austsaint

Yet they have had all of the play except the last 5 minutes of the half. Really missing Lemina; their 3 man midfield is controlling things. Let's hope for more from Redmond, Tadic and Austin - on another day Austin would have nicked one of those chances and we'd be 1-0 to the good, against the run of play.

Judas Escariot loves it at the Marriott

Sounds like Lemina is out.

It's going to be incredibly tense to watch. The dream is we despatch a brace early, silence the crowd, flatten the Swans and dominate for the rest of the game with the "we are staying up" chant pulsating from the away stand. The stakes are so high! A little luck would go a long way too.

Fair enough - I take your point about JWP's set pieces - but beyond that there's just not enough attacking or defensive impact; whereas with Lemina and even Hojbjerg there is that capacity for driving runs, and quicker movement into dangerous areas rather than just the shuttling of passes and delayed hopeful crosses. Goals of the style of the Tadic brace and the Redmond header is what we need against Swansea not just the hope of a goal resulting from a corner or a free kick, as welcome as that would be.

I would be very interested to read more about your argument for including Ward-Prowse over Lemina (assuming he is fit). That midfield of Lemina, Hojbjerg and Romeu worked well in the first half v Everton. Lemina was different class against Bournemouth.

Let's hope he's not around to deal with the parachute payments!

Thank you Art. Perhaps Forster to add height and composure at CB as well.

It really is; where's Carceres when you really need him? Reed and Kreuger really need booting for their incompetence.

Thanks - Lemina is crucial - thought the Romeu, Hojbjerg, Lemina midfield trio worked well today with Lemina having licence to drive forward, Hoj some box-to-box play as well and Romeu holding.

And by the look of Bertrand slumped on the pitch with head in hands he immediately took responsibility.

And Stoke have a good chance of getting something from Swansea - even after relegation - It's just that we don't want to be relying on that outcome. Obviously if we had seen it out for the three points today the momentum would have been massive.

Is Lemina definitely ruled out? Is Romeu free to play?

It is a deflating and sickening finale.....just the same, I want to praise the much maligned Redmond - he played an awesome half of Football today. Honourable mentions to Cedric, McCarthy and Hojbjerg.

High emotion after a gut wrenching finish like that..but Hoedt is a liability...awful, awful player.

The worry in mind is their attacking players like Walcott, Tosun and Bolassie will have too much speed and tricks for our defence - we are completely in the shade if you compare our attacking players. Somehow we have to play the boring stuff; pack the midfield with Romeu, Hoj and Lemina and rely on nicking one or two through the finish of Austin or the "hard to depend on" sparks of Tadic. I'm feeling a mix of hope and denial. Hope that we can squeak out of this mess and deal with the dross of Kreuger, Reed and co.......and denial, of the strong possibility that the Toffees despatch us and effectively send us to the trap door.

As Dazza 82 suggests - same formation, but Hojbjerg in for Redmond, which makes the midfield stronger, but allows Lemina and Hojbjerg to attack at the right moments. Redmond and Long options to stretch the EFC defence in later stages.

I like him; his interviews are worth listening to - he has instilled some fire into a side which was cooked. Whichever division we are in next season I hope he is offered the job.

Yes, the criticism of Romeu this season has been hard to understand. He may not have stood out like he did during Puel's time when he had to marshal the DM role by himself, but he continues to be at the heart of the intercepting, tackling, harassing role the side has needed. And he has done that with a weaker CB pairing behind him.

Tadic, McCarthy and Lemina...all superb.

Yep, McCarthy the match saver, Tadic the match winner and Lemina more than a match for any other midfielder on the pitch. Hope lives on another week!!

Yet this article confirms his ineptitude, doesn't it?

There's no plausible explanation for your first sentence and a rock solid certainty about your second.

Glasgow, what are you going to do for a ****e stir when we're in the Championship and no one gives a toss about your weak wind ups?

I've posed this question many times and never read a plausible answer. How can you play someone like Ward-Prowse as a wing back or wide right attacker when he doesn't/cannot run with the ball at his feet judged on what we have seen in 200 or so appearances?