Chez

not sure you specify a four week injury prior to a sale. You might say it to put off bids.

I've watched him a fair bit (had him in my fantasy side last year, so you tend to focus on them) and I liked what I saw a lot. For starters, he is two footed. He looks completely at home at left back. I've not seen him play at right back, but at left back he gets to the byline and crosses with his left foot. None of this stop and get back onto your right peg and slow the game down rubbish. From what I have seen, he loves to attack, bombs down the line, lots of overlapping and then once in the final third, he makes things happen with some decent crosses. I saw him in the game against Burnley (I think it was this time last year) run the show and quite rightly get MOTM. He was a real threat that day. He looked to have enough pace, decent first touch and real composure on the ball. Not sure he was terribly tested that day defensively and in other games I think his defending has been questioned by some, but I've personally not seen too many errors, maybe the odd bit of poor positioning. I'm pretty sure I typed all this last year. Since then, he has just fallen down the pecking order, which I found strange. Shaw is perhaps a little more solid I guess, but Williams seemed ideal cover, yet they bought another. I think he would be a perfect loan signing, but whether we can offer enough games to ensure a deal can be done, I am not sure. Newcastle and others have shown an interest, so I think we may miss out.

if you are in the service industry (and most of us are), it actually is a no-deal.

not unexpected, but the fact the UK government doesn't seem to have even bothered to try and negotiate a deal that covered services, which is 42% of all UK exports to the EU (just the £138 billion of trade), is bazaar. The UK economy is 80% service based. I find it amazing that this sector was ignored. Have I missed something?

I thought Pep was blowing smoke up our arse when describing Romeu as one of the best midfielders in the Prem, but he then went on to to run the game almost from start to finish. I've always enjoyed watching him play, but he looks more composed every time he plays. He wasn't the only one to look top notch, KWP and Vestegaard were outstanding. Andy Townsend was right about Walcott, too , best performance I've seen from him in years. Ings injury apart, there were very few negatives. Redmond had a mare, and I thought Bertie looked slow. Not sure if he was just tired or has lost half a yard and its the first time I've noticed it. He's been fantastic for us. I hope he was just tired. Fingers crossed Ings' injury is not too bad.

I only got a single look, but was it not handball when it bounced off Sterling's leg to his arm?

spot on. Best I have seen us play for a log time. We didn't just press a top side we dictated play for huge periods. Ok, so they may have scored a couple at the death when we pushed men on, but overall we looked incredibly secure and composed. Very pleased with that display. I never like losing, but it certainly takes the edge off the pain when the display is as good as that. Far better than midweek. Cant wait for the next game. Don't always feel like that. Haven't felt like that for a while.

Looking for the shittest Christmas gift possible for brother in law and my Google search term hit the fucking jackpot. I'm guessing it's got about 500 words, all one syllable, spread over roughly 300 pages, with plenty of photos of Kanu lifting the cup to help the reader recover from the inevitable Alan Knight, Guy Whittingham and Kevin Dillon wankfests.

Christmas is saved. Factless Allen has written a fourth book about the skates: Pompey; The island city with a football club for a heart. Looks like no one has reviewed in yet on Amazon.

my mistake. I was sure he got a yellow in the first half. should of fouled him then, like he normally does, although there were three players that could have

Romeu was on a yellow.

Agree, although to be fair Arsenal did carry a threat down their left and before the red were perhaps favouriites to go on and wi the game. As soon as they got a red that meant we'd get a draw, but we dont have the craft to unlock ten men deep behind the ball.

Looked a pen to me, but Djenepo often dives, so maybe a bit of a `boy that cries wolf' situation. Don't think VAR gave it a serious look though. Far too quick to say not pen. We've had a lot go our way, so can live with it.

started well, but lost our way badly. Too many terrible crosses towards the end, but difficult to break a team down when they sit so deep. Please stop defending set pieces with a high line. We are clueless at it

shite. Very disappointed with the performance and the result.

fucking stop this high line set piece shit. Seen us do it for about a month now and could easily have conceded three or four goals. we just stand there watching our opponents run in and get free headers on goal.

he's causing problems. I think he'll get the winner for us.

if we want to win the title, we need to win games like this. If Leicester can, anyone can.

games coming thick and fast. Don't want to murder those wide men that do so much.

Going to be tough. We score goals when there is a bit of space. Not going to be much of that.

Blimey. Give him a chance. he's not back to match fitness. That is obvious. When you are not super sharp the game it tough in the final third. Give it a few weeks and he will be scoring for fun again.

9 appearances then.

First half was an absolute shit show. Like the Man U game, but without the two goal cushion. Poor choices, poor passing, poor control, lack of movement, lack of ideas, headless chicken press and a great deal of luck that we were not three down having been caught of the break several times. It seems that when teams press us, we don't have the ability to beat it. Not many teams do mind you. I've seen Man City capitulate when Liverpool pressed them, so not surprising that can't cope. We just need that little extra time on the ball. Without it we get caught in possession, give the ball away and n general go backwards. When its failing so badly, the manager perhaps needs to implement a plan B, at least for a period of time. Play slightly longer and/or ping balls out wide...something to turn the opponents round a fraction. When we pressed there was certainly no lack of effort, but three players going to the same man is extremely risky and at times we got made to look mugs. Not sure what happened to change things. Ings obviously came on, and perhaps Brighton tired, but I'd like to think that it was just the team as a whole stepping up and making more effort to be open for a pass nullifying their press. It possibly was a combination of things, but mostly Brighton seemed to stop pressing. That was just what we needed (the space and time) and we played well second half, dominating possession, but also doing something with it to push them back. Ings was a factor - we just look more creative with him in the side, but the midfield and Vestegaard, with that little more time started to play forward through the lines. My MOTM was Vestegaard. He looked like Beckenbauer at times, intercepting balls and strolling out from the back, weaving in and out of players and then passing just at the right time. He even pinged balls like the great German used to do. What a display. Title wining teams win when you play badly. Mind you, so does just about everyone when playing Brighton at their place. Half way to safety...

United pressed and every single Saint failed to cope with the pressure applied by his opponent. That lead to us turning the ball over time and time again. You can't do that against good sides. We have done well so far. This is just one game. But I think it demonstrates the quality of player we have here. Some good players, but not a host of great players. We Need to bounce back quickly and ensure we are the team pressing.

struggling to get out of our own half. United pressing us. We are failing to do the same.