Nordic Saint

Until we get a new goalkeeper, it looks like it's going to be about outscoring the opposition, 3-2 or 4-3, but to do that we need a new striker. On a more positive note, the transfer window's not closed yet and Brereton-Diaz looks like he's got a few goals in him so maybe he'll score today. Then, if Dibling comes on as a sub, he could score another one. So, then the result would depend on how many shots on target Newcastle get. If we can keep them down to 2 or 3, we just might get a 2-2 draw; probably not though. Later in this thread, I'm expecting the inevitable, "Oh no, McCarthy" and "passing around at the back again."

You could hardly call Archer a striker. He's only scored 4 goals in 39 Premier League games.

He could be the 4 goal a season striker we've been waiting for.

Good news as that might have been, it never would have happened. No other club would take him. Look at how difficult Reading found it to get rid of him. About the only place where he found his level as a first choice goalkeeper was Yeovil and they couldn't afford his wages now, so we'd still have to pay most of them: Alex McCarthy's career before he ended up here: Senior career Years Team Apps 2007–2014 Reading 70 2007 → Woking (loan) 1 2008 → Cambridge United (loan) 1 2008 → Team Bath (loan) 2 2009 → Aldershot Town (loan) 4 2009–2010 → Yeovil Town (loan) 44 2010 → Brentford (loan) 3 2011–2012 → Leeds United (loan) 6 2012 → Ipswich Town (loan) 10 2014–2015 Queens Park Rangers 3 2015–2016 Crystal Palace 7

We just have to find the right heart surgeon.

They said he had 'external people' working on him, but I didn't realize they were on another planet.

And by just 302 votes Only one single football league club now exists in a Conservative constituency following the 2024 general election results | FourFourTwo

I've been reading Dave Roberts' books, including his wonderful The Bromley Boys, so I was pleased to see that Bromley FC, founded in 1892, played the first Football League game in their long history yesterday and won it 2-0. It's just a shame that Dave Roberts wasn't still alive to see it. The Bromley Boys: The True Story of Supporting the Worst Football Team in Britain "In the late 1960s, in the warm glow of England winning the World Cup, Dave Roberts, like most teenage boys his age, was football mad. There was just one difference: rather than supporting the likes of Arsenal or Manchester United, Dave’s team of choice was the ever so slightly less glamorous Bromley FC" Dave Roberts: Remembering a Bromley legend - Ronin Marketing

That No.6, the Nigerian, Christantus Uche, was the most prolific diver and moaner I've ever seen at St Mary's, and there have been a few. He should have received several yellow cards for simulation and several more for constantly complaining to the referee about non-existent fouls. It's a pity the new Premier League rule that only the captain can speak to the referee wasn't enforced or half the Getafe team would have been sent off, with Uche leading the way. It was hilarious watching Getafe players dive, anticipating a Saints player making contact, when the nearest Saints player was more than a yard away from them. They'd lie down, holding their leg for a while and then realize that everybody else was getting on with the game, and shamefacedly, get up, except for Uche, who would still go and complain to the ref.

In fact, it's how they got their nickname. Their traditional colours were Pompadour Pink, which was abbreviated to Pompey. But, they weren't the first organisation in Portsmouth to get this nickname. The 56th (West Essex) Regiment of Foot, who were at one time stationed in Portsmouth, had Pompadour Pink facings on their uniforms, so they were nicknamed the Pompadours and then the Saucy Pompeys before PFC adopted the colour and nickname. PS Modern Pompey fans prefer people not to know the real origin of their nickname so they've invented all sorts of legends, including one about heroic soldiers from Portsmouth climbing Pompey's Pillar in Egypt, all of which are, of course, bullsh!t. Regimental Nicknames (old-merseytimes.co.uk)

The demonstration and counter-demonstration will certainly go ahead. The only question is whether tonight's game will. Surely, no police will be available for it, but, as it's a friendly, maybe they feel that none are necessary. It would be good if the Club made an official statement well before we travel in. There will be some disruption to travel plans too. My usual car park in SO15 will probably be off limits, with police cordons and road closures.

But is he as good as Dibling?

Put Dibling and Amo-Ameyaw on together and we'll have a real attacking threat. We've only looked exciting in this pre-season when Dibling and Amo-Ameyaw have been on the pitch together.

He is very good: one of the few in the squad who is truly a Premier League class player. He should be our regular set piece taker, as he is better at them than any of the others.

They'd have been relegated by now if they'd had our goalkeepers, and we'd probably be in their position if we'd had theirs. They got Neto on a free while we paid £12 million for Bazunu. Neto made almost twice as many saves per season as Bazunu. Most Saves - Premier League Goalkeeper Stats

It's a pity we can't start with Dibling and Amo-Ameyaw instead of Aribo and Smallbone, but you are probably right.

Would you have turned down a free ticket for the best seat in the house for the play-off final?

If we don't get a new goalkeeper before the start of the season, we're not getting those 39 points. I remember the last Premier League season we had with Bazunu and McCarthy as our goalkeepers, and our outfield squad was probably better then. We got 25 points and the only points we picked up in our last 12 games were from two 3-3 draws and a 4-4 draw. All the stats, including number of shots at our goal on target and percentage of shots saved, showed that our defence, who got a lot of the blame, weren't doing a bad job, but our goalkeepers were, by far, the worst in the league. So, surely, going into a new Premier League season two years later with those same goalkeepers is sheer stupidity. And that's not sh!tting the bed; it's common sense.

We can only hope that's not true because if it is, we're f---ed.

Surely, not everyone at the club can be that blind and stupid? What's the point spending all this money on outfield players when with McCarthy in goal we're going down anyway. As Clough used to say, the goalkeeper is the most important player in the team.

So must Pompey fans after losing 0-4 at home to Wycombe and drawing 1-1 with MK Dons.

Looks like we've found a set piece taker to replace JWP. Sugawara is turning out to be a very good addition to our squad.

McCarthy looked like an arthritic old man trying to jump. I think we've got so used to having bad goalkeepers that we forget how many shots like this good goalkeepers can save.

I'm currently reading Harry Pearson's Far Corner and it's the funniest book about football I've ever read. "We went up and stayed with my parents and drove all over the North East looking for a house to rent. Catherine is from Hertfordshire, so as we meandered across the region I pointed out local sites of historical interest: "Tow Law (Chris Waddle played there), Langley Park (home village of Bobby Robson), Blyth ( made it to the fifth round of the FA Cup), Billingham (where Gary Pallister got started)... Often after five or six hours of this Catherine was so overcome with emotion she would burst into tears..."

The team that played the first 60 minutes looked a lot better than the team that played the final 30, mainly because of Dibling and Amo-Ameyaw. Those two made the game worth watching.