Two weeks to land three signings.

Forget the FA Cup, it really doesn't matter this season and has proved a distraction in the past. For once I would back the selection of a second string and almost welcome an early exit. The last thing we need is injuries and suspensions incurred in a tournament that we don't stand a cat in Hell's chance of winning. Bring back Montano, play Hall, select Montenegro...bugger it, let's see what they can do.

No, we need an absolute focus on the league now and we need new signings in place before the Portsmouth game. Fratton Park is an intimidating place and will be full to the rafters for the match, but it is a winnable game, and with Southampton facing a trip to Forest, it is a fixture that could see us go top if we can win against their South Coast rivals. Imagine the angst amongst the Saints as they come to terms with wanting Portsmouth to win a game!

So is there any truth in any of the transfer rumours? Billy Sharp was meant to be in London for a medical today, until he turned out in Doncaster's kit for the win over Barnsley. He's rumoured to want to stay close to his family after the death of his baby boy so that looks an unlikely deal to me. The Rhodes transfer also appears to have come to a dead end whilst Jol reckons he and Zammo are best of mates after all - and so they should be after Bobby's last minute winner against Arsenal. Wenger must hate him! So, where is the forward that Allardyce craves going to come from? Maynard? I'm not convinced by the Bristol City man.

But we don't only need a forward. With the return to fitness of Reid, time for Faye to recover and the emergence of young Potts, some of the urgency for a defender has diminished, but once again the desperate need for width was evident against Coventry. Taylor may be back for the game against Pompey and hopefully the Rule of the Ex may apply - let's face it, he is much more likely to score than Freddie The Fly Tipper - but we  desperately need some pace on the right and an option for Taylor on the left - and we need to spread the play to stretch the opposition rather than trying to play through a jam packed middle all the time!

So let's hope for new faces sooner rather than later. As the failure to score more than once showed yet again, this is a team urgently in need of creativity, width and goalscorers.