Graffito

Everyone wearing face masks. Perfect cover for a thief.

Snatch of the Day it is then.

Recruiting the managers was the key ingredient in Saints rise from League 1. How did he do it? He took good advice. I've always been interested too know who advised him.

Yes and no Rooney and no Lallana. Mirror should get a few hits with that.

Like the word "Mong"?

A chip off the old tit.

This more or less reflects my reading of the situation. To which I would add that the most loyal manager by far in the PL, Arsene Wenger, routinely delays signing a new contract, most recently because he too wants assurances on signings.

Cabin Crew.

Something positive from the DM. "The side which had buried Manchester United a week ago could not begin to cope with Southampton’s movement and control. In fairness, the Saints were quite outstanding. At their best, they are one of the two or three most charmingly potent teams in the land, and here they were at the peak of their powers. From front to back, their football was an absolute joy; swift, thoughtful, incisive and blessed with impeccable technique. When they are in such a mood, then there is a sense of genuine privilege in watching them at work."

I think Hodgson was there to watch the fullbacks as Lallana and Lambert are going. Battle of the fullbacks today. Ours won. I'd be happy enough for Cole to be selected but it's looking more and more likely that Shaw will. Shaw has shone against Chelsea when Cole's played and today against Everton with Baines. Clyne's probably a better defender than Johnson or Walker, acknowledging that he isn't so good in the air. Whether it's too late for Clyne who knows. He wouldn't let England down.

She took her time about it then. Someone spending £73m of my money over two seasons. I think I'd have noticed a bit sooner.

Battle of the fullbacks.

Diego Rivas looks like a neat player. Is he the Diego that said he wanted to play for Saints?

Did Cortese have a massive chip about Saints when he was interviewed by the Independent last year?

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/financial-fair-play-policy-unfair-on-smaller-clubs-claim-chairmen-of-chelsea-and-southampton-8872161.html It was as if “we had a broken finger and we cut off the arm,” said Bruce Buck, Chelsea's chairman. Nicola Cortese, his counterpart at Saints, added: “It is wrong to call it 'financial fair play', it is financial regulation. Though we are a club that believes a lot of things are possible to close the gap in commercial income with a club like Manchester United will be virtually impossible." Under Cortese, Southampton have gone from bottom of League One to the upper echelons of the Premier League, a process made much easier by access to the fortune of the late Markus Liebherr. Taking the next step however, will be more difficult as they will no longer be able to significantly outspend as they speculate to accumulate. “We have got to not feel disadvantaged,” said Cortese, “we will grow our commercial income but if we cannot close the gap commercially, which will probably be the case for all time, we have to use other aspects [such as youth development].” He added: “We fought against the [Premier League] salary cap. We think it can lead to a situation where we make profits but cannot use those profits to retain a player on a higher salary as we are capped quite low.”

Don't remember such interest in our final match last season. Stoke.

Yes I noticed that. It became a bit frustrating because he kept playing the ball 10 yards square to a midfielder when attacking down the line at speed and a cross into the box seemed a better option. He attacked once and we got a penalty shout. Bertrand's quite a decent full back, perhaps that was why. Who else did Villa have on the left, was it Weimann? Or perhaps we needed pace at the back to cover Agbhonlahor.

May I respectfully suggest we stop responding to the halfwit's posts and he might go and pollute someone else's message board.

Bertrand is on loan from Chelsea. He was probably the reason Clyne was less willing to get forward than Shaw did on the left. Both Albrighton and Shaw played well. A good contest. Love awaydays in brum and Villa Park's a proper old ground.

He had one header which was a bit soft and too close to the keeper and one decent shot deflected wide by a defender.

We created four good chances against a side intent on not losing. You'd expect to score at least one from four good chances. It was poor finishing.

It might matter if Utd do think he's worth £30m because if options granted in the sale and purchase of footballers operate in the same way as options tend to work in the sale and purchase of land, for instance, it could be legally binding. Alternatively, what is being presented as an option may be more of a pre-emption right which would mean Utd being first in line for any sale/purchase. A pre-emption right would not be legally binding. Whatever Shaw's value, which in practice is what anyone is willing to pay for him, it will likely go up after the World Cup.

How do these options work in practice then? Are they legally binding?

Arsenal or Manu. He'd get in almost any team. Under the press radar maybe but I bet every top manager in the PL and beyond is aware of his talent, DD being a bizarre exception. There's more in him as well in my opinion.

"Pochettino walked into a squad of good players at St Mary’s and has done well with them in the Premier League." If that's his definition of failure, I'm a glaswegian.