derry

The thing that ****es me off most about JWP is him going on the media to tell us what we have to do to become a better team. He has absolutely no self awareness hence despite endless opportunities has failed to improve since his debut.

Anybody that took a look at Vestergaard, Elyanoussi, Hoedt, Carillo (pressure from Pellegrino) etc. and didn't walk away needs sacking. That together with any player that lacks the pace and football brain to compete in the Premier League. We really are a team with too many slow players, we need to put that right.

A disturbing article in today's Echo. We are working on trying to improve our goals scored coached by set piece coach Dave Watson allied to Hasenhuttl's endorsement of the JWP expertise at dead ball situations. If that's their approach they are ****ing idiots, believing in a myth that has produced one penalty goal combined with pedestrian performances littered with mistakes and lacking any awareness. If JWP is the answer, God knows what the question is. We are in deeper mire than was first thought. More of the same is relegation form.

Alfie Jones our U23 Centre Back, converted into midfielder at Gillingham, scored and was in the Div one team of the week. CHDAJFU after Christmas.

I agree with most of this especially the inability of PEH and JWP to run with the ball, even beat an opponent, make runs beyond the strikers, and shoot hard on target, either side of the goal not straight at the goalkeeper, and certainly not into the back of the stand. Along with the back four the three midfielders have been brain washed into aimless short passing going nowhere as a first and only thought. Well they have been found out and opponents are closing down and pinching the ball regularly and it will get worse unless we change tack. Against Chelsea without really attempting any astute passes JWP had a 76% accuracy rate. that means he gave away one in four passes attempted. WTF is he doing in the team.

Firstly No. Secondly we are paying so much in salaries to players in and out of the club that any we wanted to keep would have to be disposed of. Without the Tv money we are going to go down the pan, it's bad enough now with it. Our buying has been appalling. That together with high wages and long contracts mean we have to stay in the Premier League to survive long enough to see all the dross gone and rebuild.

Yes and another thing is our obligatory throwins, wait for the full back to make his way up, the opponents know whats's next, a couple show and eventually the throw happens and is passed back to the thrower. Of course it all went wrong yesterday Valery burst through to the bye line, a first and put Ings in for the goal. First to the ball should take it quickly and other players should get close to take the ball. We then have movement and momentum, not three involved and seven others stood on their heels spectating.

Yesterday was a disgrace. JWP is a ****ing myth. there is no substance to the lad. What summed him up for me was defending in the left back position he got a knockdown and played a three yard sideways tap to the nearest red shirt already closed down by opponents. He is a ****ing idiot in football terms. Backwards, sideways, defends like Steven Davis, waves his arms, good at that, otherwise the only doubt yesterday was how high up the Chapel his mythical delivery was going to be. I havent even mentioned his lack of strength and pace. PEH seems to have lost his way. As somebody said previously he was standing around in space in the second half. Early in the first half we were attacking well down the left in the last third when he received the ball and played a forty yard ball back to a centre back. The midfield is dire. Romeu does his job well but the other two are a liability. If Hojbjerg played as a pair with Romeu it might work but in my opinion JWP is a waste of space. Time to give Armstrong a go as an alternative. Danso allegedly has pace, sooner or later we are going to have to give him a go. Maybe in place of PEH, (unlikely as he is the Captain) Ings is good at what he does but again is not the quickest so needs to be combined with a centre forward with pace. Boufal has looked lively but his end product is still lacking. Maybe 4-4-2 (we've tried everything and everybody else) With Armstrong/Boufal- Hojbjerg/Danso/ possibly give Slattery a go- Romeu -Redmond as a midfield and try Djenepo/Adams and Ings 10/9 We have to do something about the lack of pace from midfield together with the obsession within the defence and midfield playing multiple passes sideways and backwards eventually dropping the goalkeeper in it forcing a hurried clearance. Yoshida is one of the biggest culprits. We need to be much more proactive attack wise. Yesterday halftime 3-1 down we needed to take off JWP and put possibly Boufal on then on the hour if we weren't back in the game stck another attacker on or even two and go for it. We didn't made the safe like for like changes, took the wrong players off and lost 4-1 (that worked) I don't buy the JWP hype, or the PEH is a midfield playmaker. JWP gave the ball away in the Chelsea half for the first goal. Failed to get close, stood off, Mason Mount for the second and Stood off Mount again before the chip to Alonso for the third. PEH was nowhere for any of the goals except for deflecting the third past Gunn. Ralph needs to get a grip and do some radical thinking. More of the same isn't good enough or playing square pegs in round holes, Djenepo at left back. Bertrand is our best left back. I suspect his present problem is in front of him and isn't being sorted. Ralph needs to get it right and chuck his ego down the pan. Even if players faces don't fit if them playing gives us a proper blend then do it. We have no blend, that is obvious. The most important thing in any team game is that the sum of the parts provides a real team not a collection of individuals playing their own game.

This is a game that we should get something out of. Personally I think Gunn isn't showing the form he had last year, maybe time for McCarthy to have another go. Ralph this season is proving that he isn't the genius we were led to believe. The defence selection against Bournemouth, the omitting of a fit Bertrand for Djenepo, the persisting with cart horse Vestergaard, and in most games square pegs in round holes. We loaned Danso as a first team center back given his appearances for Austria. Yoshida and Bednarek are probably our best pairing, Valery and Bertrand making up a back four. Up front Ings is scoring, pair him with Adams who works hard. The midfield is a conundrum, far too much sideways and backwards and nowhere near enough positive attacking intent. I can't see beyond Romeu, Hojbjerg as a central pairing but personally I'd play Redmond and Boufal and leave the pedestrian, negative passer and alleged dead ball genius on the bench. In the absence of Djenepo this looks to me as the best we can do. Something we have failed to do for years is regularly take headed chances in the box. Yoshida especially. Until we head the ball down and give the keeper a lot less chance of saving or heading over we will continue to squander these chances.

I don't know if it was mentioned above but the single engine on Sala's aircraft was only separated from the cockpit/cabin by a bulkhead. the aircraft was over thirty years old and presumable the bulkhead wouldn't prevent any faulty exhaust fumes from entering the cabin. This may have incapacitated or caused the disorientation of the pilot. I haven't read any report but would expect a faulty exhaust on a single engine aircraft to put fumes into the cabin.

This was Payne Stewart. A friend of mine, who lives in Hedge End, a very experienced airline captain, working for the airline I worked for, was positioned with a First Officer from Orlando to Puerto Vallarta on the West coast of Mexico a couple of weeks before the aiircraft crashed. Just after the crash I was talking to him and was gobsmacked that not only had there been no emergency briefing he had no idea where the passenger emergency oxygen masks were kept. I won't enlarge on what I said to him but it wasn't pretty. Another accident waiting to happen. Some years ago a King Air was being tested at high altitude over the West of England, the pilots for whatever reason weren't on oxygen and became incapacitated. The aircraft was I believe in a gentle turn holding it's altitude on autopilot. The aircraft was depressurised, the crew possibly dead, the aircraft circled drifting South until as far as I can remember ran out of fuel and crashed in the Bay of Biscay. With both of these aircraft the Air Force formated on them with a view to shooting them down if their track threatened a populated area.

Good job you weren't there. The chances to pass forward to open players were numerous but the ball was always passed to the player almost level. JWP is bloody hopeless. He is too slow, too weak, always opts for the sideways or backwards and finds it impossible to beat a man just turns back. We need more pace in midfield and a willingness to make early runs into the box. JWP seems to find it impossible to direct a moving ball. We were conned by Eddie Howe and RH contributed to that with the rediculous team selection. Bournemouth were in damage limitation mode, win the ball and break quickly and try and get at our ponderous unbalanced defence. I'd like to meet the idiot that finally decided Vestergaard was the answer, We'd have loved playing against somebody so slow. Time to rethink. We've got a few forwards, Armstrong into midfield, get rid of the slow players such as Vestergaard and JWP, bring in Yoshida or try Danso alongside Bednarek and give Gunn a kick up the backside. Huddersfield's equaliser was a similar brainfart last season. Pick a balanced side and stop experimenting. Valery/Soares at right back and Bertrand on the left. Hojbjerg strikes me as a bit thick as his play looks like he has learnt nothing during his time at Munich.

A great man for Saints. What he did to keep us going was simply magnificent. At that time I was at a number of meetings, at one Mary Corbett told us that they were out of money. But Leon still kept us going. I believe he was so desperate to save us that he provided the half million to buy the due diligence time for the group that ML was supporting. Without realising it he delayed Marcus taking us over. I'm not sure he ever got that money back. There are countless stories where he helped people in desperate circumstances. One out there this week where he topped up an appeal for a young lad needing treatment giving £30,000 to make it up to £50,000. He will be long remembered for his kindness and charity. RIP Leon.

Tommy Traynor, Bill Ellerington, Alf Ramsey RB but played LB as Ellerington was playing RB so I'm told, Stuart Williams.

With due respect we haven't even been in the same league as Portsmouth for 81 years out of the last 92. In recent times since England won the world cup we have only been in the same league for 6 years. This so called rivalry has little to do with the teams playing each other more to do with the hype generated by some of the fans and the media. In the last hundred years we have only lost 9 matches out of 38. Again with due respect a great season is finishing high in the Premier League not beating a third rate middle table division one side in a meaningless cup that we use to give games to squad members. Since 1960 I've been to a fair few of the 27 games versus Portsmouth mostly when we were in the same league like winning 5-2 at Fratton in our promotion year,including most won by us including the 1984 cup win. I'll watch it on TV.

I went to Springhill school in 1947 opposite the Dell and supported them ever since. I really don't give a stuff about Portsmouth. I think I've lived in Southampton longer than almost anyone on this site. No tourist.

I really don't get the excitement playing a pretty average division one team. Over the last sixty five years we have hardly ever been in the same division for very long. when we have played them we have pretty much come out on top most of the time except for the period approaching our relegation and the cup game at St Mary's when they were too good for us. There never was much of a rivalry in the early years, this has only developed in later years. I see them for what they are, a club that took millions out of creditors pockets, should have been liquidated and really have just staggered along for the last eight years in the lower divisions. They are full of their own inflated importance. If we really wanted to take them down a peg it would be better to ignore them and treat it like a game against any poor opposition. Personally I expect a lot of huffing and puffing and a likely win unless Ralph has second thoughts and avoids risk, in the light of losing Redmond, Djenepo and Obefemi and sticks in most of the surplus to requirements who should still win. Winning in itself won't really mean anything, so what, we beat a mid table division one side, last round we beat a mid table Championship team. Some of the Carabao games are being streamed to ESPN channels in the US. If it's not on Sky we might be on one of those.

I lost count of the times we won the ball, made a couple of passes and promptly gave it away. We aren't Man City and playing it around at the back is getting us into trouble. Valery with a throw inside ball lost, how often did that happen. once it was crying out for a throw into the corner, inside it went, ball lost Liverpool break and nearly score. Liverpool, one of the best sides around had no compunction like other top teams in committing fouls to stop attacks or thumping the ball down the field or out if under pressure. We seem to do the opposite lose the ball in dangerous areas when a hefty clearance was called for. Vestergaard for him had a decent game but he is a glaring hole in the defence because of his slowness in turning and lack of pace together with not being that good in the air. JWP was decent enough but again his lack of pace lets him down. Armstrong was very lively. I'd like to see if we could play more of the pacey players, as many as practically possible. From Armstrong, Redmond, Adams, Djenepo, Danso (reported 21 mph), I can't help thinking that we work on certain aspects but ignore others. Throws, clearing danger rather than passing to players being closed down and most of all in the opponents box head the ball down if possible. Today Adrian saved a header but would have had no chance if the ball was headed into the ground in front of him as he dived.

Just to pick up on a few comments regarding Kevin Danso. By all accounts he is quick, 6' 3" and just 14 stones, he is no seven stone weakling. After watching yet again the cluster**** defending of the imposing figure of Vestergaard demonstrating the turning circle of a super tanker who struggles to jump three inches without a clue how to attack the ball decisively, coupled to the ball watching of Stephens we need to leave out and re-educate these two, in the meantime bring back Yoshida and get Danso up to speed as quickly as we can.

I think it was the first goal, Bertrand had the ball out on the left just inside our half, he was then closed down, rather than smash it down the line out of trouble he rolled it past the opponent down the line ten yards to an opponent who then started the move that led to I think the first goal. At Everton two seasons ago he did the same thing and Davies got the equaliser when we desperately needed the points. He is an experienced international full back who has played in a winning Champions League final for Chelsea but he has learned nothing from his stupidity at Everton. His wasn't the mistake that caused the goal but his stupidity just giving the ball away cheaply gave an opponent possession and the chance to mount the attack that ended in our net. Somebody in management needs to give him a verbal kicking. Once in the circumstances of our predicament is unforgiveable, twice is a carelessness that we are supposed from all the publicity to be working hard on. If Bertrand doesn't get this then he needs sorting quickly.

A player that played for himself, loads of cameos, players making runs while Lamina dribbled going nowhere, wouldn't pass, inevitably loses the ball dropping us in it leaving us light at the back. Spent large parts of every game out of the game and virtually invisible. Is nobody thinking why doesn't Hasenhuttl want a show pony in his evolving hard working team. No, neither would I. The sooner we unload him the better. In two years time he will be in the same situation somewhere else.

He had a pretty decent game, covered a lot of ground and for me it has to be noted he was playing alongside a team of back up players as opposed fitting into the first eleven. IMHO he would probably be a decent cover.

The actual flight times were approx. under an hour to AMS, about an hour to DUB, under forty mins to MAN on the Bombardier Q400. Quicker if by chartered Jet. About 20 mins to add either end on ground. Can be longer at AMS and MAN using the southern runway.

From Hasenhuttl's interview on BBC Solent he seems to think they have too much to do to displace those that were playing last season but he's saying he wouldn't say never.

Cedric is an absolute defensive liability because teams in the Premier target his inability to defend against crosses and tall strikers pull onto him to take advantage. He cost us too many important goals and in any case he was in poor form last season and his crosses hardly ever found a target. Not for me. He is in the same vulnerable category as Stephens and Hoedt. Valery is the future, the more he plays the better he will become.