NickG

Listen to his post match interview - excited, happy and praise for club and fans

Wow! Not even convinced he was the best CB last season, let alone ever! Very good player, didn't think as good when he was played at RB. I think VVD is better in most aspects of his game, certainly more commanding, better in the air, better dribbling out of defence and attacking.

Along with Mane not worth the fee we paid, relegation battle, not replacing players left, etc

Think VVD is better player than Toby A.

JWP about 5 years younger than Cork, already has more prem apps, and for a better team.

Maybe unless it's extra points for good English bloke who runs around a lot, then no I was right (Not slagging Cork off, decent for us, seems nice bloke etc, just doesn't have the ability of any of others listed)

Wanyama, Romeu, Classie, JWP, Davis - all comfortably better than Cork.

God, glad we aren't palace & in relegation battle... 11th !

Still pleased? I've not used a watch for a while and tempted to go for one of these as I cycle a fair bit. I'm between the Charge HR, Surge or Blaze - but not seen them in the flesh yet.

Pulled 6 points away from Norwich and Bournemouth in last 6 games, (2nd in current form). You maybe right....but think we will be ok

1) not worth getting worried about facts that may well be made up. 2) and ones you can't control! 3) his transfer fee was not high, for a forward compared with many others performing a lot worse 4) people moan when squad isn't big, no quality cover, we should only have first team standard players...then moan that we waste money on squad players....can't win! (Like all moaning that we need 4 CBs then saying one is waste of money because 4th choice doesn't play much lol!) 5) he is the hardest working, best attitude player you could hope for. I know running around isn't everything (I would try hard if picked) but he makes huge difference to how we play with his work rate.

Really pleased for Tadic, gets way too much unwarranted stick on here, strong physical finish

You start by wanting to be factual only, then do the opposite! No we did not win those games, but neither are we in relegation zone or just above it. Our current slump shows no sign of ending? Last home game? Did that look like team totally incapable of turning slump into 5 home wins? Other teams putting together good runs? Newcastle? Sunderland? Swansea? Villa? Everton? Lack of activity in window? How long has it been open? How many good signings have there been?

40/1to be relegated. 18/1for top 6 Fair chance for any team in relegation battle to go down, so suggest anyone who thinks we are places a bet! We have decent goal difference, including that we are closer to 7th than a relegation place. In my opinion, we have better team & squad than all teams below us bar Chelsea, therefore it is likely over 2nd half of season we will do better (and am already ahead). I do not think it is rational to view us as relegation contenders, mid table more likely. Get in a slump, lose confidence we may get dragged down, but don't see it as big risk (same applies to Everton / WBA). Equally think we are good enough (eg v Arsenal, Pelle back in form etc) to have good run and climb. Table is best indicator, plus form tables but also goal difference)

at least you gave Mane a few more games last season, before deciding he was a waste of money and the fee we had paid was a joke! (and notice you saying less than year later doubling our money would be disappointing) My view - Virgil will prove to be significantly better than Toby. I think Toby was very good - but maybe not at the level some on here build him up to. I think Lovren did some more impressive defending and was quicker. Toby looked classier. Admittedly some of Toby's worse appearances were at RB. I was disappointed we didn't get Virgil last summer, think he had more potential than Toby. Toby impressed, think Virgil will impress more. Early impressions are that Virgil will be a stronger, more solid, bigger? defender, better dribbling and shooting - but maybe Toby more assured on the ball and passing. Early days though.

Cork seems nice bloke, was never disappointed to see him in the side, and the return of his partnership with Schneiderlin certainly improved us. I wouldn't want any of my views, that I feel he is a limited player, to be read as knocking him as a person, feeling he didn't work hard, or criticising him for moving on. Two points though; 1) I don't think Koeman is as rigid in his formation as MP was. I don't think he wants to side by side defensive midfielders all of the time, hence the desire for someone who adds a bit more than Cork and generally tidy / sideways play. 2) with JWP 's improved physical game during recent home games I can't see anything Cork offers over him. I suspect, if Cork was still here, that Koeman would pick these ahead of him 1) Wanyama 2) JWP 3) Classie 4) Romeu 5) Davis And possibly Harrison Reid. Don't think we miss him at all. I hope he does well, and improves.

I appreciated him today, particularly his marking for corners Watched, to see what I miss as don't seem to rate him as highly as others. Saw trademark sideways passes, totally outclassed by JWP and Wanyama. Only one game I know, but think he would struggle for the bench with everyone fit if was still here.

Think there is a difference between rivals and clubs that pay same wages. Clearly last season Liverpool and Spurs were our closest rivals - they were only clubs we were directly competing against for a Europa place They , therefore are likely to be our clubs rivals this season as we are ambitious It doesn't mean we have more history, bigger club or whatever silly comparison is used. In sporting terms, we are rivals They may pay a lot more, attract our/better players and we may not be able to compete in the future, and our rivals maybe lower - perhaps the way to stop that is not to sell to our rivals like Spurs? (Hate all the 'bigger' club stuff, nobody knows how you measure it and it counts for nothing (Leeds) league standing is what counts, it is asport after all not a who has biggest sponsorships competition etc )

Trust me, they are not crap signings and you should look forward to the season ... 29 August Two away draws, Poor Everton performance, although even that could have been very different if bit of early luck. Our new midfield will be good, once all fit and settled. Leagues best left back fit in three weeks. Lost best midfielder in league, but we haven't made crap signings

Wonder when we got to the level that signing a midfielder who is current international midfielder for Holland (playing 90 mins when winning 3rd place) a young forward who has played for Spain, a fullback who has played for Portugal, a young central midfielder who has played for Chelsea, gk played in world cup.. Were all crap signings for us??!! Really wonder about some on here! At least can rely on the annual rant from alpine (moaning about crap window, then we out perform, then moan that previously criticised players should have done even better lol)

He did give 100%, and seems likable fella. Unfortunately his 100% made him a fraction the player of Wanyama or schneiderlin , so he was always only going to be their enthusiastic back up...with both our last two managers

Was this really only half a season ago?

As you thought the £10m we paid was too high ("a joke") if we can get our money back surely worth doing?

I agree. It is also worth remembering we had one player on the prem team of the season - and he was defensive. It wasn't Toby or Morgan, but Bertrand who I believe is due back soon and was covered by a not 100% young player. If you add Bertrand to the weekend's team it improves hugely. If you add one of Classie or Romeu it improves a lot. Add new CB....? It's the nonsense of the transfer window, if all business done before start of season, as sure clubs want then potentially they would be without Stones, we have settled side and new CB....different result?

Forster Cedric Fonte new CB Bertand Wanyama Romeu Clasie Mane Pelle JayRod /Tadic Would take us back, quite quickly, to a solid defence, imho Appreciate injuries etc, but Saturday gave a lot of reason for boredom or disappointment, but none for panic. Koeman got it wrong, we were stretched with injuries and sickness, however - small margins, if Mane had got one of early chances the shape of the game would have been different.