Chez

we are getting run ragged. We are wide open everywhere. We look likely to concede with every attack. Thankfully we haven't. Got to adjust quickly.

I've wondered if this would be beginning of the end of football as a live spectator sport? The thrill of witnessing a goal is what going to games is all about. Without the thrill, what are you left with? Its fine for TV viewers as you get to see the replays and dare I say it, you are less emotionally entwined in the action. If I was an owner, I'd be slightly concerned that VAR may be damaging my product in the long term, assuming people stop going to games because of it.

every season is the same, they moan how shit he is for the first ten or so games, then he wins a shed load of games to get them in the promotion hunt, they lose in the play offs and then he is back to being shit again. It must be difficult for their fans to know if this is good or bad news.

the save from Mane is top draw. I don't recall ever seeing that. Fair play, but most of the others are just good saves and ones you'd expect him or anyone else to save. I recall discussing Forster's ability at length on several previous threads. I have said in the past that he gets himself into good positions. He is a big old lad and that makes him hard to beat if strikers just hit is hard. He's an imposing figure and at times he is a bit of ball magnet. On the flip side though, for low shots in the corner he just doesn't get down quickly enough. For a big guy his command of the box is woeful. He has never come off his line to claim catches - and that worked well with VVD and Fonte (and Morgan and Wanyama and Ricky etc.) as everyone knew where they stood and won everything. Less so when we didnt have that strength on the air. Maybe with vestagaard and Bednerak it can work again.

we use a hell of a lot of energy chasing after the ball when we lose it. A lot of energy is spent by midfielders working hard to fill gaps and in the first half of games we often look pretty tight at the back because of that. In the second half, gaps open as those midfielders get a bit more tired and can't race across to fill gaps when opponents wor the space. That's when our defenders face more one on ones, without any cover, and that's perhaps why we concede more in the second half (not sure how true that is) - individuals, like Vestegaard, get done by quality attackers. It would be good to be able to sub central midfielders a bit more often.

he wouldn't be on our bench is he had done it in the past.

I notice there aren't any comments today about Ings not trying.

McCarthy is a massive problem because he doesn't save pens and is beaten from 8 yards? McCarthy is no world beater (I'm not his biggest fan) and has certainly been at fault for some goals (what keepers aren't?), but he has also made a lot of outstanding saves over the last year or so to keep us in games. They of course are forgotten, although I guess that is his job. I'm still waiting for Foster to make what you'd call an outstanding (world class) save.

cheers. Vestagaard made to look as slow as he is.

Have to ask if there was an offside in the build up. The guy who heads it seemed to come back from an offside position. No replay on my stream. Anyone else get one that went that far back?

Absolute joke decision.

Valery starting the blues today, at right back. Will be interesting to see how he goes at that lower level.

it's still as painful today as it was that day. Not even winning the god damn thing will wipe that away...but it wont do any harm. I am trying imagine the FA cup fever should I have been able to attend the games this year. I think the midweek win at Wolves would have got the juices flowing, and the tie at Bournemouth would feel like a proper old school FA cup tie with people genuinely getting excited. Maybe the FA should knock the Wembley semis on the head this year to bring a little bit of that magic back.

The average age on here is surprisingly high I think. I was born in 74, so don't recall the cup final, but I do have fond memories of going to FA cup games such as the 1-3 win at white hart lane in 1990 and some less enjoyable ones, such as losing at Reading in 97. The champions league has eroded the fascination with the FA cup for the majority, but I choose to use each tie and as excuse to relive those memories of when I was younger and completely in love with the game and watching Saints. The FA cu semi final at Villa park in 2003 and the league cup semi at Liverpool were two of the best footballing experiences. I think there is no chance of having another this season, but I will certainly accept a cup victory if ti comes our way. COYR.

good display. I'm old enough for the FA Cup to still be important. Gutted not to have been at the grounds for these cup wins - they can live long in the memory when you go on a run. It's our year and that draw confirms it.

clean through. I'd of be fuming if it had been the other way round.

fair point. I think I am just trying to dilute some of blame (and hatred) from Redmond by pointing out that others didn't excel. Check out the first goal and look for Stephens. Woeful positioning and no effort to get back, all be it it would have made no difference. Bednarek sells himself too. Got to win that or were are dead. He was a tad unlucky with the own goal, but sort your feet out mate. He was also lucky not to get a red when done by Almiron. Redmond gets a lot of stick, but Ings had a shocker. What did Adams do? JWP passing in the last ten minutes was terrible...the lost goes on. To be fair a lot of this happens every week, we are not world beaters, but when you win you forget all the shit play.

Lost his mojo. He was flying. He isn't as sharp after the injury and everything falls away (touch etc.) when that is the case. The idea he isn't trying is bollocks. I saw the cunt Quashie give up at QPR just before he got his move. I know when someone cant be arsed any more.

I agree with you. Fucking nightmare when you have extra men and want to pass it quickly to take advantage. Same for both sides, but it really didn't help us.

Yeah, I can tell, but blaming him for all our ills is wrong. We don't have a great winger at the club. We have workman like players like Armstrong and Walcott, wildcard, but generally poor in Djenepo, and Redmond, who when on sing is a decent player, but isn't on song anywhere near often enough

Minamino scored a lovely goal, but did absolutely nothing in the second half. Just got in the way.

Amen. Way OTT. He has been out of the side quite a while. Little wonder his confidence has been dented a bit. Djenepo has ben shit. Walcott gone off the boil in last few weeks, yet Redmond gets one game and its all his fault we created little.

There were lots of players that we utter shit, not just him. Whipping boy.

Ralph only has one tactic - when we lose the ball in their third charge. Oh, and play a rediculous high line when defending set pieces. I know Redmond wasn't good, but it was tough in those conditions. The ball didn't run and it was impossible to dribble. Bertrand didn't do much on the left wing either. Thought Minamino should have bene subbed. He tired and completely disappeared.

bollocks. Course he does. Just just not going his way. The players try, they are just not world beaters.