Weston Saint

Agree. In fact I was told he was thinking of getting rid of Pardew after 8 games but was talked out of it by others....

Seems it is getting to poor old Avram Speaking after the 1-1 draw with Sunderland, Grant intimated he felt the club are fighting on many fronts including the officiating, after he confronted referee Kevin Friend at half-time. He said: "We are fighting not just against the opponent, but many situations - even the referees. "Today there were two clear penalties for us. I must say, I'd had enough. I can only fight against so many things. Sometimes it is too much. "I must say I like this referee and the referees in England. But not in the last 10 days." He continued: "The players and the fans were great today. "It is not easy. Imagine you have problems in your work. Could you go to your work with a clear head. "This club needs to stay alive. This is a traditional English club." http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11674_5929308,00.html

Agree with Duncan and you.

Saints out of the block well and at 2-0 up we looked comfortable but then we reverted to our old problematic self. Mind you we never looked like losing the tie. We were by far the better team. Davis does worry me. He is a stopper but that is all. Thomas played well and should be our first choice until Murty back. Solid game Fonte missed a couple of headers but otherwise solid. Jaidi immense when using his head but not so good when he used his feet. Harding showed why he should be first choice. Excellent game. Has been unwell and even had a hospital visit for suspected appendicitis. Probably why Pardew benched him until he was fully fit. Lallana his usual tricky self and another goal Schneiderlin very quiet and ineffective tonight Hammond looked off the pace a little which is to be expected but did enough to suggest he has been missed. Antonio made a few decent runs but his positioning and crossing needs major improvement Lambert his usual self scoring again after a great hold p and pass by Waigo. Taking all the set pieces now including corners. Great delivery. Virtually every corner caused MK Dons defence problems Waigo frightened the life out of the MK Dons defence. Fast, tricky, aware of where his team mates were, accurate passing most of the time. My MOM Pardew got his win but it worries me that he seems not to be able to get his team, when on top, to continue the momentum. Oh and Cortese has introduced a new rule. All non football staff now have to pay £4 parking charge on match days. Had the email today and tonight confirmed by the parents of a member of staff who sit behind me. It was they who told me about Hardings recent illness. Good win in the end. Wembly here we come. So in recent era we have a hat trick. Old Wembly, Cardiff and New Wembly.

It is all about negotiation tomorrow. Both sides will form a position overnight and negotiations will commence again at the court door tomorrow. I have only once done a deal at the court door and only because a senior high court judge had hinted he preferred the other sides evidence. They wanted £2.4m I had paid in £300,000. Negotiated at £980,000 even sending a note to the judge at the time of the hearing to stay in his chambers as a deal was likely. He simply approved the order we drew up later in the morning. Never liked court door negotiation because most of the costs incurred by then but it has it's place. Would not like to be the PFC barrister tomorrow though

Talks stalled, HMRC solicitors walk away, Pompey Solicitors chasing them down the road saying come back....please... No say HMRC So talks are indeed ongoing, just nobody is listening

SSn sources say talks stalled. Spokesman from the club say ongoing. In denial again??? or have Sky jumped the gun yet again?

22180 /2009 Portsmouth City Football Club Limited 313 /2010 Portsmouth City Football Club Limited 22181 /2009 Southend United Football Club Limited (The) 22182 /2009 Cardiff City Football Club Limited Could be an interesting day. Before REGISTRAR DERRETT

Well we should know by tomorrow and I bow to your experience in such matters. I am aware that they have already had three owners since this bill became payable and none of them have taken any action to pay the outstanding amount so why should this be any different. I am also told that the HMRC are very pee'd off with the club but I cannot go into detail at this stage. I still think a deal will be struck today. My negotiation background gives me that confidence. Hope I am wrong though

Possibily, it depends how the order was drawn up. HMRC will want some protection. That may be what todays negotiations are all about, drawing up an agreed order for the court to approve.

I posted this last night before any figures were mentioned. Since then £1.8m has been mentioned and if recent reports are correct HMRC have asked for any discussions today to remain confidential. that suggests to me that a deal will be done in the short term. I suspect the final deal will be Pompey paying £2.5m within 7 days and the remainder in stage payments over the next year. That, with interest payments will likely be about £500,000 a month. If they default (which they will if a new owner is not found because there income streams are very limited) they will put themselves into Administration before the HMRC can act. No details of any settlement will be in the public domain as HMRC will not want to be seen as a soft touch (but short term public interest ie getting hold of some of the money now, will be served). However they hold all the cards and tomorrow's hearing is still a real possibility or the deal would have been done last night

Assuming they owe HMRC £7.5m I would, as a negotiator, be offering a payment of £1.5m now and stage payments thereafter pointing out to HMRC advisors that if the club was wound up or placed into Administration, as an unsecured creditor, they would be lucky to recoup 10%. Bearing in mind the tax owed is public money it would not be in the best public interest to take that action. I suspect such a deal would cause the winding up order to be withdrawn, particularly if other parties to the order have been paid up or similar deals struck. Problem for Portsmouth is the the financial issues will not go away unless significant cash is injected long term.

Just a thought. Could HMRC call Pompey's bluff on there being a couple of interested parties and put them into Administration rather than a winding up order. Is that what Storrie wants? "Not my fault....HMRC did it?

I said a few weeks ago the money was likened to a rope. Either for Pardew to pull us into the playoffs or to hang himself. Cortese statement only serves to convince me that was the case. Cortese is a very complicated individual.

Cannot believe they would risk everything on Wednesday when Administration will give them breathing space. They have been an absolute joke so far but unless they do a deal with HMRC before Wednesday I am sure they will seek the protection of Administration.

I have a feeling from snippets I have picked up from various sources that the 5 year plan was for public consumption. The real plan linked to substantial bonuses at a very high level was 3 years.

The story going around earlier in the season was that Coppell was Nicola's first choice but on his way to complete terms Coppell called to cancel saying he had promised himself a period away from Management after leaving Reading and was going to stick to that for the present. That would explain him not taking any other job.

Basically he has now come out in public what I was told he was previously saying privately. It is also what a lot of supporters have been saying for a little while now. We are not good enough and part of that has to be down to Manager tactics. Make no mistake, Cortese will fire Pardew if he does not demonstrate an ability to improve our lot by results on the field. Sad that we are talking about the possibility of losing a Manager again when it has been the most enjoyable and fruitful season for years but these guys, or particularly Cortese, mean business.

It is a difficult one but the wide players must be disciplined and not go looking infield for the ball. Stay wide and eventually the midfield will get it.

We are in year 1 and likely to fail, we need to be promoted in year 2 and be in the top 6 of the Championship for year 3. If we do that Pardew will have achieved a lot and I am sure he will then be given a further year as publically those at the top have said 5 years and will not lose face but.............. I am not knocking Pardew (although I have my doubts he is capable enough) as I think he did a great job up to Christmas. He has to move forward now. He was given the money to take us to the next level. He has to produce results. Yesterday he did not get the right result.

That is what I am led to believe from a contact away from the club with good contacts at a high level and from reading between the lines of comments made by Pardew.

This has not come from any contact I have at the club. Those contacts would not be privy to such information

Qick answer, no I would not be suprised. Meat on the bone: Anyone who really thinks this is a 5 year plan are not reading between the lines on what Pardew and some posters are saying. The real plan is 3 years. Anyone who thinks Pardew will be given until next season to prove himself are wrong imo for reasons I will not go into. He is and will be judged on this seasons progress. If he does not demonstrate in the remaining games of the season that we will be odds on for automatic promotion next year he will be gone and I think he knows it.

The real plan is 3 years to reach the Premiership is what I have heard away from SMS but from someone who might have contact with what Cortese is saying privately. Pardew is under immense pressure as he says in the article. His job is very much on the line. Failure to get in the playoffs (now unlikely) or only a couple of points from it will likely bring an end to his involvement. He now has the players he desired (Elliott Ward excepted although, it seems from the article, he tried to screw us on wages) and must have a better second half to the season than the first half. Exeter was not a good start.

No room for a wind turbine. Too many bloody birds