Professor

If we buy a winger of yet another nationality, fine if he's good, but we may need Paul Whitehouse as an assistant to the manager to help dressing room communications. As for Morgan, if the club does let him go the price will presumably include the loss of chairman, Ralph Schneiderlinisnotforsale Kruguer.

The substitutions at Liverpool could both be attributed to other good reasons, rather than tactical changes. Tadic may not have been considered fit enough to do a full 90 mins and Davis may have been taken of because he had made a few errors.

Unfunny, even for non-Saints' fans, unoriginal and inaccurate. As for the press in general, they do behave as if everyone interested in football is only interested in about 6 teams whereas football fans follow their own team and are probably all as sick as we are of having those same 6 shoved down our throats all the time. A Brighton-supporting friend of mine said he read a press item that claimed to be a report on the Liverpool v Southampton game. He said it was all about Liverpool, with just a final paragraph of two short sentences that mentioned Southampton. He said that if it hadn't been for the heading on the report he would have read nearly all of it without knowing which other team was playing!

Understandable comment. Stephen Davis was excellent last season but his performance at Liverpool was sadly disappointing. But I doubt Koeman will drop him for one poor game because he will not want to damage the confidence of a key player and by keeping the bulk of last season's team in place, he is using consistency to maintain team spirit. Tadic, Pelle, and Bertrand are in as like for like replacements for the departed players, with Gardos to join them when he is fit, which won't be this week. Unless anyone is out for injury, he same starting 11 looks likely at this stage. I'd expect Koeman to give Taider, Long and others an opportunity to force their way into the team by getting some playing time off the bench. Isgrove will probably lose his place on the bench when the new wideman is signed although he could lose it this week if Ramirez is fit and given a chance.

Not really fair on Lovren, or on Tadic because it was the quality of the flick that made the goal. Without criticising Yoshida, if Lovren had been in our team isn't it likely we would have won?

Not really fair on Lovren, or on Tadic because it was the quality of the flick that made the goal. Without criticising Yoshida, if Lovren had been in our team isn't it likely we would have won?

Just possibly, Mr Muse, the critics you decry may well be responsible for the fact that Schneiderlin is still on the books and was in the side against Liverpool. The reality is that the concerns of the critics have largely been met over the last two weeks or so with the signings of Forster, Gardos and Long but the credit for the positive performance must go to Koeman, particularly for his team selection which provided continuity with 7 of last season's players in the starting line-up, 6 of them being regular first choice selections. He may well change the team more over the next few games, Davis for example, might lose his place, but the gradualist approach to change looks very intelligent. The damage is being repaired but with thanks to the Head Coach, not the Board, who created the exodus situation. If we had still had Lovren in the side, that may have made all the difference. Lambert, being on our bench instead of Liverpool's would have helped as well. Shame about the result, but Koeman takes huge credit for a game that could have as easily gone our way as their's.

Just possibly, Mr Muse, the critics you decry may well be responsible for the fact that Schneiderlin is still on the books and was in the side against Liverpool. The reality is that the concerns of the critics have largely been met over the last two weeks or so with the signings of Forster, Gardos and Long but the credit for the positive performance must go to Koeman, particularly for his team selection which provided continuity with 7 of last season's players in the starting line-up, 6 of them being regular first choice selections. He may well change the team more over the next few games, Davis for example, might lose his place, but the gradualist approach to change looks very intelligent. The damage is being repaired but with thanks to the Head Coach, not the Board, who created the exodus situation. If we had still had Lovren in the side, that may have made all the difference. Lambert, being on our bench instead of Liverpool's would have helped as well. Shame about the result, but Koeman takes huge credit for a game that could have as easily gone our way as their's.

Just watched the extended highlights and on that basis have voted for Clyne as our MoM, not just for the goal but for overall performance. Wanyama was good but his mis-hit shot took him below Clyne IMHO. Worried about Davis, who was one of our best players on many occasions last season, but in this game his performance seemed to be peppered with errors just when it mattered, although the foul on him by Sturridge, in the area, that Dave Merrington points out in his commentary, should have resulted in a penalty.

Just watched the extended highlights and on that basis have voted for Clyne as our MoM, not just for the goal but for overall performance. Wanyama was good but his mis-hit shot took him below Clyne IMHO. Worried about Davis, who was one of our best players on many occasions last season, but in this game his performance seemed to be peppered with errors just when it mattered, although the foul on him by Sturridge, in the area, that Dave Merrington points out in his commentary, should have resulted in a penalty.

2-1 away from home to the club that finished runners-up last season is perfectly acceptable and with the report indicating a draw or a Saints' win would have been just as possible indicates there isn't much wrong with the team. Saint Robbie mentions Vlaar or someone similar but Koeman has made it clear that isn't going to happen because we have Gardos to come in when he's fit. A winger who would be better than Isgrove seems a highly probable signing but this is looking far more positive than it was just 2 or 3 weeks ago.

2-1 away from home to the club that finished runners-up last season is perfectly acceptable and with the report indicating a draw or a Saints' win would have been just as possible indicates there isn't much wrong with the team. Saint Robbie mentions Vlaar or someone similar but Koeman has made it clear that isn't going to happen because we have Gardos to come in when he's fit. A winger who would be better than Isgrove seems a highly probable signing but this is looking far more positive than it was just 2 or 3 weeks ago.

Yoshida is what he is, number 3 CB in a Premier League side. To have a full international who has just played in the World Cup in that role is really quite good. You can't have three first choice CBs because one would be constantly dissatisfied with bench-sitting and CB is a position where you rarely bring the sub CB on during a game except only for injury reasons or to protect against a booking. Yoshida seems to have been cast in the role of whipping boy by many fans who just take their lead from others. He certainly isn't rubbish because Japan would not have him as a first choice CB if he was, and Koeman wouldn't be content with him. It's true that he has been prone to make more errors than you would wish but he becomes more experienced as time goes on and he may well be a better player now than he was last season.

Cameron from Stoke NOT at all likely. He's not at a stage of his career where he would come to be understudy, whether at CB or RB, and as Saint Charlie pointed out Koeman made it clear that signing Gardos had not only ended our interest in Vlaar but had closed off the need for any other CB. Maybe Koeman rates Yoshida as an adequate No.3 CB more than people on this forum do. Although Koeman referred to 'one or two' more players that may just have been a figure of speech. If there is to be just a winger, I wonder if Koeman has given some names to Reed based on his continental knowledge rather than someone from another PL club.

The manager didn't 'walk out on top of the players', he was first through the door. It's true that Lambert was past his sell-buy date and selling him was probably in the forward plan, but ultimately, the timing was a serious error, letting him go while we had no manager and contrary to the stated policy of the club at that time. The club's board lost the support of many fans by making statements that later appeared to have been less than honest and by failing to live up to the claim by Les Reed that a string of good players were keen to come here. As it is, good players have come in but appear to have been sourced in other ways such as Koeman's past contacts and from the Osvaldo deal. With two players here on loan and starting the season with a weakened back four we may come out of this with a team that is as good or better than last year and a coach who is better than Pochettino. It's far too soon to try to judge how effective the rebuilding has been and whether it took place early enough to make a good start this year. We will only know as the results come in over the coming weeks.

Although I still believe the club made a serious error in selling Lambert when they did, because it set the precedent that others could see themselves following, the players that have come in have the potential to make the team as good if not better, than last year. Integration is an issue, but is an issue for Liverpool as well and I would back Koeman against Rogers as the better coach. My feeling is that Koeman will try to include as much continuity in his team selection as possible while bedding players in, and for that reason I'd expect to see Schneiderlin, Wanyama, Davis and JWP in the starting 11. With Fonte and Clyne that would mean 6 of the team still being regulars from last season and not the upheaval that the pundits are expecting. If you then consider Forster as being better than Boruk, Bertrand as good as Shaw, Tadic as good, if not better, than Lallana and Pelle better than Lambert, the only weakness is Yoshida in comparison to Lovren, while standing in for Gardos. That looks promising for the future and a side capable of a result against an unsettled Liverpool team.

Its been said that the BBC know that Neville (P) isn't up to the role and that he's been given additional advice and training after his poor performance during the WC. In any other walk of life he'd have been shown the door. It's time the broadcast media came to realise that former footballers are not the right people to act as football journalists because the role requires entirely different skills. At least Sky have realised that David Beckham is an utter plank and although they want to use his PR image in their advertising the advertising agency don't let him speak. Neville doesn't even have image to rely on so why he is being used is inexplicable.

Koeman's frankness and honesty has been a breath of fresh air. When he is asked questions you might expect him to try to avoid, he doesn't and instead he answers them. This man could be the best manager Saints have had for a very long time. Ultimately, many people will judge him on results but he can only work with the players he is given and if he gets the best out of them a top half finish will be a very good start to his first three years. The future will then depend on whether the board have the determination to support him.

With Koeman ruling out Vlaar because we have Gardos, this thread might be best closed.

Lovren won't care about Liverpool any more than he cared about Southampton. To him we are all just Money Mines in a foreign land. He'd play for Newport IW FC if he could earn more than he will at Liverpool. Saints' fans should forget about him. He was here such a short time, it shouldn't be difficult.

I find predictions a bit pointless but pundits are expected to make them and any neutral would surely assume a Liverpool win on Sunday. Guessing the result is one thing but predictions of the actual scores are far less likely to be accurate. Merson was required to try, so he's had a go but because he clearly knows little about the players Saints have brought in, he has assumed our team will not score at all. That's where his prediction is less likely to correct even if the result matches his expectation.

Few fans would disagree that filling he gap left by Lovren is the most crucial, especially because the back-up was already weak. It would be interesting to know if Gardos was already on Les Reed's list or whether he has only come into the frame since Lovren lost his head.

The team turning out in Southampton colours is not going to look anything like the Saints. Continuity has been one of the factors welding the club and its fans together but the team that will be on the pitch against Liverpool will be unrecognisable. I'm hearing quite a few people I know, who would normally go to most home games, saying they aren't going to bother. Whether that is true will be shown one way or the other by the gates at the first few home games.

Oh dear, you are having bad day Goatboy. I was under the impression that he does play CB and that at £6m our scouting team must rate him above Yoshida, who most fans would acknowledge has weaknesses. My question is whether he is a specialist CB or whether he still operates as DFM as well. I have no idea, do you? If so, how about giving us the benefit of your knowledge rather than just sniping.

Try cutting your income by 20% and see how that feels! But Saint George was making a debating point and it clearly hit a nerve, as well as being quite amusing......