derry

With due respect the 10 position isn't a link up position it is a goalscoring second striker position. The non scoring Davis and JWP are manifestly unsuitable and only add to our difficulties. I can see that Davis and JWP can, provided they don't play at the same time fill a link role in midfield. Neither tackle well or can score so for me we need to replace them. Of those you listed Gaston or Mane are the most suitable. The jury is out on whether Clasie can play there, the Feyenoord Saints think not. Juanmi might be a better bet.

I think the problem might be having to push over to cover the other centre back who meanwhile is trying to cover the out of depth must play youngster.

Personally if he is fit I'd bring Ramirez back into midfield in front of Wanyama/Reed and Romeu with Mane and Tadic, Pelle up front. Put Mane on the right and Tadic on the left. Juanmi with Long if they aren't fit.

The first test will be when the team/formation is announced. If another square peg in a round hole team playing three centre backs in either a 4 or 3 back line is picked and an unbalanced sterile team with both Davis and WP and without Mane, Tadic, I can see the booing start early if the performance hasn't improved.

Maybe we could start by playing him as a striker in the U21 after all it's a development squad so develop. He might find out how to score which might light a spark. Passing sideways sure as hell won't.

I know but it takes time to sink in.

One of the big problems we have is JWP and Davis. We know what Romeu does but putting in JWP and Davis caused the long ball game. Everything they do is slow, sideways and ends up going backwards so the defenders end up with little choice while being closed down but hit it long. We needed at least four or five attackers. Two marked by five doesn't work. No runners from midfield and the two early chances fell to the worst finishers in the EPL, Davis and JWP. If we were going to play three centre backs and Romeu in front picking up one player we could have been innovative by having a go. Tadic at LB, Soares at RB. Juanmi and Reed (tempo} in the middle with Romeu and two from Jayrod/Long/Pelle in the absence of Mane. That would have given Mytylland more of a problem at the back than presented by last nights disaster of a selection. Better to be beaten having a go than this cynical excuse for a team that was never good enough. It's no good hitting balls to Pelle without at least a couple of runners through the back line.

In the seven competitive games this season there has been three or four very poor team and tactic selections. Tonight chasing the game with two goalscorers, one not fully fit was bizarre. JWP and Targett are U21 standard. JWP is slow, negative, unambitious and no dead ball specialist. His delivery was yet again awful. Targett just isn't ready. Juanmi, Long, Mane, Tadic and Soares on the bench, all or most should have played with a normal 4-2-3-1. Going for it with eight non scorers was a joke.

If VVD watched this pathetic display tonight you won't have to worry whether he is good enough.

If that's going for it would somebody tell me what a defensive team would look like. If we don't get through he will get slaughtered and deserves to be.

Thanks. Or the rebound.

After that won't be a lot use:D

You misunderstood I said miss him out and put the ball into the space behind the high press not leave him out. More direct than playing off him and the defenders able to spoil. Any fouls happening to the runners could easily end up in a sending off for the last man.

Mane, Long, JayRod, 2 from 3 chasing the over the top ball and anybody else going for the box. Aston Villa did a good impression of it beating us at SMS in the Pochettino high press era.

If they are going to play a very high line one way to exploit it is pace, with the ball over the top behind the high line and away from the keeper. Not to play the half way house and play up to Pelle, he should be missed out and get into the box as quickly as possible together with runners from midfield on the break and the quick men breaking behind the high line going for the ball first.

Spurs not having a good time:lol:. Moved on from Berahino due to bid being rejected. Either not for sale or not enough. Instalment plan was described as derisory. Now trying for Bayern Munich Korean forward Son, bidding £18m according to Sky. Hardly a big club with loads of money.

Only six days before this farce is over. Maybe it would be better if the transfer window was the first week in july and the first week in January. Be a lot less boring. The tv and press would have a whole lot less time to peddle their stories.

Ok if that's your name otherwise looks like you may have a problem.

The player we weren't ever interested in, fabricated by the Wanyama to Spurs agenda is having a medical at Real Sociedad. On to the next fabrication. RK "nobody is leaving" does it for me. Maybe it's time for clubs to put the hammer down and get together to not allow transfers to EPL clubs after the season has started no matter the dates of the window. Is it 14 to get a rule through?

Mark, those players you are talking about are struggling at the moment and VVD is supposed to be the missing link that gives us a cast iron defence. We played seven defensive players including three centre backs against a promoted team to try and stem the tide. Good as he looks at times there are other times he looks switched off. The Premier is a very unforgiving place and he will be up against some top class opponents. Get Bertrand back, Clasie in a midfield three and it may get a lot better as a team and it may be a lot easier for him to fit in successfully..

Quite! However that's three goals from dead ball situations in the six yd box from Malmo. The DM's would hardly help there.

He lost his marker against the Icelandic team for the goal, it was accepted that he was poor against Kilmarnock and if any of our centre backs had been done in the air in the two games against Malmo in the same way as VVD he'd be slaughtered on here. He may be a talent but the answer, that's a big maybe for me. Especially for £10m. As we are needing an instant solution in defence he will have to hit the ground running. Forgive me for remembering the euphoria of the Liverpool supporters on signing Lovren their defensive answer, but quickly turned on him when he wasn't quite what they thought they were getting. I just hope for his sake he is as good as people are expecting. If he signs for us he may well need time to adapt, time I'm prepared to give him.

This is to try and reinforce the Wanyama to Spurs story. More journalistic bull.

I think his step father was a director of the agency who handled him. He was grossly under developed and needed to serve his apprenticeship. Badly advised. Hodgson did him no favours by giving him a full cap then not good enough to be picked for the U21s last summer. He was all over the place last night. He is not good enough in the air or at reading the game at centre back. Wenger says he sees him as a class defensive midfielder in due course. He has no role models at Arsenal for that. A good move for Saints but I fear that this lad will eventually drop down the leagues.

Ian---- Saint in Paradise has been in New Zealand for a long time. I'm sure he wouldn't mind you sending him a PM.