TRon

Do you believe that Hughton is allowed to identify players ? Are you saying Ashley has employed an expert who is successfully identifying players other than Hughton?

Just watching the highlights of Leeds game where Beckford has again shone with two goals against top quality sides...all Hughton can do is identify the players, after that it's up to Ashley to secure them using his Arsenal blueprint. I don't recall Arsenal losing out on players early then watching other clubs snap them up to watch their values rocket. Something is wrong here.

A true fans perspective, which is why i would always stay well clear of an NUST solution.

Sunderland seem to have been spending big since Roy Keane arrived on the scene and they haven't had any success to show for it. I wonder how that will pan out long term?

Pompey were dying long before the arabs stepped in. They are just continuing the good work.

I would just write this one off and dust ourselves down and get ready for the next one. I don't usually like people bleating about the ref but it's clear the decisions have had a massive bearing on the game.

I agree to a certain extent but I don't think many would allow themselves to work under the same constraints. Then we're probably lucky that we've got Hughton who is at least a football man rather than Llambias's doorman from one of his clubs.

One situation is based on what is actually happening the other situation is hypothetical. It's hypothetical whether anyone else given the same constraints would do any better but we don't have a problem saying that.

Great question but nobody on here is in a position to answer it. Why not? If we can give our opinions on why Hughton is doing such a terrible job, surely it should be easy enough to suggest an alternative?

So who should we get in as manager then under this ownership and working with Ashley's transfer budget?

Again I am going to agree with Pilko. Hughton has got us sat at the top of the table when many here thought we would struggle to finish halfway. The talk is of how he'll get us relegated if we go up as if promotion is a god given right. He's working with one arm tied behind his back in the transfer market to begin with, why not get to the Premier before we start moaning about doing badly when we are there?

I wasn't happy with the team he chose, he set us up to try and stop them instead of having a go at them. We may have lost anyway but I think we would have had a better chance of doing something if we tried to have a go at them for 90 minutes. Mick it's easy to be wise after the event, but if I'm not mistaken you were for picking Lua Lua in the first team. Well he's fucking useless so if that's your answer it's not a very good one.

Major scapegoating. I was happy with the team he chose, and factors beyond his control contrived against him today. We were total shit first half by the sound of things (including comments from those there) and fully deserved to be two goals down. How many people have been bleating about Guthrie getting a game in the middle (myself included)? He finally did and he had a shite first half according to both Supermac and my mate down there on the text. Today, Hughton was the least of our worries. No mention of Pancrate being correctly replaced at the break, funnily enough. Or how he managed to coax a second half showing out of Carroll? Some people (not necessarily you, Dave) are just happy to ignore the things he gets right and ppint the finger at him as soon as thing go tits up. He is far from perfect, but he's our fucking manager right now, and the attitudes of some people are completely cunting mental. Agree with this basically. The players haven't really looked capable of producing good football all season, we've been relying on spirit bullying the opposition. We don't really have any other options at the moment with the squad we've got. Guthrie's been given a go but he's clearly got no heart for it.

Good point tbh. If we are going to lose badly it might as well be in a meaningless cup game just before the transfer window closes. Hopefully Fatty will panic and get a couple of players in.

Supermac reckons he's contributed nothing all game. Nolan has been making runs to the left and right and Carroll hasn't got a clue.

Not being an Ass thats why many in this forum usually complain about certain things with our indepth knowledge. I am glad this one is going to bed from now on. I dont think this proves that central midfield wouldnt work. I think Nolan/Carroll upfront are rubbish outlets unless you're playing long ball. Guthrie has been slated by Supermac for his display, but I take your point, Nolan and Carroll have been woeful outlets.

Disappointing.

We sound well set up here, Kadar sounds comfortable and they aren't dominating the middle anything like last week. Krul has started well too.

Don't know if he's a nice guy or not, but he is usually right, even if his view isn't popular. Although I reckon he was wrong about Beckford

Whatever floats your boat. Either way we've got four midfielders plus Nolan so we aren't relying on his running ( ) so much.

I think the 4-5-1 will help us nullify West Brom's midfield. I fancy us to nick this 2-1. They aren't so good at home.

Cracking line up that. I'm really looking forward to it now.

Ronaldo's pompous assertions are a vital cog in the N-O machine. The Cole fiasco will only add to his legendary status IMO.

If Portsmouth pull the plug on this deal does that mean they've more or less accepted they will be going bankrupt in which case they won't need to pay their creditors?

I just hope we don't end up with khizanishvili coming back on loan. We seem to be making a pigs ear of getting any replacements in so far.