Claude_Dreyfus

I would be very suprised if Rafa remained at Liverpool beyond this summer. Serious money looks to be on a potential return to Spain, jumping on that managerial merry-go-round called Real Madrid. I cannot see him going before the end of the season, the damage has been done, but a top-four finish is not out of the question, if now highly unlikely.

After a very dull start, the FA cup seems to have gained some of its romance again...a number of shock results makes it all the more interesting; Leeds - Manu, Liverpool - Reading, Portsmouth - Coventry (that last one was a real suprise). Our 'reward' is a home game to Sunderland...

On another note, I must admit to being suprised at Brian Laws going to Burnley; not necessarily the top of everyone's thoughts when Coyle jumped ship. I don't think it is a bad thing, indeed it can only be good that the first place clubs look is within the British set-up, and I wish them luck (well sort of, see next paragraph).

I will also be interested to see how Bolton get on, although I don't really wish them any luck as they (and Burnley) are certainly within catching distance for Pompey.

I too was suprised where the 5 minutes of second-half added time came from. In no way was there that degree of stoppage, and for SAF to complaint that there should have been more...well! I suppose we all know about the unwritten rule at OT that second half added time should only finish when Man U score the equaliser .

Still, we had a better result than I expected...we drew at home to Coventry

Stop press 3: Portsmouth issued with winding-up order by HMRC (this is so up-to-date I can't even find a link yet).

 

Not sure what the implications are for Pompey, but one fears the dreaded 10-point penalty, at the very least. Bad news indeed.

Not sure if the 10-point deduction is just a football league rule; even so just another nail in the coffin for the club.

I'm sure the club will survive in one form or another - if it does fold then I'd place a pretty good bet that either Havant and Waterlooville or Bournemouth will get a large influx of new fans...I'm sure there's another club a little to the west of us; but we don't like to talk about them...

I am also sure that we will go down this season, and run the risk of going into free-fall. Hopefully those that have wrecked the club through their incompetence over the last year or so will be hurt by this in the only place they have any feeling....the wallet.

I fear it will be many years before we will recover properly...

Play Up Pompey...even if we are going down...

Things are going from bad to worse at the foot of the premiership. Poor performance against West Ham, and Arsenal up next.

Reports are coming out that the players are not going to be paid on time again, and that the ease our financial woes more players will have to be sold... And even then there is a chance our transfer embargo may not be lifted. Adding to the total mismanagement of the club at a boardroom level, good old 'Arry is sniffing round to see who else he can plunder from us; one thing him moving one (that happens all the time, we've got over that), but quite another when he strips the club of all its decent players (not that we have too many); now he is being linked with Belhaj and Begovic.

I see that Paul Hart has taken over as boss at QPR. Lets hope they treat him a little better than we did!

Pompey lost....again

Same old story for Sunderland ...

Yes, sorry about that. I posted in the knowledge of, what I thought was, the inevitable....did not expect an equaliser in the last few seconds. Fair result? Probably not...but in terms of possession we were about even. One that helps either team? Well for us, with Wolves winning, not really...however it means we haven't lost ground on Bolton, which I suppose is a good thing...

Plenty of goals today though (before Villa v. Man U), and of eight games played so far, there were 6 draws, and a total of 22 goals...

Same old story for Pompey...

Apparently Grant has been told we need to sell over January to balance the books.... If we can't win with the squad we already have, how on earth do they expect to fair once our 'best' players are moved on...

Hi,

Where did you see the picture of the pre-production sample, Would love to see a pic of it. Looks like Bachmann Class 47's could be over-running my layout.

Gary in Tas

It wasn't a picture; I was at Gaugemaster on Wednesday and saw the pre-production 'in the flesh'. It's situated in the display cabinets in the entrance lobby...

in regards to the gaugemaster 47406 railriders i was told by them they had been told by Bachmann they set sail from china the last few days of october and guagemaster were hoping to take delivery of them around xmas, cant wait to get mine

Heard the same today. They are expecting them in stock within the next couple of weeks... The preproduction sample looks very impressive, and it looks like the the limited edition certificate is a copy of the old Railriders membership card. If that is the case, that's a nice touch...ah happy memories ...cannot wait to pick mine up...

That's assuming, of course, they have not been grabbed by a load of Somali Pirates on their journey here...

You??™d think I would have remembered that score properly??¦

Anyways, now Paul Hart has parted company with Pompey with the usual guff from the board ??“ results not good enough etc. - demonstrating the usual failure to acknowledge that the only real incompetence in this whole affair is how the club has been chronically mismanaged at a much higher level than Hart. It has been a total joke this season, but in reality this issue started long ago when Gaydamark was splashing the cash for Harry. Hart was left with the bare bones of a squad in terms of quality and had 72 hours to hastily replace that likes of Glenn Johnson, Peter Crouch and Niko Krancjar.

That said we were not helped by performances such as against Hull, Blackburn and Stoke ??“ matches we need to win to survive.

So who next? Avram Grant seems to be the favourite, however last I heard he was still awaiting his work permit; surely we cannot appoint him until this is sorted out? Other names that have been mentioned include Steve Coppell (I??™d be quite happy with that appointment), Alan Curbishley (likewise) and Darren Ferguson. Not too sure about that last one??¦ Sure he is one of the brightest young managers in the game, however when he left Peterborough they were not exactly flying in the CCC.

That said, if the board are indeed resigned to the inevitable, and Ferguson does not mind a relegation in his first season, then he could provide ideal long-term stability??¦

I'm not the only one to have made the wry observation that 7 of those Tottenham goals were scored by players who were at Portsmouth this time last season . Well done to Spurs says he through gritted teeth, however Wigan do not seem to have learned; after all we put 4 past them the other week. I had Wigan down as one of this season's casualties and although they have had some excellent results - Villa, Chelsea - they have also had some stinkers - maddenly inconsistent with some very average players. If they do stay up Martinez would have performed an excellent job.

Incidently that last time 10 goals were scored in a Premiership match?

Pompey vs. Reading, which finished 7-3. There's something about 'arry!

Very few thrills and plenty of frustrations being a Pompey fan at present...

At least we are not completely adrift; two straight wins and were could be out of the bottom three....which essentially means we need to double our current number of league victories!

served in a

with BIG appetites

of small furry

<<<<

'Ace of Spades'

could not fathom

round and round

open front gate

he squeaked loudly

which made him

up into his

thistle chewing goats

home made jam