derry

We cannot afford any player playing in the four forwards that is incapable of scoring and making the runs that unsettle defences. Yesterday Davis who is pretty inept and hasn't scored this season, sloppily got Fonte booked with a hospital ball and provided nothing except backwards and sideways. Tadic is nowhere as good as I first thought and now produces little, worse, disappears for long periods and is another that prefers to pass rather than shoot. Our corners even if we scored after one yesterday are hopeless. Koeman must be kicking himself for leaving KD as the only back up goalkeeper after Boruc threw a wobbler. He just isn't a Premier class goalkeeper, being an occasional shot stopper doesn't cut it. Boruc should have been replaced before he was allowed to leave. We are in a good position but need to bring in a cutting edge up front to reinforce Pelle and Mane, plus at least one Premier goalkeeper, if we are to move up in overall class. I personally would like to see Austin brought in up top and at least two regular goal scorers behind. I think objectively Schneiderlin, Clyne and Rodriguez unless they sign contracts will leave for big fees in the summer, which with Tv money, provide funds to purchase replacements and the above.

Pay through the nose time approaching.

We could have refused and made the referee drop for a contested drop ball. I think it should be left to the referee to stop play and restart with a contested drop ball otherwise play on.

clarified by FIFA recently, Barcelona can buy players in the summer but they can't play them until the next window.

The problem has been there for quite a while. The midfielders Davis, Ward-Prowse, Wanyama and Schneiderlin had all stopped making runs preferring to sit behind the ball and in front of the massed defence indulging in possession football often going back to Forster. The service to the front three was poor. Pelle has had the rough end of the stick, yes I know he has snatched at the few real chances but he was always under pressure and isolated. Schneiderlin and Wanyama have three goals each from way back but apart from Schneiderlin's air shot v WBA in recent times no threat at all. JWP and Davis have both squandered gilt edged chances and seem unnerved in front of goal. .. It badly needs the midfielders to run the channels. I'd like to see Djuricic as the third midfielder behind Pelle and two from Mane, Long, Tadic and Elia. Reed for me when he played displayed the dynamism required the others were playing with a very slow tempo. We have to step up the tempo overall.

The ex Saints playing is probably good for us as it will guarantee that the present players will be really up for this one.

Apart from a bit of a snarl up at the traffic lights jct mountbatten way/westquay rd I had no trouble going west. I live locally and avoid the M271 and M27 Jct 3. You will find it a lot easier if you take the A36 through Totton to Ower. Either take the old road or switch to the A326 to cross over the M27 at Ower at the mini roundabout just before Ower.

Elia was bailed out by Forster's save from Austin's deflection. He stayed by the right post as everyone else came out. Austin would have been offside if he had come out. No doubt he will be schooled on that situation. Fonte confirmed that the referee told him that he saw both offences. Onuha jumping in at Forster and the offside when the ball hit Onuha on the head.

No Onuha jumped into him as he was just about to catch the ball.

Several things are required of midfielders, passing, ability to drive forward and score some goals, ability to defend competently. Some of our players possess two of these, Wanyama and Schneiderlin pass well and are good defenders who sometimes can break forward and score the odd goal which makes them outstanding holding midfielders. Reed passes well, defends well and is mobile enough to be a good all round midfielder. Davis and Ward-Prowse fall into an entirely different category. They both are content to just circulate possession and rarely break forward with the intent to do anything other than pass. Neither is a good defender, they just don't go in hard, just try and jockey or nick the ball away. Davis yesterday had the opportunity to clatter Shelvey thirty yards before he eventually hit the post but just let him run, he pulled out of several tackles and just let Shelvey run past him for the goal. IMO we cannot afford to play both of them as their circulation of the ball in front of the opposition usually goes back to the defenders and the goalkeeper to launch. Defensively they are an open door. As an attacking goal threat non existent. Tadic is an enigma. The first dozen games he was brilliant. I get the feeling of brittle confidence, would he be better on the other side or in the middle? It looks like Djuricic is nearly done deal. Mainz have announced going to us but Benfica have to finalise. He could well be the missing link as an AM. Sunday we were far too slow in moving the ball and allowed Swansea to compact their defence. Reed had a good game but the other two were too comfortable passing, we needed the three midfielders to make runs off Pelle but they didn't. Possession doesn't win matches nor does pressure. Dead ball specialists, don't make me laugh, it was disgracefully wasteful.

I was in the South Stand, I left straight after the goal. Was picked up close by and had no trouble at all.

I contacted the ticket office the day after the replay and buying the ST seat online, they confirmed use season ticket.

I've seen them given but that doesn't make it right. My opinion for what it's worth, with the pace of the ball and the short distance involved could Fonte have got out of the way. The key for me he turned his head away and that was all he had time to do. Good decision as was the situation seconds before. Remind me, how many times did Poll book the player in the World Cup without sending him off ?

Get a BT 8500 phone it screens all calls. It gives a message to the caller to identify themselves and press hash. It then rings through giving you the message you then have four options, press 1 receive that number once, 2 stores the number to allow straight through next time, 3 blocks that number for ever, 4 diverts it to the answerphone. Do nothing it goes to answerphone whilst the red button disconnects the caller. All numbers on your contacts list are let straight through. Any unrecognised and unapproved number is automatically screened. £55 from Amazon for two phones.

At least one person who saw what happened. Stupid defending and ridiculous goalkeeping. Good control and a cross straight to a defender who got in a mess. The assist was from the panicking goalkeeper.

I thought he signed a new 5 year contract in 2013?

It may be that the absence of both Bertrand and Clyne with Targett at left back persuaded Koeman that putting McCarthy in against Chelsea at right back would be a bigger risk than Yoshida and going back to a four. With Bertrand back and now Schneiderlin out against Arsenal he could opt for a five with McCarthy at right back and leave Tadic out. We did pretty well against Arsenal with a back four. At least we have the options including Yoshida at right back and Fonte, Alderweireld and Gardos at centre back and Bertrand left back.

I wouldn't swear to it but I thought had to be signed by the previous Sat noon for the FA Cup, ie Sat 27th.

Who do we play on Thurs 8th Jan? I thought the next game after Sun is MU away on Sun 11th Jan.

There was an interesting still photo on the back page of the Sun today. It proved almost conclusively that Fabregas was dragging both feet together over Targett's leg rather than one foot in advance as one would see if an attempt was being made to avoid contact. Ie. Fabregas was making no effort to follow the ball and was going to ground.

It seems the wound became infected but now back training.

Direct from a club physio. The clean up was a setback. Still living your life on the internet.

One thing that did stand out in recent matches and last night and mainly when we haven't played our best back four. The midfielders are no longer running the channels and getting into the box on the burst as they together with the full backs scored plenty of goals. JWP didn't do it once and he was the ten. Passing the ball around without the hard forward runs we were doing early on in the season won't trouble defences.

Duncan, that was a very fair report.

Back to the football. Mane physically has the attributes to be a good player but when it comes to football intelligence he is sadly lacking. He has pace but doesn't know how to use it, trying to dribble inside instead of putting the ball wide and run the defender. He misses all of his goalscoring chances because he lacks awareness and what really hacks me off doesn't close down but sells himself. Last night he was lucky to stay on the pitch as he was against MU. Long was ineffective and offside too often. He also had no service or support. The build ups were laborious allowing SU to get goal side. JWP is not a forward, whose every instinct is to pass not to get at the defence. The team lacked balance because of it. It's no good putting players in positions they don't suit. It is better to put out a balanced team with some lesser players in their correct positions than try to play all the experienced players. Saturday is going to be interesting.