Graffito

I'm not so sure the game plan was to sit back and play for a draw. I think Saints just didn't have the same quality in midfield that Liverpool has. As a consequence, Saints never created a platform from which to create chances. I also thought Liverpool were really good when they didn't have the ball, closing down quickly and turning us over.

Liverpool beat palace 2-4. Pardew put that down, in part, to palace sitting back and allowing Liverpool to attack. The point is Liverpool are strong in attack and much weaker in defence. Putting as much pressure as possible on their defence seems like a sensible game plan, especially if a Lallana and Coutinho are out.

So Shearer and Murphy think Hull thoroughly deserved the result. Well I thought they were one of the worst sides I've seen in a long time. We brought the result on ourselves. They were entitled to the win by virtue of their two goals to our one but they didn't deserve it.

I'm up here already. It's cold and wet. Come prepared.

This is a great piece by Daniel Taylor and I urge everyone to read it.

Out of the country so didn't see it but sounds like we were done up like kippers, not for the first time at home by that lot. A good team and its only three points so no need to over analyse it. We can't win every game so losing to the better sides is preferable to dropping points against Watford and Sunderland.

Looking back at that team, it should have walked L1.

You should, we played well again.

As well you didn't mention the popcorn then. I met West Ham friends before the match. Exact same points made. Also the London branding isn't going down well. They don't care about the extra revenue. Being in the upper tier reminded me of the top tier at Wembley, which in one way is worse because Wembley is supposedly a purpose built football stadium. Sadly, it's all about the money.

https://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/restaurants/london/thelordaberconwayliverpoolstreetlondon/drinks Don't drink it myself but it's mentioned here.

My preferred location too. The Wetherspoons, Hamilton Hall, is fine. The Lord Aberconway is a decent pub for ale.

Thanks for the summary. More user friendly than listening, though I must say CP's english is improving. CP strikes me as an intelligent man hampered somewhat by having to express himself in english but I respect the fact that he has tackled the press conferences head on in English, unlike Pochettino. You got the job for every press conference if you want it but I think you won't be needed by Christmas.

That'll stick.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/ronald-koeman-never-took-risk-8859889

Sparta were more of a threat down our left than down our right. Whatever may have been the reason for that, the relative strengths and weaknesses of their players and ours or instructions from our manager to Martina to get forward, Martina was not tested defensively and, unlike Targett, he was able to provide the kind of threat from wide areas that we have been missing this season. Martina's was a motm performance. I'll be disappointed if he and Bertrand don't play on Sunday.

English teams win more points after EL matches, which is contrary to the common view that European involvement has a negative impact on league form. There was something in the Times about six months ago, that stats analysis column they do each week, which showed the same.

FWIW I was there too and I couldn't possibly see that kind of detail from the away end. Were you using binoculars?

Spare us the angst. If you don't like the PL and you're disallusioned with Saints f*** off to Mumsnet and discuss breast feeding.

You have no idea what Fonte "probably meant". This is what Fonte actually said: “Just want to say thank you for the support and also for every fan that came to the game today," he wrote. "No one more then me feels hard done by and disappointed, you can feel the same but not more then me! "When Giroud asks me who gave the penalty away that says it all, if you haven’t watched the game and come to criticise please save me that!

No.

Read some of the foregoing and contrary to what I've read I'm quite encouraged by that performance. Perhaps the players are getting to grips with the diamond. Certainly, Arsenal would not have been happy with ceding possession for periods. Saints carved them open a few times, let down by poor finishing, principally by Long. No comment on the kn@b of a ref.

Now we know why we're not producing any ginger strikers.

If Milan were able to make more tickets available from its half empty stadium to meet demand we wouldn't be having futile arguments about criteria. The issue is the allocation.

Yes, the real story is why only a 5000 allocation when we could sell more and the ground will be half empty, and what is SFC doing about it? What's the point of a football match if you won't allow people to see it?

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/manchester-united-bid-jose-fonte-11841778 United offered £8m.