shurlock

I went to the game and then watched a recording of the match after getting home. Heard f**k all at the ground but picked them q.clearly up on TV. Playing in a massive, unfinished stadiium can't help - like giving somebody who's just got his license a powerful motor. They just can't handle it. Our support wasn't fantastic - partly the lack of banter (the Schneiderlin sending off at least provoked some of us into life) but me personally it was the JPT and there's another leg to go.

Can't see there's much pressure before Saturday given anyone coming in is likely to be cup-tied.

I agree - he's been used in a more advanced position before, not least under the Dutch experiment but typically as a stopgap coz of injuries with him soon reverting to a deeper position. Possibly there's a reluctance to play him there because he doesn't get goals or look dangerous enough around the box but he certainly links up the play well and showed yesterday he's got some pace. In terms of his general football development and education, there's still uncertainty as to what kind of footballer he should be - hence the criticism that notwithstanding his talent he's neither fish nor fowl, he doesn't totally attack, he doesn't totally defend. Somebody needs to provide him with some guidance and get him to focus on one particular role which he can master over time if he's not to go off the boil. Personally I would push him to get forward more like fabregas has learnt.

It was the same kid who took the mick against Norwich and several games before. Exuberance my a**. For what its worth, he now has two Papa shirts. Just a shame the steward did come down harder on his (older) mate - you could see he was sorely tempted to. The fat freaky bast*rd who took his shirt off and danced around, however, was funny.

Ok performance - everything you would expect from us. MK Dons couldn't deal with the hoofball -is that what we've become?- but many teams can - as Colchester, Millwall and Leeds have recently shown. Their midfield was too lightweight and allowed us to dictate play, especially in the first half. Can't fault our commitment - Antonio was everywhere (looks especially good when he takes a more central position) and Wotton proved his critics wrong (me included). Only Lallana looked really off the pace but if you believe reports he was playing with an injury. But still have question marks over our quality not least ability to retain possession which was called for in the 2nd half. Lets enjoy the JPT - anything else for now looks just a little far off.

Pards in his SaintsPlayer interview says any news/information about Stock has come from the Doncaster end not from Saints. Read into it what you will...

Its mentioned on the other thread that Colchester aren't pursuing their interest in Nobby Solano. Class player - whether he still has the legs is another matter. If he doesn't make a return to newcastle, would be worth a look a la Connolly.

+1. class is permanent (not like boothroyd would know). As to fitness, you can only take a look....

I thought he was Jason Statham's camp little brother and Jason Statham is in denial.

F**king Virgin and BBC london, who gives a monkeys about QPR...

Coz the instinct/reaction of our midfielders is to get a nosebleed if they're too high up in the pitch while Lallana was dropping deep to link up with Holmes. Pards must have said something at HT. At one point in the 2nd half, Holmes crossed with James and Schneiderlin around the 6 yard box - amusing that they were so far foward- almost as amusing as the botched header.

7-1 odds are still long. Pompey have got 11/4 to stay up

Correct that we've spent £3m - your estimates are reasonable enough. But Glasgow was implying that with a £3m squad (no other club has not been promoted with such investment) we should be challenging for the playoffs or getting promoted. That's not the case if our squad has only been recently assembled i.e. FOnte and Seabourne. A full season with a multimllion pound squad would be a different proposition.

Fonte and Seaborne have just joined - moronic to say that Pards has had a multimillion pound squad at his disposal week-in week-out.

Got your history totally back to front. We had zero chance at the start of the season (even taking into the account the minus 10). We had he dregs of a relegated squad (did you go to Huddersfield?) which was not improved over the summer and the barebones of a management and scouting structure (as folklore goes we had no reports on Swindon)- for reasons everybody knows. We strengthened only after the season had begun and it took time for players to gel. Others -Jaidi, Connolly, Waigo and Antonio- joined even later on. Early results reflected this belated rebuilding process, even though we were difficult to beat (too many draws and too few goals). As things clicked, results picked up - yes playoff form but hardly plausible to talk about playoffs in October/November. Some good times even if some got ahead of themselves. I think we went off the boil at the start of November - around the time of the Brighton match. Results flattered after then and form is now catching up with us. Again we've spent in this transfer window (not the start of the season as you imply). Again it will take to time bed everyone in -so its somewhat disingenious and simplistic to talk about spunking £3m. Maybe Im giving L1 too much respect (but possibly not the higher echelons) but £3m is small change considering what is needed to repair the damage of repeated firesales of the past few seasons.

Davis James Fonte Thomas Harding Lallana Morgan Wotton Holmes Lambert Waigo Bearing in mind injuries and cup-ties. Would like to see Gobern given a run at CM at some point. Looked quite lively the few times he's played there.

Yes Antonio looked good when he came on but only because the teams were tiring, the game was being stretched and they were holding a high line as they pushed for a winner. Otherwise he's looked poor recently. If anything, he's a better centre-forward- at least, he can keep it simple and get his head down and run, esp from knockdowns and bit and pieces whereas coming from RM, sometimes, he struggles with the technical aspects, the need to check back, pass and link up with other players (Papa would seem to have that ability). James is not a RM but you along with others think he was the difference at places like Walsall and Hartlepool where he started there. Of course, Waigo and Antonio have played together - they did against Luton where Waigo played on the left but it didn't work. Pace wasn't the issue. The problem was the midfield and Hammond and Schneiderlin who stayed too deep. They were happy to play infront of the opposition and not move behind them. That made it harder to release either Papa or Antonio.

Largely yes - my question would be - can we truely successful with Hammond and Schneiderlin in the centre of midfield - after all, they're individually the best we've got but do they work as a pair? Possibly yes in a 4-3-3/4-5-1 but a harder call in a 4-4-2.

Watching a different game, no doubt your one had a bit more prejudice in it- Otsemobor didn't have a bad game - he was certainly better than Seaborne though neither was close to Fonte in quality. Would rather see him for myself before writing him off. October 2010 - get real.

We never looked like controlling the middle of the park - Wotton is partially responsible for that. James did what he does at RB - too many chipped balls over the top, too eager to release the ball from deep - i only counted one through ball which required Lambert to bend his run and get beyond the intervening defender and run away from goal. He never had a chance of meeting it. I wouldnt call them killer balls.

Talking specifically about Waigo Hammond Lallana Holmes. As i've said elsewhere, I think we've flattered to deceive over the past few months. Ever since Leyton O. Thought our performances would eventually catch up with our results. Nothing catastrophic -L1 is too sh*t for that- but more draws, fewer results against the bigger terms -certainly enough to make the playoffs an improbable target.

Problem is that we lack both combativeness and creativity in midfield. your line-up def gives us creativity (and pace) but it looks a bit lightweight.

Thought Fonte was the best of the three - bit cynical in his holding which the ref picked up on in the 2nd half. Would like to have seen more of his reputed distribution tho. Seaborne had a very poor game- the difference between the FOnte and Seaborne was best captured in the 2nd half when both charged up for a header, leaving their forward free to break into the box. The ball dropped to the winger but Fonte was able to recover, turn back and snuff out the cross. Thought Jon had a good game - showed good concentration. Tidy in possession. Think he would link well with a more attacking RM who likes the ball played to feet.

As I've said on the other threads - thought he showed alot of promise. interchanged well with harding and lallana, was sharp and composed in possession and delivered a few sweet crosses more or less from the byline. He was sometimes a bit too eager to cut inside and there was a general lack of support around him but these were only minor points.

But not because we drew -or dropped points as you put- but the manner it happened. that's a different point.