Dusic

Does Pulis have a point here? http://www.teamtalk.com/news/pulis-tired-two-games-in-three-days-is-nothing Puel has said for the whole season we cannot play the same team every 3 days but then VVD for example never gets a rest and Romeu rarely does either so it is possible. Lallana covered the most ground of any player in the PL on both 31st Dec AND 2nd Jan. If you tell them they are tired or they cannot play twice in quick succession then its a negative message. Puel even said our style of play was specifically such to combat this, ie keeping the ball, but as soon as we face a decent opponent we don't even do that very well. A lot of jumbled thinking. http://www.teamtalk.com/news/pulis-tired-two-games-in-three-days-is-nothing

Loan striker interesting given none of our current strikers are up to the level needed, will need a permanent in the summer (perhaps the loanee if he does well but not that well that is snapped up by someone else). RB also of interest. Martina is ****e and likely leaving but Pied is running again. Where does it leave him if we sign another RB, with Cedric recently signed up? Pied increasingly looks a stop gap signing, but then if we sign a RB in January why buy Pied at all?

In what way did the Board influence our exit from Europe?

Eric Black isn't suddenly going to leave. If they felt he was an issue then there was a great chance to fire him a couple of months back. Do you feel 3 PL quality players is likely in Jan without any sales (Martina aside)? Seems a bit un-Saints and knee jerk to me.

Have we lost the attributes that made us a good team? We seem to be a possesion side in the main, but also are happy to sit back and concede possession when we face the better sides. We don't really counter attack and don't press. Not especially direct. Regardless of current form, how are we trying to win games and score goals? For the first time in a while, its not especially obvious.

Is Krueger still at Saints?

Just highlights how hard it is to find good strikers in January. Long is a poor player and would be a terrible signing for WH.

Good theory. But... - Boufal probably won't start today and on Monday. - Boufal goes to the ACON so Redmond will start pretty much every game apart from today's which he is banned for. - Redmond isn't our biggest issue. The central midfield crabs are.

We were linked to him in the summer. But he signed a contract extension in November so seems unlikely, unless a loan for experience.

I think we will rotate the **** out of this one and then have a stronger team for Everton. WBA had more recovery time and have an easier game on paper on Monday (Hull home) so may go stronger for this and rotate on Monday. A draw would be a solid result. Team will be something like: Forster; Martina, Yoshida, VVD; McQueen; Romeu, Hojbjerg, Davis; Boufal, Tadic, Long

Would be a very attacking 10 if played with two wide players also. Not the type to drop in and make up a solid 3 in the middle when under a bit of pressure in the way an Alli or Barkley type can. Are we good enough to be that expansive?

If we can get him on the ball more in the final third he will be a massive asset. Too often gets the ball and beats players in the middle third, too far from goal to have an impact.

When an Italian side offer up a player on loan I would be extremely wary. They rarely do badly out of transfer deals.

Ref goofed but we didn't deserve anything. A few points: 1. JWP - utterly dire after 2mins. Just nowhere near physical enough in a game like this. 2. Romeu is poor at picking people up from set plays and also poor for the 4th today. Does a lot well but always has a mistake in him. 3. We would massively miss Fonte - he was very good tonight 4. Our midfield is so slow, both on defence and attack. Too many similar types and nobody who wants to really get forward - biggest problem in the team.

He was utterly woeful tonight after the 2nd minute. He has good attributes but would never start him against a powerful side full of running because he is a pansy.

Clean your glasses.

Quite. But it won't stop him making the move.

Obviously a talented player. Probably out of our league now versus this summer: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3611707/Southampton-QPR-consider-swoop-Ivory-Coast-midfielder-Franck-Kessie.html Think he has scored quite a few this season too and seems destined for a top club rather than a stepping stone move.

He is the best central midfielder we have had in the last 10 or 15 years though.

Interesting thanks. Di Marzio usually reliable.

I believe he has paid off their debts and they are likely to announce plans for a new stadium shortly. Obviously has had little impact so far (aside from fronting up the dough to poach Koeman from us) but seems from most reports like they are going to start investing in a pretty big way, will be interesting to see if they can get anywhere near top 4 over the next 5 seasons or so because its so difficult.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/ronald-koeman-hoping-special-relationship-9513578 These comments won't go down well. But he did similar with us when talking about players like Vilhena.

Alex Crook is typing away furiously right now.

Can only find an Everton link.

With a €45m buyout and Sporting wanting near that he would be pricy. You never know but seems a lot for a Jan buy. http://sportwitness.co.uk/ruben-semedo-southamton/