CanadaSaint

I'm surprised and disappointed that he wasn't much more guarded in his comments - especially when he could so easily have deflected the question with some good words about Saints' potential this year. Responding like that at the start of November makes me fear that he hasn't ruled out the possibility of a move in the January window. If there's one player who could transform several of the big boys for the second half of the season, it has to be Schneiderlin. And I'm sure he knows it.

This is not trying to put a brave face on a tough set of fixtures but - daunting as it seems - I tend to think that we're better to play all the so-called "top teams" in a row. In many ways it's easier to prepare for - and play - three or four talent-laden teams in a bunch than it is to play, say, an Arsenal followed by a Stoke followed by a Man City followed by a QPR. Playing against the "top teams" involves playing in a very similar way, week after week. I'm of the opinion that the 8-0 win over Sunderland actually made things more difficult for us because the "lesser" teams set up more to spoil us so as not to get the same kind of hiding. The big teams won't have that attitude.

I agree with Steve that "we use our energy more intelligently under Koeman" - and that's not just in matches but in training sessions as well. There were times last year when we either didn't play the press very well or didn't play it at all, and I think that was down to the fact that it was unsustainable - very demanding practices (and some two-a-days) followed by very demanding matches. I'm not sure it was down to other teams "rumbling us" as much as to us being unable to keep it going. I suspect that Pochettino knew this and that it was a large part of the reason for him de-prioritizing the cups and being so dismissive of the Europa league. The problem was compounded as soon as we had an injury that would necessitate bringing in players like Jos, Gazzaniga, Fox. We are well short of having a Top 5 bench but we're a long way ahead of last year.

If this is still a problem eleven games in, and after a full pre-season with Pochettino, I'd suggest that the issue is not so much that they don't understand what's expected but that some of them don't want to understand it. After all, Rickie said very early on that it was a non issue here. The challenge for some of the Spurs players is (and was always going to be) that Pochettino's system requires them to work much harder than they've ever had to work, and several of them are not suited to it. It also requires 100% buy-in because the system can't afford passengers. I always felt that MP would have a big problem at Spurs because he wouldn't have the kind of players he had here. I wouldn't be surprised if reuniting with Pochettino has become much less attractive to Schneiderlin - partly because he's enjoying life here and partly because he can see that Spurs are at the start of Year One of a three-year work in progress.

I'm not sure a club - especially one of our size and stature - can "keep a team together" in these days of player power, but I think the players themselves can. If they are enjoying their football, like their manager, like eachother and see the chance of "winning something", they are more likely to be reluctant to leave. We have all those things going for us right now. Also going for us is the fact that not one of the players who left last summer - not one - seems better off (in anything other than purely financial terms) than they were this time last year. Their grass so far is certainly not greener, and the joy we saw in their faces last year is nowhere to be seen now. But even if we do lose one or two, I have every confidence that we'll identify and sign more than adequate replacements.

The only reason I can believe that we lost the home game against Villa last year is the fact that I was there to actually see it. Otherwise I'd still think it was just a nightmare. Seldom has a team been so comprehensively dominated and won - yet more evidence that it's an "anything can happen" game.

I think you might have hit the nail on the head. The media can't yet bring themselves to pour scorn on the unsustainable approach of the big clubs - even though that approach is not yielding much real fruit. Man City were dreadful yesterday, Arsenal were not much better, and Liverpool have looked out of their depth. However, they have at least started to express some belief that there might be a way of cracking the 'profligate elite' without actually becoming one of them. We'll see if they have the courage to keep those minds open when we hit our first bad patch, but at least it's a start. Massive kudos to all at the club.

Perhaps it's just me but the Grand Opening seems to have triggered a subtle but significant change in the media's attitude towards the club. We've enjoyed the humble pie they've eaten and even the patronizing platitudes they've printed over our first ten games - all the while continuing to fawn over the big boys and implying that we can't keep it up. But after the Grand Opening there seems to be a new theme in the air. The Telegraph's words sum it up: Stepping away from the excitement of the 2014-15 season and thinking longer term, "something extraordinary" is exactly what I think is happening.

Well, if they manage to get Alfie into the first team squad they really are working miracles.

I'm less concerned about Man City. They look like a disjointed rabble of expensive, ill-disciplined superstars who don't seem able to handle a well-organized, hardworking team of (supposedly) inferior talent - one in which the midfielders work their butts off to deny space, and then exploit space with lots of "pass and move". Sound familiar? In all honesty Arsenal aren't a heck of a lot better - up and down like a yoyo. I can't help but think that, despite all the odds, a place in the Premier League Top 5 may be more attainable than it has been for years. Whether we can last the course with a relatively shallow squad remains to be seen, but the chance is certainly there.

I'm not one for rejoicing in the misfortune of our past players so I've read very little of this thread. I just wanted to say how sad it is to see that Liverpool don't have a damn clue how to use Rickie.

That "Goals Against" number is beyond stunning - half that of our nearest rivals.

Hull competed very well in midfield and I was glad to see Ben Arfa fade out of the game, as he usually does. I think they'll finish in the top half. It struck me that the 8-0 win over Sunderland has made teams very cautious when they play us. They seem focused on spoiling us rather than beating us, and that's made it more difficult for us to ping the ball around the way we like to do. We also made some strange passes to Hull players this afternoon, and I'm wondering if, in that decision-making instant, our guys experienced the same problem as me - needing a second glance to make sure that a striped shirt was one of ours. Still, that's an excellent result.

Keeping them was crucial - that engine room was at the heart of much of what we achieved last year, but I think they're starting to explore some new levels this year with Koeman's tactical approach.

We don't over-elaborate in the attacking third as much as we tended to do under Pochettino, and we're much keener to take a crack on goal. Tadic is more focused on creating something than Lallana, who could be a little too self-indulgent at times. With Rickie becoming more a part of the build-up than a striker, we lacked a natural finisher up-front and became more build-up focused than finish-focused. Koeman has the advance midfielders pushing on 10-20 yards farther when we attack, either together or alternating, and they're encouraged to strike when the opportunity presents itself. Under Koeman it's less about the "press" and more about the "strike", and that has made all of our midfielders look even better. On top of that, I thought there was a powerful "togetherness" about our squad last year but for me it has moved up a few notches this year - and it's not as focused around two or three individuals. This week's stay at St George's Park was a great idea and it can only enhance that togetherness.

I'm not sure coaching is going to help much because it's more a physical issue than one of technique. I've seen no reason to ditch the concerns I had back in August. I suspect that his weakness has been spotted, but I'm not seeing enough of his "plus side" - dominance on crosses. Granted, the route is usually blocked - especially against a team like Stoke, but I think we're going to need more from Forster than we've seen so far. Sure, we have a superb GA record but IMO that's largely down to the back four and the two playing in front of them.

That's his vulnerability - the low shot.

You're misrepresenting what I said, which concerned "our first level of depth - the guys who come in as soon as we have our first or second injury". I never said "we're miles better off in terms of squad depth than last season". But we are far better off on that first level - not just because they're better players but also because none of them is called Hooiveld or Gazzaniga (or the fruitcake Osvaldo or the "flatter to deceive" Ramirez). We're doing nicely without Rodriguez and Ward-Prowse, which adds to the point I was trying to make. Sure, we'd take a hit if any of our starters were to encounter injury problems, but not to the same degree as last year IMO. The first level of depth hurt us a lot last season - not so much our overall squad depth. Beyond that first level of depth I agree that we're no better off, which is certainly a concern.

We were undone last year by our first level of depth - the guys who come in as soon as we have our first or second injury. Losing Boruc or Lovren or Schneiderlin or Wanyama (never mind two or three of them at the same time) created a huge drop-off. We're far better off this year - not just with better players but with players who can dovetail-in much better to a team that can play several ways. We're still light years behind Man City and Chelsea when it comes to the second level of depth, but so are everyone else. So, Top 2 is unattainable for me, but we are much more competitive in the 3-8 group than we were last year. I'm confident we can finish above Spurs - Pochettino's an excellent coach but he needs a certain kind of player and he doesn't have enough of them, or (probably) a big enough budget to buy them. Liverpool need consistent goals from someone other than Sturridge. Arsenal need a Schneiderlin but hopefully won't get one. United need to drastically strengthen their central D. But I think Everton will get better as the season progresses.

The only time I've been remotely frustrated with our tactics this season was against Spurs, when Mané spent so much time inside instead of using his pace to attack Dier down our left. Ameobi showed today what could have happened if he'd done that. And a win instead of a loss at WHL would have made that gap a stunning 14 points after just nine games. If Sadio had converted his easy chance near the end (far, far easier than the goal he scored yesterday) the gap would be 11 points. The loss up there still ticks me off.

Indeed. Moreover, Wanyama and Mané are tremendous players to have "up our sleeve", whether we're looking to solidify a midfield in which everyone runs their nuts off, or to throw electric pace at a tiring defence. And even Mayuka didn't look out of place during his brief appearance. There were many exciting dimensions to yesterday's game, but one was certainly the quality we now have on the bench.

Yeah, but right now that's looking like a step down. On second thoughts I'm withdrawing the wink.

The quality of the pass-and-move and interchange play was amazing. There's no space too tight for that midfield to work in, and (no disrespect aimed at the leavers) this proves that keeping our engine room intact was the most crucial thing in the Summer. The clamour for Clyne to start for England will build and Hodgson's decision will be made for him. For me, Bertrand is an upgrade on Shaw, Tadic is an upgrade on Lallana, and Pelle is an upgrade on dear Rickie. Who'd have thunk it? But the thing that perhaps struck me most as I look back on the game is the upgrade on the subs bench. We didn't miss a beat, far from it, and even threw a very different shape (and even more pace) on. More depth, more options, more ways of winning, less ways of losing. God knows how this could end up.

Pretty much everything on here is opinion, isn't it Nick? I'm one of the more positive posters (not in your league, I grant you ), and I had much more confidence in the Board during the summer than most. My point is not intended to be "based on the recent evidence " but on the chances of repeating that success as part of a new, sustainable business model. I didn't say that we were "destined to fail next time" but that it's a matter of time before it does fail - before we sign another Ramirez to replace a Tadic or another Forren to replace an Alderweireld or another Osvaldo to replace a Pelle. Don't get me wrong - I think the Board and Koeman have done brilliantly but I'm far from convinced that it's repeatable. Especially while there's a window - because you have little chance of correcting mistakes before a poor first half has turned the season into an ongoing fight. No, there is no evidence to suggest that they're actively looking to copy this summer's machinations - I'm sure they're not. However, this year's experience may provide them with some false comfort that might cause them to not fear key figure departures as much as they should. But then, as I said at the end of my post, Krueger knows all about issues such as these from his NHL experience in Edmonton.

The problem with last summer is exactly what Martin Samuel warned about in his much-criticized article. If the Board now thinks that losing starters for really big fees could be part of a sustainable business model for a club of our size and stature (as it has been with academy products), it's only a matter of time before it goes pear-shaped. While I think they learned a lot from the summer 2014 experience, there are still too many "ifs". If they buy before they sell so that we don't get fleeced and don't lose-out on targets who don't want to join a club in transition, if they continue to scout well and find high-quality, value-for-money players, if the new players bed-in really quickly, if Koeman is willing to stay and start over again with a changed core group (or, because he probably wouldn't, if Koeman is replaced by a manager with similar qualities), if the fans are reasonably accepting of the business model, and so on and so on. Sure, I've got faith that they have some high-quality, value-for money targets lined up for next summer, but less faith that this year's Houdini act could be repeated if things reached that point again - even less faith that it's a sustainable business model. On the other hand, though, I do think the Board is smart enough to know this. Krueger's hockey experience here in Edmonton tells him that you can't win with kids alone (no matter how talented), and that you must have a core group of established pro's who stay from year to year.