Chez

We are a mid table side. The Arsenal and Fulham games demonstrated that, but Leicester were a `mid table' side when they won the league. I'm gpnna dream big whenever we make a good start to a season. We will spend what we have, no more. Our ambition is to win as many games as we can with the best side we can afford.

Agreed. The way clubs are run now, players are only really signed when gaps open up (when players are sold or contracts expire). The left back position might be one of those gaps, but as you say finances will dictate. A loan with a view to buy is the perfect scenario for us. It's taken us years to work that out for some reason, but paying off recently.

We tried to get him in the summer, but for some reason Solskjaer said no. It took them an eternity to sign Telles (he signed on the last day of the window) and perhaps with Shaw's poor injury record he couldn't let Williams go until that deal was done. Can't see him objecting this time round, but you don't loan a promising player out only to see them sit on the bench. I wonder if United will insist on a number of appearances.

fair point, bloody good players, but perhaps offset by Morgan et al?

pretty fair analysis of the game. I think we can still win games without those two, but we'd have to play a damn sight better than we did yesterday. Hoofing it down the channel is not going to cut it.

I'm a realist and know Saints wining the league is a pipe dream, but it can be done. Not sure it can be done without Ings at his best though.

Leicester won it with a wafer thin squad. They got on a roll and then the belief took them places.

spot on, but same for both sides. VAR is shite.

surprised he didn't start considering how he too us apart here a couple of seasons ago.

Blimey. What a contrast to the City performance. Hoofing it aimlessly long constantly with pretty much nothing up front to turn shit into gold doesnt seem to be paying off. How about we return to the passing game in the second half. Fulham have wasted their opportunities on the break, but eventually they will score unless we sort things out.

is our tactic for this game to hoof it and hope for the best? Players see to have got it down, if it is.

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