derry

I don't get the Sun but I understand it was in there, nuff said. Not on OS. If Davis is a liability, if he has to play isn't he still a liability? I think Gazzaniga is better than Boruc, who was awful against WHU and was at best average against Spurs. He might be 20 but he is cool headed, kicks well and is a good all round keeper. He should be playing for us. He had no chance with either of the goals v Fulham and was in the right position to save if Hooiveld hadn't deflected the second goal past him and the first was going wide until Hooiveld sliced it into our net.

If this is true, Adkins is a twit. We need three keepers, but if anyone should go on loan, let Davis go back to a level he can play at. Gazzaniga is better than Boruc who moves like an old man.

We still need to get some results under our belts. I think that the unforgiving demands of the Premier is undoing some of our stars who were able to coast a bit but now nothing less than 100% concentration is punished defensively. I'm not a lover of the mania to play 100 slow motion consecutive passes in our own half then give the ball away to the opposition who attack with pace and movement. I think we were much more effective in the last half hour and played some really sharp football which I really enjoyed. I didn't really enjoy us being cut to pieces for half an hour in the first half.

Conversely Mayuka shut Bale out of the game with his tracking allied to his threat. He seemed to be thinking ahead and seemed to drop into a covering position early.

I watched Lallana yesterday from a defensive point of view, he wasn't alone, Puncheon was equally culpable. On the occasions that Lallana was sprinting back trying to get into a defensive positions he had spent a period walking/trotting watching the play going on near the ball, in other words ball watching before spotting the danger developing and setting off belatedly. The danger was there to see but it wasn't registering, he needed to drop into the defensive slot or pick up the relevant opponent before the ball was switched into that area rather than twenty seconds later busting a gut to make little difference. The defensive coaching isn't up to the mark and players need when not active to read the next probability and just go there before they are needed. That's how good defences compact and are difficult to break down. As somebody said on another thread, the back four don't pivot quickly enough when the attack is switched to the other side and the midfielders often don't drop into a position to present a defence in depth to the attacking side. The redundant full back has to immediately get back to cover the two centre backs who are the pivot, while the previously covering full back advances to meet the threat, at the same time midfielders get across to screen the three rear defenders goalside blocking the new threat. It needs anticipation from those players not close to the ball to move to counter a switch that is likely to happen rather than not anticipating and busting a gut, too little too late.

When I'm in an area containing speed cameras I set the cruise control at the speed limit and let it take me through the camera.

I think Reeves is a revelation. I believe he is 20, he has a high tempo, I think he is worth a go. He looked good in midfield but I was really impressed with his tempo, tackling, and movement, he is an excellent passer with either foot. He put in a first class cross for a goal on the far post v MU U21s after being put in on the overlap by SDR. SDR had a part in all three of our goals in that game. (Obviously not enough for Adkins who was at the game)

Gazzaniga, Clyne, Fonte, Yoshida, Reeves; Ramirez, Schneiderlin, Lallana; Mayuka, Lambert, Rodriguez.

He makes the 433 work with three strikers. A far better player than Puncheon and his anticipation for covering his full back was also good. He should have been in from the moment he signed. He doesn't need to bed in. As for the bench I think DeRidder should always be one of the 7 because of his pace. If we need to change games he would be more use than introducing another square passer.

It will probably be a reserve based team but I would like to see the team that finished on Sunday with Gazzaniga for Boruc, play with a view to seeing whether it could be a starter for WBA presuming that Ramirez is unavailable. Gazzaniga, Clyne, Fonte, Yoshida, Reeves, Guly, Schneiderlin, Lallana, Mayuka, Lambert, Rodriguez. I would also like to see DeRidder on the bench.

At that time he wanted to play with Harding and I presume that is what happened until Fox arrived. Lallana really needs to look at his defensive duties. He is a liability defensively in the Premier because he isn't disciplined enough to get back into a covering position before the ball is on it's way. Fox isn't the best defender so it needs both of them covering that area Spurs murdered us in yesterday.

It's not the system, it's the players being comfortable, The change worked because 433 was natural with three strikers and was even better with Guly, Schneiderlin and Lallana although Davis holding and Schneiderlin attacking was an improvement but really only because the introduction of Mayuka turned the system from a one legged duck into a swan. It's all about using the system that the players fit into naturally, just picking a system and putting in players to make up a pattern never works unless the players suit the system.

Lallana has never liked playing with him. I think that has done for him here. That came from a family member not long after he arrived. He was never really given a chance.

I wish I'd thought of that, genius. Seriously Bill, I just don't think our coaching is that good, especially defensively, we need to get a top class man in to advise, Ron suggested Gary Neville or someone of his ilk. As for Clyne and it also applies to Fox. They are always facing the wrong way so have no way of challenging the attacker. Both face inwards so that the attacker is attacking the ball over the top of them. Clyne needed to be facing outwards towards the dugout watching the ball coming in, in front of him, so that he was then in a position to attack the ball and possibly clatter Bale in the process. I saw nothing yesterday from Bale going in where he might get clattered. Under a determined challenge he wouldn't have had a free header. I thought Boruc was a bit ponderous and I much prefer Gazzaniga. One thing I thought was crass, yesterday was at the start of injury time fighting for an equaliser and every second vital, Lallana, Schneiderlin and a couple of others surrounded the referee over a meaningless free kick to Tottenham and wasted at least 30 secs arguing. Referees don't change their minds, they need a sharp kick up the backside, it was our time they were wasting, I bet the Tottenham players were laughing at our lack of nous..

The first hour was a nonsense. There were several major problems. Davis and Schneiderlin are too negative to play together. On a couple of occasions at 0-2 we were attacking and Davis just didn't bother to make the run into the box just strolling and watching. I can't believe that Lallana has been coached on defending since he was a kid. Attack wise he can be at times frustrating taking an extra touch but at other times he can be a genius. Defensively he is pretty hopeless because he isn't reading the game. Yes he does make the effort to get back but mostly too little too late and the damage is done. If he would just look around instead of standing ball watching he might see the area he has to get into to help the defence. It's no good having to run 30 yds and not get there in time when 10 secs earlier he could have dropped into the defensive slot in time to close down an attack. Puncheon was just as culpable and neither full back received the help they had a right to expect. The change after an hour bringing Mayuka on and playing three strikers was the right call. Mayuka looks a good player and quick. Bringing Guly on for Davis gave us an attacking midfielder and Reeves looked a breath of fresh air, really lively. We looked a different team, positive and difficult to handle. The Spurs wide men and full backs had their hands full so were only attacking on the break. I know they were trying to close out the game but even so as Adkins said we just ran out of time. I just don't see how Boruc is preferred to Gazzaniga. I'd like to see this team start the next game. What was interesting and something I've always advocated leaving three strikers up at defensive corners which left us seven to defend against three rather than have a box with about eighteen players crowded into it. At half time I just thought we were going to get a hammering. After the game it almost felt like a win after we battered them for twenty minutes. Maybe even play this team at Leeds.

How many goals has he scored though. £7m for a non scoring striker doesn't cut the mustard no matter how pretty he plays. He's paid to hit the back of the net. Lambert does and is a clever player, Lamberts goals could keep us up but Rodriguez's lack of them will relegate us. For vital penalties I want Lambert taking them not Rodriguez whose only penalty so far was poor/ lucky.

The only game I've seen this season that we have looked competent is the 441/1 that we played v Villa with Clyne supporting the attacking 4 who were interchanging well. The players looked comfortable.

Try reading it again. Isolating had nothing to do with football but in the sense of Lambert being left out of the squad.

Lambert is a big man in football terms, we need to keep him match fit. The more he plays the fitter he gets. If we keep leaving him out he won't be sharper just less fit. All the training in the world doesn't give match fitness. He should play all the league matches unless there is an injury problem. If we get a vital penalty in injury time I want Lambert taking it, not some rabbit in the headlights tapping it to the goalkeeper.

It could be this ridiculous 'policy' to play only 433. It doesn't really work for Lambert. he is a clever footballer not a front running workhorse. He is also the best goalscorer we have. We need him in tandem with another striker plus pace at least on one side. It may be that Adkins always intended to call him in after isolating him. I hope they have come to terms because he is the one player that can score goals. We need him more than he needs us.

I was waiting on the first tee this morning, somebody I know well, that is well connected Saintswise, was in the group behind, he came up for a chat knowing I thought Adkins shouldn't be replaced but that's another story. What he did say, which I found astounding, as I think that Saints always spend the night before an away match in a local hotel near to the venue, was that Lambert was at home on Saturday morning. Can anyone throw any light on this?

It wasn't the reason he and Wally Downes were suspended after the Bristol Rovers game. That is what Cortese said after being placed in an impossible position.

Adkins was my first choice as a replacement for Pardew at the time. He has all in all done a terrific job. This year was always going to be difficult so the very least that should happen is to give him the time to turn it around. I don't like some of the things he does but he is the one that has to do the job. If the worst happens there is nobody better to manage us in the Championship but I hope it won't come to that.

We now hold the record for the most goals conceded in the first eight games.

I'm all for equality, for a start prison sentencing should be the same.