verlaine1979

The most reliable way to create chances (other than the largely discredited pacey-winger-slinging-it-into-the-box method) is by engineering numerical advantage in key areas of the pitch. You can either achieve that by the opposition being tactically inept, or because your players have sufficient pace or technique to go round an opponent, taking them out of the game. However, to do that you have to be prepared to risk possession of the ball, which is something I don't see us doing much at the moment. We pass very well, but we generally choose very high percentage passes, and in midfield you very rarely see anyone try to commit an opponent before offloading the ball.

Same time last season West Brom were 3rd with 26 points and managed to finish 8th, so I'm not really sure why we got all the media attention we did (presumably because our flirtation with the top three was based on a core of English players rather than an exceptional loan) - still, recent results do suggest that while we're a strong side, the most likely outcome is a similar finish to that achieved by WB & Swansea last season.

I agree - Wanyama and Schneiderlin provide a very solid platform, but unless we are comfortably on top they don't advance much beyond half-way.

Feels very similar to last week, where we have to play at 100% to have a chance of containing a top team playing at about 60-70%. Not really surprising considering the vast difference in squad cost and depth, but a pretty fair marker of our level.

The three players I mentioned are substantially faster than Lallana and Wanyama, and while JRod is probably about as quick, the fact that they can all pass/finish while running at pace gives them quite a significant edge over him. Sure, we can debate PACE if you like, but I'm not sure capitalisation makes much of a difference to the matter at hand. Saints have one genuinely quick player in Clyne, and a couple who have reasonable acceleration in Shaw, JRod and a few others. Pace in transition, and pace to exploit the space created when one of our more technical players beats a man is definitely something we lack in comparison to, say, Arsenal, who in the first 30 minutes last week pretty much shredded us through a combination of superior technique and superior speed.

Arsenal have pace throughout their team - maybe not flat-out sprinters when Walcott is injured, but Wilshire, Ozil & Ramsey all have decent pace with the ball at their feet - probably a good 20-25% more pace than our equivalent players do, which was one of the major differences during the first half on Saturday.

Looking at one of his Blackburn compilation videos, probably half of his goals come from him picking up the ball outside or on the edge of the box. He's also two-footed by the looks of things. No idea if he's actually good enough to cut it, but I don't think he's just a poacher on that evidence.

Well, no - he should be anywhere between 33% and 62.5% as good, so he's only a brace off the pace...

I thought this too. First half-hour they were all over us, then just backed off once they had the goal. We had a few sniffs after that as the stats show, but at no point did we create the kind of pressure and chances Arsenal did in the first 25 minutes.

They definitely eased off once they got the goal. Before that they were swarming us every time we had possession at the back making it almost impossible for us to get attacks started. Not a bad performance so far, but Arsenal deservedly ahead, despite the jammy nature of the goal.

They look quite a bit better at this pressing game than us...

I'd forgotten quite how awful our defending could be at times. Sobering reminder.

Passing was dodgy from the start today, but was pretty much unplayable against Fulham & Stoke, so clearly has the capacity to do far better when he's focused.

If that's really the case we might as well stick with S Davis, because a No. 10's who combines Gaston's talent with a win-the-ball-at-all-costs work ethic will set us back at least double our current transfer record.

Oh come on, that's ridiculous. I don't have much time for the people who make dull sport of having a go at you, but to write off a striker of proven international quality after fewer than ten starts is just stupid.

That's two exceptional performances in a row from Wanyama & JWP. Lambert never really got started, so it's a shame Osvaldo wasn't available

I.e. not risk free at all. Scoring even the jammiest of goals to pull a game back to 2-1 always seems to give the chasing team a massive boost if they manage with 5-10 minutes left on the clock.

Guly has been a Poch close-out sub in the past, hasn't he (Chelsea last season rings a bell)? With 12+ mins left and no need of a goal, he's tall and hard-working, so I can understand choosing him over a specialist no. 10 like Gaston.

Brilliant performance. Wanyama stood out for me; absolutely tireless in getting the ball back, and didn't put a single pass astray all game.

Thanks, that means a great deal to me. One day, with the care and support of people like you, I might aspire to reach the emotional level of the vast majority of English football supporters. I know it'll be tough, but you've got to have a dream, eh?

Your mistake indeed - I wasn't talking about support, I was talking about enjoyment. I support Southampton, but that's the extent of my irrational sporting loyalty that doesn't care whether a game is dull as long as the result is right. The rest I watch purely for the skill and spectacle, and since England rarely bring either, I have no particular interest in whether they qualify or not.

Because there are reasons to watch and enjoy football that go beyond tribalism?

I doubt spurs expected to ship three at home to West Ham when they were at the time the equal best defence in the league. We're solid these days, but we'll still get tonked at least once this season, and away at OT is as likely a place as any.

Only Roma (conceded 1) have a better defensive record than us out of the top five European leagues.

Great subs today - JWP helped fox out a lot, and Jrod stopped the Swansea defence camping out on the half way at a time when they were absolutely rampant.