WHEN it comes to this weekend’s game with York City I’m going to be facing all kinds of difficult decisions.

Lee Barnard has been back in full training since the start of the week and he’s been simply outstanding.

He’s certainly pushing very hard indeed for a place on the bench but it isn’t just him.

Adam Barrett has been training and he’s now also available after recovering from the slight calf problem he picked up.

Cian Bolger is also back after he completed a four match ban and when you throw Luke Prosser, Adam Thompson and Jerome Binnom-Williams in to the equation as well there’s extreme competition for places at the back.

Gary Deegan also comes back in to my thoughts for a place in the midfield after he finished a one match suspension and there are difficult decisions to made all over the pitch.

Barry Corr is the only one missing after his red card at Portsmouth so I’m going to have to think long and hard about making sure I get the team right for what is going to be another very important game.

But it’s good to be having these kind of headaches and everyone in the team knows they have to play well to keep their place.

WE CAN'T KEEP COLLECTING RED CARDS

I KNOW our discipline has been a big talking point in the last few weeks but I still maintain we’re being naive rather than dirty.

Four red cards in five games is not good and the players need to learn from that because we can’t afford to let it keep on happening.

But I also think the referees need to start cooling their jets a little bit because some of the decisions going against us have been very harsh indeed.

We have a discipline procedure in place which deals with red and yellow cards but I still maintain that our record will even itself out before the end of the season.

I know at the moment we’re leading the way with more red cards than anyone at this level but I certainly don’t think that will be case come the end of the season.

At the moment we’re being punished for what I would call petty situations and that can’t keep on happening.

OUR FANS AT POMPEY ARE GREAT

I MENTIONED it after the game at the weekend but I just wanted to make another point of thanking the fans who were at Portsmouth on Saturday for their fabulous support.

It was fantastic to see and hear and hopefully we can keep that kind of atmosphere going.

If we keep playing well and we remain up towards the top of the table, I’m sure our home crowds will continue to get bigger and we could well end up with a better average than last season.

That would be brilliant and it could really make a difference during the run in to the end of the season.

YOUNGSTERS WILL REAP BENEFITS OF LOAN DEALS

WE allowed Jack Bridge to leave out on loan this week and I would expect Jason Williams to soon be doing the same.

Two Conference clubs are particularly keen on bringing him in and a deal to one of them could well be completed tomorrow.

It’s another step up in standard and I’m sure it will help his game develop.

It’s a similar situation with Bridgey who has gone to Chelmsford and we will certainly be keeping tabs on their performances.

SETBACK FOR MADS IBENFELDT

UNFORTUNATELY it’s not all been good news this week and Mads Ibenfeldt has suffered a bit of an injury setback.

Mads was already sidelined with a broken metatarsal bone in his foot and when that happens I think your body kinds of compensates for that and puts pressure on another area of your body.

That’s been the case with Mads who now has a problem with his heel and I think that’s likely to keep him out for another couple of months.