The Bottom Half

[CityFanFromRome]

walmai, I've seen the latest WHU games against Chelsea and Pompey and I was really impressed with Diamanti and Noble, what do you make of those two? Especially Diamanti I'm curious about as he was in a very low table team here in Italy before coming to the Prem so I would have never expected him to be up to it but he seems to have been performing quite well for you so far, am I mistaken?

[Beefymcfc]

I just want Wolves to go down. Any team that throws a game like they did at the swamp doesn't deserve to be in the top tier.

A sound stuffing by us today to send them on their way will make me very happy.

Seconded. I know McCarthy tried to save his players and he won the next game, yet then played a near full squad against Liverpool and got stuffed. Seems more in it to me?

And you know what's nice about seeing the bottom half......................................we're not in it!

[The Man In Blue]

re all the wolves/mccarthy bashing. how many people on here have remarked how hard it is for a team like us, spurs or arsenal to get a result at OT, let alone a promoted team? remember you are playing against 12 men there most of the time. if he had played his full strength team the likelihood is that they would have lost, and probably got someone sent off like they did against liverpool.

i hate to say it but the cunt was being realistic, and he was backed up by winning the next game comfortably. he has no duty at all to anyone but the wolves fans and board, and i reckon the wolves fans would have taken 6 points from the 3 games against spuds, scum and burnleh if you had offered them.

some of you are starting to sound a bit like rafa or alan green ;)

as for relegation, i reckon pompey have too much to do to stay up, i'd be loving it if bulltown went down. but the crowning glory: everton relegated on the last day of the season following a last-minute phil neville OG.

beautiful.

[Beefymcfc]

re all the wolves/mccarthy bashing. how many people on here have remarked how hard it is for a team like us, spurs or arsenal to get a result at OT, let alone a promoted team? remember you are playing against 12 men there most of the time. if he had played his full strength team the likelihood is that they would have lost, and probably got someone sent off like they did against liverpool.

i hate to say it but the cunt was being realistic, and he was backed up by winning the next game comfortably. he has no duty at all to anyone but the wolves fans and board, and i reckon the wolves fans would have taken 6 points from the 3 games against spuds, scum and burnleh if you had offered them.

some of you are starting to sound a bit like rafa or alan green ;)

as for relegation, i reckon pompey have too much to do to stay up, i'd be loving it if bulltown went down. but the crowning glory: everton relegated on the last day of the season following a last-minute phil neville OG.

beautiful.

Mate, we all have our own thoughts on the subject and for me it isn't a McCarthy bashing and it isn't about united either, it is the fact that he basically handed 3 points to another team, making a mockery of the game. His team had just beaten Bolton at home followed up by a very good win at Spurs with a full team. He then gives the points to united and gains a good win against Burnley, followed by a full first team defeat away to Liverpool. So why didn't he do the same against Spurs and the Bindippers who are up at the top? Is he now going to do the same when he comes up against Chelsea and Arsenal or even us as they have only had 2 days rest?

And more importantly, you mention that his only duty is to the fans and the board. Well do you think he was doing his duty to the fans that paid good money to see that game, seeing as the board get in for free?

In my opinion, he did the fans, the league and football in general a disjustice and although I held McCarthy in high regard, and have kept an eye on Wolves over the years (I don't know why, maybe the Keith Curle link), this one incident has got to me and for that I would like to see them relegated.

[Chinners]

I personally think it was wrong but at the end of the day any player in the squad can play which is why McCarthy and Wolves have not heard a word from the FA ... because they've broken no rules.

I'd like to see Sunderland Everton and Notlob go down

[mcfc1632]

Frankly - re McCarthy - I have no understanding why he is not on a charge - I thought there was a requirement to field proper team - it is a very slippery slope if you start allowing teams to essentially choose games to throw

What happens if it is at the end of the season and the same behaviour hands the PL to the scum or Chelsea because a team were saving themselves for a 6 pointer???

Still - strong team at Spurs and Liverpool - my anti scum antennae is quivering with suspicion

[Vhero]

Too hard to say really if I HAD to pick I would say Bolton, Hull and Pompey but only if Pompey get rid of James in January. I picked Bolton because I want them to go down more than anything :p. Would prefer West Ham to go down but can't see that happening.

[The Man In Blue]

And more importantly, you mention that his only duty is to the fans and the board. Well do you think he was doing his duty to the fans that paid good money to see that game, seeing as the board get in for free?

if the three points he got against burnley keep them up i reckon he will have done.

remember a few years ago when we were in their position? would you have taken 6 points from spuds away, scum away and burnleh at home if you were offered before the games?

to be honest i am playing devil's advocate but i can see the pragmatism in what he has done.

[Beefymcfc]

And more importantly, you mention that his only duty is to the fans and the board. Well do you think he was doing his duty to the fans that paid good money to see that game, seeing as the board get in for free?

if the three points he got against burnley keep them up i reckon he will have done.

remember a few years ago when we were in their position? would you have taken 6 points from spuds away, scum away and burnleh at home if you were offered before the games?

to be honest i am playing devil's advocate but i can see the pragmatism in what he has done.

I do understand your points mate, but it just doesn't sit well with me. The strange thing is, the reason he gave for the changes was because his players were not fit enough to play 2 games in 4 days, so let's see what happens today ;-)

[mcfc1632]

Well surely he is resting at least 6?

[CityFanFromRome]

Well surely he is resting at least 6?

At least 8 I'd say, after all they aren't fit to play so often.

[walmai]

walmai, I've seen the latest WHU games against Chelsea and Pompey and I was really impressed with Diamanti and Noble, what do you make of those two? Especially Diamanti I'm curious about as he was in a very low table team here in Italy before coming to the Prem so I would have never expected him to be up to it but he seems to have been performing quite well for you so far, am I mistaken?

Diamanti is a great addition to our squad, the closest we're going to get (or can afford on two levels) by way of a crowd-pleaser. He's got a beauty of a left-foot, but, by same token is very obviously one-footed. He's got a little tendency to look for fouls in his repertoire but can make a pass, set piece, shot or penalty with ease and skill. Glad to have him.

Same also goes for the man in my avatar, as much as his game is obviously different from the Italian's. Nobes is local born, a product of The Academy but also a player who still needs to develop his game before a first team place is his by right (his closest comparison is our best player - Parker - but he's also a good passer in his own right). I suppose in a way, every team has it's Noble. I wouldn't personally sell him for the world, but that's the romantic view (or the cynic might say that no-one would buy him?!)

So, in truth, I am keen on them both. Diamanti's on 5 goals for the season. He's probably one of our success stories so far.

[CityFanFromRome]

Thanks for that walmai, and hopefully the two of them will keep performing well and help lift your team up the table ;)

[MarcusMCFC]

I filled in a predictions table on the BBC at the start of the season - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... efault.stm if you're interested - and I got Bolton, Burnley and Hull going down. I haven't seen anything to change my mind yet, so I'm happy to stick to that. I think people have been too quick to write Portsmouth off - the players they've got are better than any of the teams around them so if they can get themselves sorted off the pitch I think they'll be fine.
Incidentally, I also got Chelsea winning the league, Spurs breaking into the top four and City finishing 7th ... we'll see.

[Beefymcfc]

Incidentally, I also got Chelsea winning the league, Spurs breaking into the top four and City finishing 7th ... we'll see.

7th.........7th.............ARE YOU MAD!!!! ;-)