Whatever doesn't kill you surely Spurs you on to greater things?

You may have noted the quite deliberate lack of a Carling Cup match report. It's the old cliche - my mum taught me if you can't say anything nice etc. Seriously, though, it is hard to write anything positive about PFC over the past week, and I don't want to add to the thousands of words already wasted on celebrating how impressively imperious Chelsea were.

I am heading down to 'Love Albert Road Day' today so will not be able to follow events at Fratton Park. But I feel good about the game. Spurs may have had some midweek success, but I think most Pompey fans - myself included - are breathing a sigh of relief that we don't have to worry about the league cup anymore. And we have plenty of ex-White Hart Lane players in our ranks who will be out to prove a point.

One thing I do want to put on record prior to the game is that I couldn't disagree more with some of the criticism that David James has come in for from our own supporters. Without doubt he has been at fault for a number of recent goals, but over the past few seasons he has kept us in countless matches. Those people calling for him to be dropped have very short memories.