Well, I was kind of right about Pompey, although that was largely down to their players leaving as opposed to becoming injured. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I'll be having a look for your predictions as well, Philly EDIT: dam, just saw you predicted table... Well out of 44 that isn't too bad - almost half way, in fact. Shocks for this season are Bolton, Everton and Newcastle who I thought would fare considerably different.

Leave Claire alone, you.

to blame lucas for any of those goals is obsurb and you seem to be jumping on the "oh lets blame lucas for everything" band wagon. No, we're are not blaming everything on Neill, just what was his fault. As Trawden Blue says, he was at fault for all three goals, but the first was particularly bad - leaving Toure free at the back post for him to pass it along our six yard box. As if that was bad enough, he did EXACTLY the same thing in the second half! This time there were two Arsenal players there and luckily didn't score. I'm getting just as sick as all the guys complaining about people using Neill as a scapegoat are, because he is not being used as a scapegoat, he is just a liability.

I have to agree with this analysis (apart from the harsh analysis of MGP): 1. Neill and Matteo have become undeserving scapegoats. The lengths that some go to bag them is beyond belief sometimes. 2. Andy Todd was disappointing, and I do believe he intended it to release some frustration. Afterwards he looked very disappointed and I think he knows how much he let the club down. For god sake, everyone who is saying Todd elbowed him deliberately needs to watch the replay again - it was clearly accidental. And Neill was directly responsible for the first goal because he left Toure free at the back post and it was he who passed it accross the six yard box. Dickov was again useless and Stead actually looked quite sharp when he came on. Oh, and Friedel was awesome today. We weren't half bad in the first half but in the second we lost our momentum and I was thinking that Hugehs tactics were extremely suspect, waiting until the 82nd minute to bring on a striker, but look what happened when he did - two Arsenal goals. 1-0 was fair, 2-0 also a pretty fair reflection, but 3-0 was very harsh.

Very good post Bellamy, especially about Thompson.

Hell yes; slow and clumsy, he is not premiership standard and no mater what good attributes he has - such as his strength and heading ability - he is not worth the huge wages we are paying him. By the way, footballing ability aside, I love the guy!

It's strange, at the beginning of the season very few predicted Chelsea would win the league, yet it has appeared a forgone conclusion for most of the season.

It's not quite the same achievement to successfully predict the final league table when there are just seven games left...

I know it isn't really very important nowadays but on several occasions players like Thompson and Neill have been referred to as the comical characters of the team and who keep the dressing room lively. Seems a shame to rid the team of the nicer chracters. Then again, Neill is quite an awful right back.

What we have to consider is that Dickov will most likely be a first team regular again next season. If this is the case then it is a poor reflection on the ambition of this club because he is by no means a top 10, or even top 17, player. What we need to look for is a player that can play alongside Dickov rather than Stead and I do not know anybody who would be able to work well with him. I agree with Ricky that a Stead / Earnshaw partnership would be excellent; youth with experience at premiership level and who compliment each other well. Johansson looked poor at Arsenal and with his contract seemingly not up for renewal, I'd say a left back is very much a priority.

Matteo was actually pretty good in the first half and it came from a miskick from Johansson which resulted in a throw in. An extremely good first half performance and I'd say we were definately the better team. All undone, however, by a moment of brilliance from Cole and a great take and finish from Van Persie.

2-0 Arsenal

M.C Hammer - Can't Touch This.

A return coach ticket is going to cost me £12.60 It's the tickets for the match that I'm worried about. How much am I looking at do you guys reckon?

I've got to admit that I thought De Vries looked a good player - I thought he had great ball control, good first touch and huge presence. Given he did little or nothing today but he was left totally isolated.

He makes it sound as if the penalty was controversial... That was one of the most stone wall penalty's I've ever seen. Conversely, that pull back on Neill was non-existent and certainly not a penalty.

Have to say, the Sky coverage gave me the impression that the Leicester support was excellent and ours was extremely quiet.

Thankyou Hughes for making changes early! Emerton wasn't actually that bad in the time he was on and Stead gave us that extra option. Pedersen did very well to win the penalty and Dickov did exactly what you should do with a penalty - 'kin bury it! Semi finals here we come!

Dickov for Stead, Flitcroft for Johnson, Mokoena for Tugay. Saying that, I don't think Hughes will make any changes and will keep the same formation until atleast the 70th minute.

Not much really. But that opportunity he had at the start of the match was woefully wasted. A poor set up by Hughes against a championship side. Even if we had kept the formation and played Stead we'd have more of a threat. We should be going for this. Instead we're being counter attacked - exactly what the formation should be preventing. Reid and Thompson haven't been bad, but whenever we have posession there is nobody there - either because Dickov has run all the way out of the stadium or because we just do not have anyone up there.

I just do not understand how a team playing 4-5-1 can be counter attacked so damned easily. Oh, and Dickov is just useless.

Next season, from the squad we have at the moment, I would like to see these players remain... GK - Freidel, Enkelman , Yelldell Defence - Neill, Nelsen, Todd, Mokoena, Johansson, McEveley Midfield - Thompson, Emerton, Reid, Savage, Mokoena, Tugay, Pedersen Attack - Stead, Gallagher, Dickov, Johnson This would require a new contract for Johansson, who is an adequate left back and an extension for Tugay who, when played in the correct position, can really influence a game. Perhaps if he were only played at home or in a 4-5-1. In midfield, if Pedersen is out for any period, Emerton could cover on the left. OUT Defence - Gresko, Gray, Short, Amoruso, Matteo Midfield - Douglas, Flitcroft Attack - Bothroyd, Jansen In addition to those players that remain, I would like to see two strikers - one of genuine class - such as Pandiani - and one with real height and strength to throw on in the second half of a match - such as Duncan Ferguson. I would also like to see a versatile defender who could play either right or left back to replace Niell if he is underperforming or to cover Johansson in case of injury.

I've been very bust the last few days so haven't been able to post but this is what I recall of the match... Many have said Stead played poorly before he scored his goal. Contrary to this, I thought he was very lively and made some great off the ball runs but was rarely played through. However, I do agree that after the goal he seemed to have a new lease of life and the confidence to take players on. As i mentioned breifly above, what makes Stead such a good player (in my eyes) is his reading of the game and his ability to make superb off the ball runs into the box with the ability to create space for himself as he did for the goal. If you look at him closely he will always be pointing at space he has created or intends running into, to the player on the ball, but is rarely played through. Playing on his own, or with Dickov, up front prior to this match must have been extremely difficult for him as the team had little or no creativity and no players in midfield with the confidence to run at the opposition. With all respect to Dickov, he is an extremely difficult player to play alongside being somewhat of a headles chicken and this must have knocked Stead's confidence. Likewise, without a partner to draw defenders away or create space, it must have been difficult for Stead to create his own space or hold the ball up, but he excelled in my eyes. With the right kind of player, one who can combine the midfield and attack, such as Gallagher, then I think he will definately continue to excel. I just hope that he isn't played alongside Dickov or worse still that he's not on the bench. Apart from Stead, I thought Reid was superb in the centre, just where many of us have been wanting him to play for a long time. I also think that Mokoena has very much made the holding midfield role his own as has Nelsen at centre back. With the amount of squad players excelling at this match it will be a diffcult team selection to make for next week. One thing is for sure - Emerton must be dropped. Oh how much better we played without him in the team. I would find it extremely difficult to chose between a 4-4-2 formation of... Freidel Neill / Nelsen / Todd / Johansson Thompson / Savage / Mokoena / Pedersen Stead / Gallagher and a 4-5-1 ,in the light of Reids excellent performance, of... Mokoena / Thompson / Savage / Reid / Pedersen Stead

Exactly...but he's crap don't forget. That wasn't directed at me was it Le Chuck? I've wanted him in the team all season. Even when dickov was playing well I said I'd rather Stead in the team.

You can see in the post match interview just how much this means to Stead. This is exactly the kind of player we need at this club.