Chez

Can I make my annual plea for us to return to dark navy shorts.

I'd like to echo that. Absolutely horrific kits that must have been designed by committee and even worse tracksuits, that I can only think must have been designed by a child. I don't think it will be possible to produce something worse, so there's the silver lining.

Never seen him come off his line since he joined. He doesn't come for crosses and offers nothing in the way of a sweeper. He simply stands there allowing his defence to do the work. Nothing has changed in that department. The only good thing is that defenders know this is the case so there is no confusion and he doesn't make poor decisions - he doesn't make any decisions. His kicking has been **** since he came back from the injury. He simply doesn't seem to have mentally recovered from what happened and as a result he doesn't set himself right and there is no fluidity to his kicking movement. He could get worse as confidence erodes. Perhaps we ought to stop passing back to him every two minutes. As for his shot stopping, nothing has changed. It's just that shots are currently going in the corners rather than straight at him.

I've said this for years: with the ball he is comfortable at this level, without it he is a total non-entity. You don't need pace to play in the prem, but if your opponent is technically as good AND does have pace, straight away you are at a disadvantage. Personally I've seen an improvement in his game this season. I've seen some interceptions, actually getting close to an opponent and even the odd tackle. Much more needed though, especially when up against the better sides.

Don't need one. He pulled his shirt about 5 metres outside the box. It was a professional foul and deserved a red as it prevented him running through and slotting home. Once inside the box, Redmond tried to grab Ali, missed and fell, almost but not into him. It wasn't a pen. No chance.

Is this a pay structure the club has told fans about? I must have missed that. How does it work? What is the limit? What is Morgan's wage? What is he asking for now? Is it not all private information and paper guesswork? The nearest thing to evidence of an actual wage figure is Gold saying Austin wasn't worth the £100k a week he wanted. Saints fans don't want to believe that we are paying him that, but I'm willing to. If we are, that means we wouldn't be going far beyond that to pay Morgan the £120k a week wages he may or may not be getting or wanting now.

our midfield is so lightweight.

Could easily have been 6 and but for a great Fonte tackle 7. Let's not kid ourselves, Spurs were the better side before the red too.

its poor that we seemed to lack the fitness or inclination to do it for longer than 15 minutes.

It's not just one of those games, it's a game that shows exactly where we are as a club. One that can score, even beat teams, but not one that really competes toe to toe, even dominates as we once did against the big sides. The gradual removal of top talent may not have shown last season in results, but whereas once we dictated now we hang on. We miss the Wanyama/Morgan partnership more than people think...

is that not the point of this kind of thread - identifying players that, in some fans opinions, perhaps aren't and maybe won't be good enough to form a side that really competes with the top sides like Spurs, not hangs on for grim life.

We used to dominate almost everyone at home and many away three seasons back. We might not have won them all, but in the vast majority of games you felt you could have. Players like Lallana, Ricky, Wanyama and Morgan made that happen through ball retention, power and a telepathic sense to get the ball back when we lost it. The loss of quality in central midfield means we hang on to the better teams now rather than dominate them. We can still win games, and we do, but we are no where near as good a side in my eyes. Prowse, Hojbjerg, Classie, Reed can all do a job and there is time for improvement, but anyone that thinks we would not be better with Morgan in the side than without him watches a different game to me.

Wanyama? Blimey. Not sure you will ever convince me of that, but each to their own.

Interesting. I never saw Ball play for Saints. Was he still top notch? Did Armstrong play centre midfield or slightly wider? If wider, wouldn't a central midfielder in the bench be required and if so who would that be?

probably been done before, but out of interest who are your two centre mids in a four four two?

Who actually knows how much Van Dijk is on? Or any other player come to that? We were supposedly paying £68k a week to Ramirez 4.5 years ago. Wages have risen since then. A player value at £60m by the club won't be on £70k a week for long that's for sure. Austin may or may not be on £100k a week depending whether you are willing to accept Golds claim. I can't be sure, but nor can the other players. Has his signing and wage upset the apple cart? I don't see how Morgan effects Romeu. You'd play both as we did Wanyama and Morgan, who gave the other more attacking players more freedom. We don't want rely on Boufal tracking back. I don't understand why you don't think less games would not mean he is fresher than someone that has been flogged to death the last two seasons, but it matters not. We won't sign him.

not at all. I have stated previously that he won't be coming back. No chance. Still fun to debate.

By no risk, I mean that there is no risk that he comes to the prem only to find he can't cut it, as so many players have in the past. To get that sort of talent and know it will perform at the very top level usually costs a damn sight more than £15m. It simply is not a gamble signing. When it comes to what is going on in his head, I think some fans overanalyse things. He is exactly the same player that left us, only fresher. I will wager that after two or three games to get sharp the fans of the signing club will be raving about him. As for the wages, we have players on huge wages here. VVD won't be on peanuts, nor will Forster or Austin. Morgans won't upset the balance. Whether there are funds available is a different question.

Fonte retained his position as captain, so not sure I understand what it is you are saying he is spitting his dummy out about? Can you clarify?

He was the best in the league two seasons ago, hence United signing him. It will be the signing clubs good fortune that United have failed to make the most of him, enabling them to sign him for relative buttons. There are very few United rejects I'd ever want us to have signed. Usually those departing were/are bang average but on stupid wages. Morgan is not average, although the wages will certainly be hefty. But with so much money available to all prem teams now there is no reason why we can't pay 100k a week wages and who knows, maybe we already are. He is arguably better than Romeu IMO. He is certainly better than all the other midfielders. Whether that's the case in two years time is hard to say, but Prowse, reed, Classie and Hojbjerg will certainly need to raise their game a lot. As we have invested new contracts for them all, I certainly hope so. There is not a change of formation, we simply play him instead of Classie, Prowse or Hojbjerg. The only issue is our ability to afford him whilst keeping all the other midfielders. If we could sell Classie thereby opening a space, freeing up wages and providing transfer funds I wouldn't give it a second thought. It won't Happen. No one wants Classie, so there is no room at the inn.

I'm with you. Paper talk initiated by agent to help get an extra year on his contract. Bloody obvious and the club didn't buy it either. Good for them. For once they have a player tied to a contract that is the absolute perfect length for the club, not the player. The club for once holds the cards. They do not need to do anything and shouldn't. Pay players on what they can do for the club in the future not what they might have done in the past. No room for sentiment. I do not want the club to be paying Fonte 100k a week when is is 35.

We won't sell him. But if there was interest, what kind of figure would you be happy with?

despite how much I rate him, I could not agree with you more.

£13m for one of the best defensive midfielders in the league...it's an absolute no brainer. Buy him, pay him the wages and play him alongside Romeu, get Boufal in the hole and we have a bloody team on our hands. No one knows how good he is like we do. Classie, holberg, Ward Prowse and Reed all offer something, but none dominates a midfield like Morgan did for us. Puel wants to control the game and dictate the play. Morgan does that. He wins second ball, wins headers, makes so,many interceptions and is amazingly quick to help stop breakaways. He is exactly what we need. He is a no risk signing. How many of those are there these days?

Tremendous backing. Fans of clubs at the extremities of the country that Tavel away have my utmost respect. Wouldn't it be nice to see a shock up there with 8000 going crazy a few weeks before we repeat the exercise...excited already...