shurlock

Good call. At Rotherham, right? Done a pretty decent job considering the points deductions. They also seem to have a soft-spot for ex-players.

There's a difference between merely sanctioning transfers and actively headhunting/recommending/identifying players - Lowe strayed close to the latter on a number of occasions. Clearly the line is easy to cross in practise - hence why Cortese is considering a DoF for expert, independent advice. Such a thought would never have crossed Lowe's meglomaniacal mind.

The loons are out in force this morning.

Trying to be constructive, taking a look at Freddie Eastwood is perhaps the only chunk of insight you can fish out of this diarrhea of nonsense and panic.

...yep and of course, the skates firesale.

On the Saints Player, Pards seems to suggest that teams are playing hardball - with the window closing, clubs are waiting and seeing if bigger, rival bids come in while they are reluctant to loan players out in case they can sell them. If so, this has nothing to do with our situation and owes more to general market conditions.

I would like: Davis James Perry Thomas Harding (if Murty injured) Mellis Gillett Schneiderlin Holmes Lallana Lambert With possibly Wotton to come in for Schneiderlin to give us more cover (though its the lesser of two evils) and Saga for Lallana if the free-role isn't working. But i think Pards will go with: Davis James Perry Thomas Harding Thompson Wotton Mellis Lallana Paterson/Saga Lambert

Is the midget - Andy Johnson?

Mellis will close down more than MS and get further forward. MS reminds me of Safri - he likes plenty of possession and can pick a pass. An altogether less energetic player and needs players around him to pass, move and find space. As I said, when Mellis was signalled to come on, we were 1 down and so a more attacking option wasn't completely silly. Btw, Gillett wasn't even on the bench.

As somebody else has said, he didn't disgrace himself - a few nice touches and a one-two which almost saw him through on goal. Don't know what he brought defensively- not many tackles but he was busy closing people down in the disciplined Chelsea way. Would be tempted to start him Tues night.

Nick Hornby's a w**ker -'The natural state of the football fan is bitter disappointment, no matter what the score' a typically pseudo-profound/vacuous statement. The owner can't have it both ways- we packed an incredible 11K into the ground on Tuesday - it was pure and simple expectation, driven by Lambert' signing that accounted for the attendance as it did for the 20K against Millwall. It's almost impossible to have passion from the fans without some inflated expectations and irrational exuberance - to suggest otherwise is Nick Hornby mom and apple pie. You can't have it both ways. At any rate, i don't think its as simple as unrealistic expectations - alot of the reactions/posts seem to reflect fear, wafer-thin confidence which has been repeatedly battered over the past few seasons. Like the players on the pitch when they are under the kosh or have just conceded, its not difficult to understand why some fans still get nervous or think the worst following a setback. Just as the team and the hierarchy require time -as you point out- so do the fans. Overturning this fatalism won't happen overnight. Its second nature and for good reasons.

I agree - Mills would go straight in on the left. Found it odd that Lallana's been played there, though AP switched him to the right in the middle of today's game.

Well said - to be fair, I think its our expectations (aided and abetted by the Lambert factor this week) that have raced ahead not APs. Saying that, its precisely because we have new management that some of us are assuming a complete break with the past while days like today are like groundhog day - hardly surprising given the team is pretty much the same (and new faces at full-back will rarely make or break a team). Still, AP has no baggage or allegiances and his diagnosis of the the squad's weaknesses -lack of pace and power- has been pretty spot on. Certainly, it would be difficult to fault any of his signings so far. And as you say, there's alot of activity going on behind the scenes.

So who would you play instead?

Bit harsh, i reckon. Surprisingly it was JP who got the best out of Lallana with his infamous 4-2-1-2-1 which meant that he was tucked just behind DMG (neither a straight midfielder nor straight centre-forward). I'm not saying we go back to that - christ no!- but with someone like Lambert properly able to lead the line, he could flourish in a more advanced, central position.

Just back from the game and wont reiterate what other fellow travellers have said. Despite the result, my concerns last week were vindicated by today's performance and an AWOL midfield without any natural width. Just a few points: 1. The substitutions made sense - we were in the process of bringing on Mellis and Thompson when Lambert scored - so the substitutions werent provoked by the goal per se. Mellis for Schneiderlin was one creative midfielder for another; Thompson for James was meant to add some width and pace. 2. Like an old racehorse, Perry's shot. Is a great reader of the game but because pace is an issue he backs off and off, resorting instead to last chance saloon lunges and clearances. This lack of composure just invites pressure. It also makes it really difficult to build anything from the back. More generally, why can't a defender or defensive midfield take f**kin responsibility and bring the ball forward a few yards rather than get rid of it like a hot potato. Thought Harding did it to good effect on Tuesday - forces the opposition out of position, making it easier to find others in space. Elementary stuff. 3. Why not try Lallana upfront with Lambert? Lallana works best when he's playing off someone, when he can pick up a loose ball around the box, spot a runner and thread a ball, not when's he isolated on the left or right in the middle of his own half. 4. I do have time for Schneiderlin - he hit the ball of the day finding Lallana on the edge of their area from just over the halfway line. But he needs the ball played on the floor to him to do damage and runners breaking from midfield. Wotton is not only deadwood but also upsets Schneiderlin's natural game. Anybody CM will have the same problem with Wotton about. 5. James now thinks like a RB and consequently drops way too deep (granted he can deliver a nice ball time to time). Makes it very difficult for Murty to develop an effective partnership.

snap:)

Presumably wasnt announced until now because we were still seeking confirmation from the league that Mellis would be eligible for tomorrow's game.

Leicester relied a good number of loans last season, esp jack hobbs from liverpool. Guess scouting knowledge and networks are especially important with unproven youngsters- one reason why last year was such a farce. I wonder where we would play the lad. As cover? or to start? If so, in the middle instead of Wotton? Or on the right instead of James? Simply because pards is banging on about experience, I reckon the latter.

Glad Im not alone in thinking that Watford fans rank amongst the worst in the country.

If we lose raza, we'll definitely replace - if he's not happy with 3 CBs, no reason why he should be any more happy with 3 forwards. Cant see us getting less than 500K for raza and as Pards refreshingly said since we're no longer in the business of replacing good players with ****e, it'll be a challenge to bring in comparable quality . In theory, we still havent replaced DMG, BWP, Stern, Euell -Lambo is as far as we've got. Hard to see what options if we currently have on the bench to change a game let alone have someone step in if there's an injury.

To be fair, he came on after Millwall equalised and were threatening to run riot. Quite hard to impose yourself on a game under those circumstances.

That makes sense - though hopefully Lambo will give us more presence when defending set pieces. It was quite interesting how on Tues -despite being at home and against L2 opposition- we had everyone back in the box for set-pieces and nobody ready for a possible break.

Heard he was injured but was same old terrier self when he came on against Millwall. Experience must count for alot if it compensates for the rest of Wotton's play. Certainly one reason why the Racon rumours might be a bit off - would suggest Pards favours a more seasoned player to fill that position which is fair enough.

Was tipped to be a key player this term yet hasn't started a competitive game. Does Pards rate him or think that with Schneiderlin's good form, Wotton is more complementary in the middle. Can't believe that pound for pound Pards seriously thinks Wotton is better than Gillett. And why wouldnt Schneiderlin and Gillett work - Gillett talks less but arguably provides more energy an power? Or is this all just a stopgap as the cavalry and new signings are on their way? Early days but it is a puzzle.