[Devongone]

We seem to have stopped worrying about the opposition, which could be a mistake when facing a front two with combined ages greater than mine (and including The Beast).

A few short weeks ago my only hope going into this fixture would have been that at least the opposition front two wouldn't just out run our centre backs. Now ........ well you've still got to be impressed by a centre forward who can bench-press three London buses and Nicholas Soames, and kick-started his career by going to Lithuania, and then there's Mackail-Smith, who quite often looks rubbish, then slots in a couple of easy chances and you realise lots of forwards habitually miss the chances he eats for breakfast, even if he does sometimes look like the winner of the all-Britain bad-hair-day championships ..........

Somebody on Bob's is not impressed by the fact Wycombe are only averaging two goals a game at home. They don't seem to realise that two goals a game at home is promotion form. Two at home and one away will get you as many we or Burton scored to win it.

It's tough one all right. We've got injuries, a new young keeper, and our current run is now going to be an open secret. But Wycombe do have highs and lows. If they are at their best we'll need a lot of managerial magic even to be in the game. If they are off their game, or our players are right on theirs, who knows? It would take a 5-5 scoreline to surprise me.

[Dancingwilldoit]

German on the bench !!! Are things finally looking up for the lad?

[bluepooch]

Jack wasnt very complimentary of Ricky in his post match interview ,said siomething like he had a chance to make an impact and he didnt take it .
We seem very threadbare at the moment and don't have many options when things aren't going right.I didnt go but it sounds like we were up against a good team who will at least be in the play offs so we can excuse the performance .Next week is important though,we should be expected to get something at Stevenage .
Roll on January .

[Devongone]

Don't think Ricky's appearance was so much a chance as a very wise move to stop Dennis getting sent off, but I'm glad he made the bench. Nine minutes is three times longer than Kevin Hector was given to save the World Cup though.

I don't know what to make of Ricky. Now is the time he has to break through. But I doubt that Jack was in the best mood following that entire performance anyway. Apparently his cat left home for several hours.

I didn't like this stuff on the website with Robbie Weir saying they were never a bottom of the league team, IMO that is a certain way to go back there. They were clearly the worst team in the division and would now be clear at the bottom without Jack Lester. They need to want to keep proving themselves. You can't win by dominating possession, having four efforts on goal and zero on target. But everybody has a bad day at the office.

We have to be at our best to have even a chance at Stevenage. They signed five strikers, one of whom is now out on loan, but any combination of the rest can cause us big trouble. They are inconsistent certainly, but at their best they WILL beat us, so we have to stop them being at their best. We have to do what Port Vale have done. After their good run, which had it continued would have got them into the play-offs, they lost and have also once been hammered, but they have re-grouped. A hard-working draw at Stevenage would be a good result. 22nd place at the end of the season would be a success.

Now the other explanation for Dennis being taken off on Saturday might be that Jack is wondering what would happen if we sold him. We all blithely talk about recruiting in the January window, but look what happened to Gary Caldwell without financial backing. If DA doesn't put in, what kind of players can Jack recruit to take up the contracts we can make available. For instance I keep advocating a trip to Kidderminster to recruit players, and apparently Pompey are about to snap up Joe Ironside their striker, with Mansfield, Cambridge and Fleetwood all in the wings hoping something goes wrong - but he won't be free ........ If they are watching Ironside, they are also seeing Sonupe and Ngwatala who I think might do for us, but although the fee might be small I'm sure Kiddy would want something. If Jack sold Dennis he might be in a position to recruit the 4/5 players Tommy Wright says we need ......... if we recruit the right up-and-coming players from non-league. Non-league clubs in general are cash-poor and don't expect huge fees. If we don't sell Dennis and DA doesn't dive into his back pocket, who do we recruit? Youngsters again? I can see one at Forest I'd like but in our position fighting spirit is as important as skill and youngsters in general have no experience of really competitive games. And if we recruit older players who are being freed-up you have to ask why they are available mid-season and what they will add to our team. It is a difficult one! I'm glad I'm not Jack Lester. (Or his cat!)

[bluepooch]

Latest rumour is that Super Drewy Talbot is coming back .Their news website is saying he is being paid up with 6 months to go on his contract and he is going to sign for us.
31 years old isnt old for a footballer but given the amount of injuries he's had I'm hoping its a short term contract with a view to revisiting it at the end of the season.
One thing is certain ,a fit Drew Talbot would be an asset in this division .

[Devongone]

I like Drew Talbot, like his attitude, but he's struggled both to stay fit and to get anywhere near a game at Pompey - and the players who are getting a game ahead of him aren't that brilliant ............

Mixed feelings! He could be an asset because he's got all the spirit we need and more, but is his body able to keep up these days?

[spireitematt]

I think Drew could still do a job for us and he will bring experience with him and he could mentor the younger players as well.