qwertyell

Playing with better intensity this half, thankfully. Who knew Matty Targett would be our game changing creative ace in the hole...

Slow, disjointed, unbalanced rubbish. Romeu and Davis doesn't work as a partnership. Never had. Tadic and Boufal have never worked when both are on the pitch - they both take too many touches and stop the flow of any rare attacking breaks. One or the other can play, not both. Is Austin playing as a 10? Probably our least technically gifted player in a key creative position - makes no sense at all. Gabbiadini has had no service at all. High press? No. High energy? No. Attacking, flowing football? No. Any signs of progress from the Puel era? Non. Only a friendly, of course, but nothing so far this preseason has even hinted that we'll be any better than last term. Boufal has looked all right, mind you.

Well, Gardos obviously doesn't have a future here, and things are awfully quiet around Yoshi, given that he's only got a year left on his contract and we hand out new contracts like confetti even to wheelie bins with four years remaining on their previous deals... So perhaps Wimmer is a bit of future planning - along with Bednarek and tying Stephens up long-term - for 12 months down the line when we have neither Virgil or Yoshida at the club. By then Alfie Jones could be in first team contention, and we'd have four CBs in the 20-25 age range. Just a thought.

We already basically did that with Lovren and Lallana.

If we persist in playing non-winger Ward-Prowse in a wide position, we'll persist in creating and scoring bugger all.

Except only one of those teams progressed last season, while the other went backwards.

Enzo is a top quality footballer's name. I assume he'll be an unstoppable combination of Francescoli and Schifo.

Yes, and then successfully sued for breach of contract. Given that Virgil has breached contract at least twice, by having unauthorised meetings with Liverpool and now refusing to play, I think Saints would be in an incredibly strong position, should they persue the nuclear option.

Absolutely. Tell his agent that his client has two choices: get his act together and honour his contract signed in good faith, or not play professional football again until he's 31. It'd be nice if we were as ruthless and principaled as that. But we're not, and he'll end up at Liverpool and the same thing will keep happening again and again.

Sack him, report him, his agent and Liverpool to FIFA/Court of Arbitration for Sport, and sue the lot of them for breach of contract and damages. This situation is entirely the result of Liverpool, Van Dijk and his agent breaking the rules - Saints have done nothing wrong. Obviously not going to happen...

"He has played full-back, central midfield and centre back and, while technically accomplished, there have been questions about his pace or physical presence in those positions." The Ward-Prowse of defenders. Solid technique but isn't actually very good in any particular role. Best £16 million we've ever made.

Regarding his injury, I thought there was talk of a ligament at the base of his foot. Sounded particularly vague and unusual.

Not that we're going to be in for him, but Barkley should be a much better deal in the final days of the transfer window. Everton are holding out for a huge fee for a player with one year left on his contract who has turned down all offers to extend it. If he's still there when the window closes, they'll have held out for £50m only to lose him for free (in 12 months). Given Spurs are supposedly interested in him, and Daniel Levy is a notorious tightwad, I'd expect that transfer to happen maybe as late as deadline day, to squeeze the price as low as it'll go.

What was the point? He already had a long contract, and after a season in which he was barely more use than a wheelie bin, no-one else was interested in signing him. Looks less top heavy this off season - hopefully that's a sign he's had a look at his weaknesses and is trying to address them. Agility and mobility are a real poor area. I think he's a below average goalkeeper who only has his natural girth, a great defence, and having played previously in a one team league to thank for his reputation as one of the better keepers around. If he plays like last season, he'll be England's fifth choice, behind Hart, Butland, Pickford and Heaton - and they're not exactly the cream of the PL keepers. But good luck to him anyway. Always happy to be proven wrong.

Throw in an option to buy and I'd be well up for it. He's going to be a really good player, but has no chance of significant game time at City for the foreseeable future.

I'm sure it'll be a case of yet another manager trying to shoehorn him into a variety of roles, knowing that he compromises each one in various ways, but feeling like he's worth persevering with regardless.

Underwhelmed. We have an obvious lack of mobility, physicality and creativity in the midfield, and it's hard to imagine the quality of football is likely to be any more dynamic than under Puel unless that is addressed. A new keeper and some real pace out wide wouldn't hurt either.

The business plan might've changed, but the players and their agents don't have to buy into it. Longer contracts? What are they even worth? Shaw and Lallana had four years remaining on theirs, Lovren had three - let's see if Van Dijk (five years) and Bertrand (four years) are here at the end of the summer before declaring the "significance" of contract extensions...

Why would they respect us? Every time they come knocking, we put up a little token resistance for PR purposes and then give them whatever they want. I shouldn't imagine this situation will play out much differently.

Like he is every transfer window. And yet he continues to get handed more power within the hierarchy every season. I doubt he gives two hoots about his image or credibility with those outside of the club.

There's a Shane Long joke in there somewhere...

James Morrison.

Shane Long with some competent technical ability would be an upgrade.

Seem to recall Lovren also going on the preseason tour when he wanted out, and just sat around on sidelines looking smug. Didn't take part in any games.

I think Sims missed one of the England age group's tournament this summer with injury. Maybe he's still not right - it'd be weird for him to not make this squad otherwise, when u18 wingers Tella and Johnson have. Hesketh - who knows? He seems to have been mysteriously broken since being dragged off after 25 minutes in that Europa game. Or perhaps they're both finalising loans.