Three draws and a postponement - not quite the points laden holiday period we had hoped for.

But we still have it all to play for as we enter another hectic month of football (weather permitting).

The recent cold snap has hampered our preparation for the big cup match with Preston. It's lovely to still be involved on third round day (a novelty for Brighton fans!) and there has been a lovely relaxed feeling around the camp all week.

The television cameras have been in town again and former Brighton legend Mark Lawrenson even paid a visit to the training ground - complete with that ridiculous slug on his top lip!

We have been training on what resembles an ice rink at Falmer this week. Young Virgs has resembled Bambi on ice and our confidence took a pounding when we were beaten by a bunch of polar bears!

With all the snow and ice about the only player who has felt at home is Pingu Pitcher. On Wednesday the gaffer had us playing a game of keepball - whichever player lost possession had to do press-ups.

By the end of the session Jonesy resembled Geoff Capes!

The weather put paid to the New Year's Day fixture with Northampton. I'm sure you can all understand the lads' disappointment when the news came through on New Year's Eve!

It put a spring in the lads' step during training and Dirk won the final vote of the year for the worst player in training - not because he was poor but because he is German and we beat them 5-1!

Our last match of 2001 ended in disappointment at Blackpool. The long trek north up the M6 gave the lads a chance to show off their new Christmas presents. While the young lads sat with their Playstations, CD players and DVDs I tried to figure out how to work my new nasal trimmer!

Bobby Z sat quietly playing his version of the Chris Tarrant game - "I'm going to be a millionaire".

We prepared for the match by training at Liverpool's Academy facilities. On the wall of their indoor gymnasium are four big posters displaying the disciplines that the youngsters need to master to succeed at Liverpool.

Balance - Attitude - Technique - Speed. It's a little disheartening to think that after nearly 20 years in the game I've still only mastered one of those disciplines - I'll leave it up to you to work out which one!

The game itself ended in huge disappointment. We dominated before half-time and could easily have been three or four ahead.

The second half was a different story and we conceded a terrible first goal - a free header at the back stick. Just when it seemed we had hung on for the win their midfielder just swung his leg at a loose ball and hit a worldy volley into the bottom corner.

It had to take something like that to beat Rolls who produced a magnificent penalty save. Danny told him to dive to his right - so he went left and saved it!

Rolls has impressed everybody so far with two excellent displays and his laid back nature. His approach to training is very similar to mine - a quick warm-up and then a massage! He did play up front in the five-a-side though and keeps reminding us all he scored eight goals.

The gaffer celebrated his birthday this week. 49 apparently ... yeah, and I'm Mr Universe! He hasn't had the best of luck lately though. On the way home from Blackpool the coach drivers lost his bag - it fell out at Sandbach services without anybody spotting it! So when we dropped the gaffer off he couldn't find his bag which contained his car keys. Chippy had to take a very irate gaffer home instead - and the bag finally turned up later in the week. It never happened with England!

Finally, Danny Cullip wasn't a very happy man this week. His apprentice asked for his weekly wage for cleaning DC's boots to be paid in euros because they are worth more than pounds!