derry

Just watching the Leicester game and the thought struck me with the similarities of Vardy and Mane that if Vardy was at Saints would Koeman play him wide. Maybe we are losing out playing a big immobile lump up front on his own. I'd like to see Mane up front in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3.

I quite like him and think he is a decent manager however I do think he tinkers with formations too much. I'm not a lover of three centre backs because they don't do it enough and are much more used to being a pair which seems to cause problems because of the unfamiliarity. For the goal on Saturday Fonte was pulled over to our left and VVD and Soares were ball watching allowing Cabaye to slip in behind them for an open goal. I'm don't like his over cautious selections and think he errs on the negative, for example picking five defenders and three holding midfielders leaving only Long and Mane as attackers. Bringing on JWP who hasn't scored in four years when we are chasing the game, needing a goal was crass. I would have thought it was time to go for broke either bring on Juanmi or/and push VVD up front for the last ten minutes.

After Cabaye laid off the ball he moved away to the left around the back of our defence and wasn't picked up because the spare defenders, VVD and Soares were ball watching, not for the first time, and never checked behind them. That allowed Cabaye to slip in behind the defence for a tap in.

What we need is a player that can score goals and manufacture goals in the goal mouth then play to him. If that leaves Pelle on the bench, so be it. We also need to be more positive from midfield, anybody who can't make runs and support the strikers whilst getting some goals in the process need to go. We don't need five defenders and three holding midfielders, then when chasing the game swop a holding midfielder who scored last week for one who has never scored from play in four seasons. Charlie Austin if he can pass the medical.

What I can say about Davis and JWP is they are not attacking midfielders. Davis might get the odd goal, but it is only 2 in 19 this season when did he score before that? Maybe we should parcel up JWP, Davis and Wanyama and move them on for a couple of powerful attacking midfielders that can score like Wijnaldum does. Tadic is another that openly says he prefers to pass rather than score, somebody needs to disillusion him and set him a target. It's no good filling the midfield with slow possession oriented midfielders, we need quick powerful players running the channels and pulling defenders around. Static in the middle, slow to attack and only Mane making runs usually down mass defended blind alleys means we are struggling to score. Where did this shoot by side footing come from? put the boot through the ball and keep it down, that's where the power comes from.

Very sound game from Gazzaniga. good kicking, very good distribution, some outstanding saves, Why did we ever play KD ahead of him this season. The team selection was original but worked reasonably well if a bit toothless. It was a pretty high tempo game and that goal was enough. Twenty five minutes to go Koeman decided to give it a go however Pelle looks ineffective and has the ball control of an elephant. Tadic ran round in ever decreasing circles and Mane looked like he was playing on ice the number of times he slipped over. Long got into two really good positions but lacked the skill to score. Having said that Palace defended as if their lives depended on it and worked hard against us. So there we were ten minutes to go and Koeman turns to Square ball and back passing expert JWP to add to the momentum. Six square and backwards passes later one forward pass into the box and it was all over. While Ramirez is here and in full training trying to save a game bringing on JWP is crass.

Glad you brought that up, when Swansea beat us here last season Davis twice let Shelvey go, first time he hit the far post, second time he scored. Davis just gave up both times. Against Everton he let Miralles go for the Lukaku winner and numerous times he was the nearest man to the shooter and turned his back or ducked under the ball.

Targett put in a nice free kick last night, into the danger area between the GK and defenders and attackers inside the far post bending in.

He looked like a holding midfielder should. Held his position in front of the centre backs and didn't wander looked much more effective than any two this year wandering and leaving a gap. I think we could afford to play romeu as a single holding player with maybe Wanyama and Clasie in the middle with a mobile three in front, three from Mane, Pelle, Long, Juanme and Tadic..

So what are JWP's , Davis's and Wanyama's figure especially as Davis usually lines up between Mane and Tadic behind Pelle.

A lot better than Wednesday which meant it wasn't a debacle, against a team that had taken two points in thirteen games. Scrambled goal from a scuffed corner, really turned it around.

It's easy to talk a good game, Davis and JWP do regularly but it never translates onto the field. I'm not interested in false optimism only realism and I'm not impressed with Koeman's changing formation debacles and like for like or worse substitutions trying to get a result which more often than not make things worse.

Maybe we should keep Long and look for a lung bursting midfielder that will give us a runner from midfield and wants to score goals. I'm sick and tired of our limited backwards and sideways midfielders that float around. The only time Davis made a break this season he scored. We haven't seen it since. Mostly its admire the pass and see what happens with the outnumbered forwards.

JWP would probably passed it backwards, not played a one touch play in. Nice header for Mane's equaliser at Liverpool.

The transfer window is close and the agents are talking to clubs to try and make money. You would have thought that would have brought on great performances except it might cause injuries.

Then get left out in the finals, dream on. His last game was a mess until the Sunderland lad game on and turned it around in fifteen minutes including getting JWP a penalty in the process.

If we are to move forward we have to bring in midfielders that can get forward on the break and score goals as Wijnaldum did for Newcastle, not pass it backwards and sideways slowing the momentum. Davis, JWP, Clasie and Wanyama by not scoring enough goals are holding us back. JWP hasn't scored in play in four seasons, forget it, he isn't going to start now, he needs replacing with somebody who wants to score. We are very limited with only two players that get goals as Tadic rarely does either.

As it happens I was checking the time as it was brought up by a mate just before the board was held up that referees don't allow accurate extra time in injury time if there are stoppages after ninety minutes. Out of interest I then checked. I always time the second half 45 minutes so I can have an accurate finish time and can add the injury time as the stadium clock stops at 90 mins. The injury at the Chapel end took 1 min 56 secs before play resumed and there was a substitution which made just under two and a half minutes the game ended after six minutes and ten seconds not the required seven minutes twenty six seconds. As for the watch it is radio controlled and as accurate as you can find anywhere to the second.

No he didn't, he gave five minutes injury time at the end, of that there was one injury in injury time that took two additional minutes to resolve plus a substitution which equated to seven and a half minutes, he was about one minute twenty seconds short of that.

JWP ever since his first game has been over hyped by both Saints and England. As far as I am concerned he is almost the biggest con in football. He has done little in the last two seasons to even earn a place which just seems to come his way by rote. He has in fact gone backwards. His much vaunted dead ball delivery is a commentators myth, his shooting is a joke because he can't shoot but attempts a side foot lacking the power required. He is slow, won't run with the ball and plays sideways and backwards as a first choice. His tackling is innocuous and plays like the original seven stone weakling. It seems U21 is his level.

I'm not impressed by our loaning out. Only Turnbull and McCarthy are getting a game. Stephens and Gallagher are just training with Championship teams. They would be much better if they came back or went to a club that played them.

Plus play three in the middle not 4-2-3-1 with Romeu holding freeing Wanyama and possibly Davis/Tadic to get forward.

Leicester playing 4-4-2 and topping the league. Commentator says the difference is the numbers getting into the box and pace up front.

The chances we created were snatched at except for Wanyama leaning back and side footing over the top. JWP pass to Guzan, Pelle diving header, sort of, were poor efforts otherwise we were always a bit late. The midfield is hopeless, if in the longer term we want to get better we have to get a couple of quick midfielders that can drive forward and support Pelle plus score a few goals. As long as they are here we can't afford Davis and JWP together in midfield, we are far too slow. Romeu looked the part but seems more comfortable as a single holding player than in a pair. Juanmi was an improvement and looks a good footballer trying to fit in, nice to see him put his foot through the ball. Whatever we play, Mane needs to play up front closer to Pelle or Long. Maybe time for Juanmi to get more time. We were hardly threatened today by a really poor side. I hope Koeman gets it worked out before Palace and Spurs. More of the same won't work.

Precisely. As for Davis he nearly closes down, nearly tackles but mostly doesn't, mostly just unloads the ball even if colleague is already marked, rarely scores and just doesn't do it for me. JWP is even worse. As for Koeman picking them, he also picked the three at the back on Wednesday, how did that go? and some bizarre failed team selections early in the season. On Wednesday Davis and JWP in midfield were non existent.