Turkish

When i looked at the fixture list over xmas i thought we'd do well to get a point. We're two points better off than i thought we'd be. We've played two good sides who are both in form. Fulham, perhaps we should have won but then they'd be thinking the same as well.

Why? It's a geniune question. As usual a lot people missing the point, no one is disputing Lallanas ability. We've had two good results and two good performances against teams bang in form and barring a last minute screamer and a linesmans decision it sould have been 2 wins against a team with the best home record in the country and another team packed full of internationals banging in goals. This isn't just conincidence, it's because as a unit we've looked much more solid unit and a better team, IMO. Which is why i asked the question.

Watch our goal again. Whose interception and pressure on the defender led to it?

I thought that would fairly obvious given my comments about us looking a a more solid and balanced unit with him there. Now, tell us why he was so unimpressive. A lot of people seem to agree with me so I'm interested to know what you think and how you saw it so differently.

I suppose that leads onto another point. Away from home and against the top sides we need that extra defensive strength an balance so is there room for Ramirez and Lallana or is it one or the other? It's fine at home or against the weaker sides, but with them both in the side the teams might exploit it.

Why weren't you impressed with his performance today?

Why not?

What did you think of his performance today?

There were loads of crap boot brands around in the early 90s. The kit manufacturers like Patrick, Hummel, Pony did some. Then there were some really crap ones like Quaser, Brooks, line 7, Arrow, new Balance, hi Tec. I rememeber entering a completion in Shoot magazine to win a pair of New Balance boots because Bryan Robson wore them and I thought they'd be cool to have, they weren't.

Ryan Dickson as well and Jonno, bring them back as not playing would have made them better.

What have thy done to you?

Yep, agree with that. It seemed odd to lose Lallana then shift our other most creative player into a position where he is less effective. Meaning two changes and not one a losing Ramirez effectiveness at the same time.

Do you remember Quaser boots? My mate at work was an apprentice and first team player for Saints in the early ninties. MLT used to wear them and all FA players that were sponsored by Nike, Addidas and so on would get boxes of their decent t-shirts, shorts, track suits efc and MLT would get all this naff Quaser gear.

So you don't think we've looked better defensively with Guly there? I think the support he has given Shaw in the last two games has been excellent. Snuffed out AOC today.

Not really. Lallana is a bit of a golden boy in some fans eyes, yet we've just put in two good performances against two good sides without him and it's noticeable that as a unit we looked better than we have for some time IMO. It's not just any old player we are talking about.

Bring back Puma Kings. Proper football boots!

The flip side of that is that with Lallana there what he isn't is a good defender so we wouldn't have neutralised AOC as well. The last two games Guly has given the protection to the full back we've missed on the left a lot of the season.

We got a point and scored three goals against one of the best defences in Europe, we'd have got all three but for an unbelivable strike injury time. It's a point more than most fans thought we would get at 3pm on Saturday.

Really? Over the 3 games in christmas period we are actually two ahead of where I thought we'd be.

Yes, he's a great player. But have the last two performances proven we are actually a better team without him?

After watching us miss out on three points thanks for a stunning 30 yard injury time equaliser at the one of the hardest away grounds in the country and today play very well and keep team that had been banging in the goals down to one shot on target, it got me thinking this. Now I love Lallana as much as any fan and think hes a great player, but since he's been out and Guly has provided us with some much needed tracking back and cover for the full back as well a reasonable attacking threat, we look a solid unit but also still a threat going forward. it's noticeable that in the last two games we've had little threat from the flanks, somewhere we were always vunerbale when AL is playing. As I say, I'm a big Lallana fan and also believe you should play your best players, however as has been proven many times in the past, the best individuals don't always make the best team and we have certainly looked a better team the last two games against good opposition than we have at anytime this season. What do people think?

There is little doubt that Yoshida and Fonte are forming a decent partnership. It's no coincidence that when Fonte plays alongside Yoshida he looks better. For whatever reason last season I never felt Fonte looked comfortable alongside Hooliveld and this reflected in his performances. Of course Hooliveld was popular last season because he scored a few goals and clapped the fans after every game it in reality as a defender IMO he wasn't up to much, a competent championship defender but no more than that. I said this many times season and this and was told I was wrong. Yoshida has proven to be a good defender and a good signing. We certainly do need another centre back but to get better than we have we are going to need to bring some real quality in, which can only be a good thing.

Cork at right aback is just plain wierd. Not very good there and been a massive influence in midfield.

Why does anyone care what he thinks?

He only needs to look at how Theo and AOC ruined their careers by going to Arsenal to realise he didn't want to make the same mistake.