06/07 and you think he's suddenly going to get fit and start banging 'em in?

Made my weekend in the first 5 minutes when AOC tried to skin him and found that he couldn't actually get around Williams in time to get to the ball. Was a good afternoon out. Was great to see Niemi in front of the Northam, got a good round of applause after his interview and pulled off a decent save to deny Lallana. Bart performed some form of acrobatics to try and keep out a lob from Jo Tessem, which went over anyway. Forecast came on at the end and waved to the Northam after one clearance, nobody gave a sh*t. The first team were understandably pedestrian, although to Guly's credit he seemed to give it a go. His second goal (Jones was in goal) is well worth a watch if there are any highlights kicking around. Tessem and Idiakez looked pretty good for All Stars, although neither was close to even League 2 standard. Our most recent player, Murty wandered forward a few times. All in all a good laugh, although that announcer did get on my tits bit though.

17,400 and something. Good effort by all! Pretty good laugh really. 2-1 to the first team. II, Lambert and guly scored. Niemi made a great save from Lallana, Tessem almost chipped Bart too. And Paul Williams is sooooooo fat

Which leaves us with 6 strikers on the books if you include Guly and Doble, which is 1 too many. We want to be financially self sufficient at some point and we're not going to do that if we go back to the Prem delegation days of having 40 players in the squad. Yes, he's fit NOW, but was he fit a few months ago when we needed a goal against Tranmere or Walsall? Unfortunately people seem to be taking the last month as the yardstick to our whole season. Had Connolly's 3 goals in 5 games (or whatever the stat is) come in the first 5 games of the season not the last, everyone would be saying "oh he's finished, he's always injured, get rid etc. etc. Connolly has, I believe, 4 goals in League 1 this season. Please explain to me how that is going to translate into any kind of decent return in the NpC next season.

Yes, and providing I win the lottery, I'll buy a penthouse in Mayfair, a Ferrari and a quick go on Scarlett Johansson. Connolly isn't fit. It's all well and good saying he's a class act, but the fact is he has spent 2/3 of the season in the physio's room. People are making the same mistakes as 4 years ago when they were saying Lundekvam and Powell had bags of CCC experience and provided they stayed fit the defence was sorted. 3 helpless defeats into the season and we were panic buying a wayne Thomas for over £1m.

That steward is probably in the pub as we speak laughing his arse off with the others about who managed to sell the tallest tale to a fan. Owen... Gordon Bennett, pull the other one.