Village Saint

I feel there are some strange attitudes towards Pompey. It can only be good for Hampshire football to keep them going and we should play our bit. Clearly they still have major major debt issues and a corrupt owner. Without significant investment they will probably be gone by the end of this season and I think we are honour bound to intervene. In a spirit of support for them I would like to see Saints buy Pompey (we can easily afford it) as long as the Football League will allow us to use them as a nursery club - say playing in League 2 or the Blue Square. It would be a nice gesture and would ensure that they kept going; so presumably we would also get the undieing appreciation of their fans.

Sadly a very good reason to not have one on the board. Definitely the right team selection. Shame we didn't get through so we could see these lads tested against a Prem side.

After these victories we had I believe the best record of all sides against United in the top division, although we have been overtaken since. My memory plays me false these days but I believe that at one time we beat them in 5 successive games but of course even better than the 6-2 was going to Old Trafford and caning them 4-1 (Davies 4).

My 50 quid at 20-1 before the season started is already looking more like an investment than a gamble! I take what everyone says about not getting too cocky but I am sure that under Adkins the players aren't and I dont think that us getting over-confident actually affects what happens on the pitch.

Interesting memory lapse.That win (which I thought was 4-0) was the first of the season wasn't it?

If we were interested in goal scorers why would we be interested in James Beattie? Apart from two great seasons with us the biggest problem in his career (apart from perhaps his girth, oh and his billy big ******** attitude) was that he has consistently failed to score goals which, for a centre-forward, is a little bit of a disadvantage. Lets just enjoy the memories of his heyday and move on.

Of course he would be on the bench. Before Friday we had 4 players who had score more league goals this season including the best player by a LONG way in this division. CMS is a good player but not one we needed for the starting line-up and at 5m was not a bargain. Quite why people are obsessing about this I have no idea. Rather than worry about this, have a look at the league table or even better why not get along to St Marys and watch the team. You will find that they are playing some quite nice football!

I can't see Nigel leaving us for a club with smaller ambitions like Everton - unless we sack him!

An excellent, intelligent and well-argued response and good to see that they have abandoned the wholly reprehensible procedure of holdback. More intelligent policing like this and they will actually be in danger of winning people's respect back.

Sadly you are the deluded one as Lambert and Connolly have already shown that they will score goals at this level in spades - not actually a great surprise - and that it will produce results against good sides. More to the point ambition is about wanting to win not just about splashing money around. We have a team that works and we need to be careful about who comes in. They need to complement what we have as players and as people. Only one of the many who have been touted by their agents matched up to those needs and their current employer asked for a ridiculous price. We do need back-up to cover injuries it is true but not for 6 million. I don't think signing that striker immediately is currently that crucial but there will be more than a few Premier League youngsters available for loan either now or later if we have injury problems, understanding of having to wait their chance and yet anxious to impress. I would certainly rather get one of those then some of the journeymen and faded stars who have been talked about here

I am shocked if this is true. I would have seen Sam as more into character than this. Bentley is one of the most over-rated players on the planet - mainly by himself. Still good to see West Ham have wasted money which surely can only be to our advantage? Only one of the many rumours of any interest to us and that is J Rod. Lets hope our hard(ish) ball over the fee pays off.

Please show me the documentary evidence that so many of you appear to have about exactly what transfer business we have or have not done over centre-backs. You should beware of listening to the talk put about by agents trying to screw clubs over and journalists who have to write something despite also have no clear idea of what has gone on. As it happens I am very happy over how we have conducted our interest in a centre-back and am particularly pleased we have not signed either of the two players about which there has been most speculation. You should all raise your sights a little. As with Billy Sharpe we can do much better with the money we have available and if we cant get who we actually want we shouldn't spend the money. BTW I agree with Dalek2003's prediction of 17th. It is exactly where I expect us to finish in 2011-2012 in The Premier Division. I assume that is what he meant.

He obviously knows a lot about him. This would be a huge backwards step. Surely we aren't in the market for never quite weres who are now has beens if you see what I mean. If we do sign people they need to be significantly better than what we already have and also ready to play in the Premier next season. If Adkins judges that he meets those criteria all well and good but I doubt it. We can do MUCH better.

They are stanchions and no the ball didn't hit one of them.

Not at all. Some players - like Puncheon for example - are just arsey. They have no sense of their own limitations or waht it means to work in a team. If Everton really want to get rid of Beckford (and actually I rather doubt that) it suggests even Moyes a great manger of people has had enough of him. Not for us I hope.

This good job he could dop for us. As far as I know we have enough turnstile operators and the ticket office seems well enough staffed. I cant think of any others that he would now be able to help us with

Complete ******** I am afraid. For example, we played Hartlepool away last year in midweek (further than Barnsley) and got an excellent turn out. Ditto Rochdale and I am sure several others. Its August; people are on holiday; and maybe even the recession. Try to make your judgements based on a sample of more than one game.

Not normally a big fan but MoM on Saturday.

Absolutely correct in every respect. Cant see it being popular with the numpties though. Expect a flood of "Seabourne is a Div 1 player" etc.

Indeed in the second half of the season wasn't it also better than QPR's?

24. 24. He has hardly started as a goalkeeper ffs.

The last time we were in the Championship Kelvin was one of the best keepers in it. He was also excellent throughout last season. Of course he is not perfect and yes amazingly enough he does make errors but that's why he isn't playing at a higher level. Its hardly rocket science.

He has never played in England. I think you are confusing him with Daniel de Ridder. If Steve's quoted stats are correct he has a fantastic goalscoring record, whereas Danny was an overpaid poser.

This is an absurd statement frankly. No-one can say how any particular team will do before a ball is kicked. These sides ought to be good on paper but on grass? As it happens one of these sides is riven with internal tensions and has an interfering chairman who knows nothing about football. I remember a certain team coming down from the Premier about whom it was said that they were far too good for the Championship and would walk the league. But they were riven with internal tensions and had an interfering chairman who knew nothing about football and three years later they were in League 1 with a 10 point penalty. The other side you mention is managed by someone whose recent record is poor and who believes in throwing money at the team rather than thinking about what makes for good team dynamics. My prediction (and it is only that and you can throw it back at me when I am wrong) is that Saints will be closer than either of these clubs to automatic promotion. I also suspect that we will do this with only two more additions to the squad before the season starts - a centre-half in the prime of his career and a promising, quick young forward with clear Championship credentials.