Ivan Katalinic's 'tache

Excellent news if he can recapture the form he was showing before the injury. Will fit nicely into the left side of Ron's attack methinks.

I'd be disappointed considering our early season form but when you think of the upheaval and panic we had in the summer, I'd have readily taken 8th back then. Without proper 1st team reinforcements, I'm not convinced we are even ready for Europe yet and Les' comments about supplementing our European squad with the youth team doesn't do anything to dispel those thoughts.

Need to get stuck right into Villa and see how many of them fancy missing out on a Cup final just to beat us. We need the win now as much as they do to stay out of relegation trouble...

How close is Cody Cropper to any sort of 1st team involvement? At 22 (I thought he was younger before I looked this up), surely he needs to be pushing on if he's ever going to make it and his call ups for the US full national side don't seem to tally with being nowhere near our 1st team.

Really? Hadn't quite investigated as closely as that! Goes to show the difference between perception (mine anyway) & reality. Yes, that is poor.

We do seem to be limping into the summer after an exhilarating first two thirds of the season and it's disappointing. We needed good quality reinforcements in January but it's difficult to add them then. One of those, most of us felt, needed to be a striker to take the pressure of Pelle. Unfortunately we ended up with the ineffectual Elia and Djuricic, two supposed creative players. Never mind, I still think we will limp into a Europa place but if Les thinks our paper thin squad can cope in Europe by using the kids, he's been on the waccy baccy...

Ron doing a cracking job hinting to the board that we need to invest in real quality in the summer with today's performance...

A must win game lost. Need to beat Hull now next week & hope Burnley do us a favour tomorrow.

No need, that's right up there with the Pope being Catholic for me.

Gibbs has made Bertrand look good...

Hopefully that will mean a rejuvenated Pelle will return for a crunch game against Everton after that goal. Clyne seems a bit hit and miss and how can Bertrand be worse than Gibbs???

Why would Clyne go to United if they are about to sign Dani Alves, as another report says. Do Utd want a bench full of ex-Southampton full backs?

Same old Dani, always scoring!

So, he's not been off-form just saving himself for Barca? Cunning... Had me fooled.

Translation?

Would be interesting to see if this is the highest salary offer Morgan gets. Yes, other clubs can play more but, if they don't offer as much, especially after being a large transfer fee, I wonder if that would be a temptation for him to stay? Personally, I get the impression it's as much about playing top European football for Morgan but who knows!

If he does move on in the summer, and I'm sure he will, I only hope it's to a truly top team and he doesn't waste his talent by going to clubs like Arsenal or Liverpool, who are no longer top drawer.

Didn't beat them on Sunday but Lovren's miss is one consolation....

I wonder if trying the 3-5-2 would help Pelle with Long or Mane playing closer to him. At the moment, the 2 wide forwards leave him too isolated and JWP isn't getting close enough to him to either run beyond him for the flicks or pick up any knock downs.

In a nutshell, yes!

Lambert deserves a heroes return. Lallana and Lovren (let's not forget him) deserve every bit of what they get.

On to the next one then... 2 changes, I'd think - Morgan in for JWP and Gardos in for Targett, if his head injury means he's ruled out.

I'd say I was insulted by the offer made by another team if the transfer didn't work out, too..

Any idea what shirt number Fil has been given?

I blame Bobby Robson. If he'd not put Waddle on the right maybe this left footed right winger business would never have taken off. Look what happened when we first tried it - Fernandes and his crop circles. Would be interested to see the right footed Elia on the right too.