Graffito

Thanks for the nice photos. He's looking very well for 73 isn't he?

Constructive criticism is fair enough but I find unnecessary the constant scapegoating that goes on. I have an image of such posters; either scrawny sparrows legs or chubby little nazis who were always last to get picked for the kick abouts at school. None of our players is without shortcomings but for goodness sake have you never heard of form and confidence?

Rodrigues had a poor first half but, and it's a big but, he played Gabbiadini in for his goal. It was the kind of ball our midfield failed to play all match yet which Gabbiadini and Long were looking for. Oh and comparing JR's performance to Ali Dia is just plain ridiculous.

We lost that in midfield, not agressive enough, neither in tactics nor in play. In fact, there was a lack of aggression in all departments. An extra 5% might have won us the match. Sitting back and ceding midfield, incomprehensible to me, meant we didn't get the ball wide enough, quickly enough, to attack their dodgy full backs. Gabbiadini took his goal brilliantly. Great power in the shot. He was looking for the early ball but rarely got it. Don't know if anyone remembers a newspaper interview with Romeu of a couple of months ago. He was saying what he'd learnt from Guardiola. He mentioned a piece of advice which was always to look for the long pass. If you look for the long pass you'll see both the long and short pass. If the long pass isn't on you have the short option. If look only for the short pass that's all you'll see and the long pass goes begging. How often this season have we looked long.

Whatever happened to the points system Saints introduced?

No intention to build up West Ham more than they warrant here, after all they were dire on Wednesday, but given our CB issues it's worth remembering that their aerial threat is not only Carroll but also Antonio who has scored a lot of headed goals this season. Expect they might try to isolate our full backs aerially. What we might lose in height by moving Bertrand to CB we would gain in height at full back with McQueen. Nevertheless, My gut feeling is to leave Bertrand at fullback and play Yoshida and one of the other two CB's and concentrate on winning midfield and cutting out the supply.

I think the CB situation is a worry but agree completely about DM. Some of us, you may have been one, recognised this a while ago. If anyone was left in any doubt about the our reliance on OR this would have been dispelled by the debacle against Arsenal when we had no ball winner in midfield. West Ham struggled in that department against City last night. I expect they'll put that right on Saturday and expect Kouyate to play.

As long as he doesn't play like Sid the Sloth.....

For those that were saying the Fonte sale was good business, now you know why you can't make such judgements without having seen the quality of the replacement. So, the way it's turned out, we've sold our captain and a lynchpin of the team, to a rival, mid-season, with a rare cup final coming up, failed to replace him, and all for the sake of a few months on a contract and a bit of careful ego management. I hope Reed provides the fans with an explanation and doesn't leave it to Puel to face the music.

This, more or less, sadly. I learned a lot from that performance, as I suspect Puel did. I could explain what I learned but I can't be arsed. I will just say this, it's late in the window, we don't know where we stand in negotiations but presumably Puel does, consider what would have happened if any of what remains of the spine of our team had played and had got injured in that match. We could have been left with some or all of what was out there today for forthcoming fixtures including potentially a cup final.

Football must be very confusing in China with everyone wearing red shirts.

I don't recall too much about matches way back but I do remember there was a great atmosphere in the Dell that night. 3,500 should be able to make enough noise for us tomorrow night.

In real time all I saw was Vardy pushing over VVD. I'm told by someone watching on Sky that Vardy deliberately stamped on him. Anyone come across footage?

If you want to see a very (Hasidic) Jewish area, visit Stamford Hill just south of Tottenham High Rd.

Return trains from London £30? You must have bought your tickets months ago.

TBH I feel a little bit sorry for the bloke. Aside from the lack of time he's had to prepare teams for matches and get his ideas across you wonder whether there is a communications problem, either with having to go through Black or with his language skills. I read that he works such long hours he hasn't found time for language lessons. I think he should have found time for language lessons. Communication is vital, including with the media so as to keep us whinging fans on side. The likes of Koeman understood only too well the benefits of promoting your "personal brand" before moving on to the next "project". In a way I respect that Puel has devoted his time to the squad and appears to have little time for PR. I feel the club could help him out a bit there.

We will know whether this is good business or not only once we have seen the quality of Fonte's replacement.

Football's not perfect but I don't know what I'd do without it. First playing and supporting Saints, now just supporting and following football. It's been my life since I was a small boy. What I would be doing without it. Going around Sainsbury's with Mrs G probably. Nice but, ya know. Some will disagree but I think all this angst is mostly because we're not winning. Get to Wembley and everything will look more positive.

“We are honest and transparent. If Sadio Mane wants to go to Liverpool and we get £33m, we have to do it. One of my tasks is to make it clear to the fans.” Away you go Ralph. I'm all ears.

As I recall, the Portugal defence improved when Fonte came into the team. In any event I think Fonte's qualities include leadership and organisation. Actually, I think we have missed these qualities this season. Puel really needed a motivated captain as a key link between him and the players. I'm leaving aside the rights and wrongs of the situation but just highlighting something I think we've missed this season and it's been damaging. Finally, why the sarcasm? Genuinely, is it really warranted?

He won the European Championships barely six months ago. Maybe that's his level. He didn't have Toby and Lovren with him then. By the way, Lovren's has been pretty inept for much of his time at Liverpool.

So do West Ham. And their's is actually expert.

Couldn't go today so thanks for that. Kind of conforms to what I gleaned from the radio commentary.

Just listened to the Reed interview. Unless I'm missing something, it's not crystal clear whether they made the offer of an extra year at the same time as they made the offer of a pay increase. Reed is talking about a new offer 6 months from Fonte signing his existing contract in October 15? That would be April 2016. Maybe need to listen again but it's possible they made the pay increase offer first and the extension was offered later, maybe recently. If so, Fonte wasn't lying but someone is perhaps being economical with the truth.

John Murray on 5 Live "...as the famous Spurs song (OWTS) rings around WHL"...Nice one kn@bhead.