CanadaSaint

You could well be right. Sunderland strike me as a decent side with attitude problems. The same players turned it around completely after Bruce was fired so they obviously weren't playing for him. They've been heading the same way with O'Neil but it looks like they had a rocket at half time, so then we see a different team. It all magnifies our challenge, doesn't it?

It's quite striking that Chris Hughton is so vocal on the line, constantly telling his key midfielders when to press and when to drop - and that they listen and respond. Yes, it's kind of annoying to hear but I often wonder whether Nigel needs to be more forceful with our lot during games, especially when we seem to be losing our way a bit. If it's not coming from the players themselves it has to come from somewhere.

Tactically we got it wrong IMO - our midfield defended far too deep in the first half and we didn't adequately recognize the importance of their attacking full backs. It was almost as though we were setup to avoid a hammering, which is paying them too much respect. Morgan was barely in it in the first half, better in the second. Davis frustrates the hell out of me with his telegraphed passes that are so easy to intercept. I'm starting to become concerned about our fitness levels.

The good thing is that we can make some adjustments at half time that could change this around, because - despite how that half looked - we can play with them. But we need to be far more effective in midfield. Morgan really needs to step up.

We need to start competing higher up the pitch - it's like we've been set up to avoid getting whacked.

It has just dawned on me that the combined Liverpool right wing/Saints left back contest is younger than Jamie Carragher.

Demand your money back and drop to three posts per day. Everyone wins.

The wall was the problem - it left him with too much ground to cover and he didn't get there in time. And yes, it was his responsibility. But he's not even 21 until January and he's still got a lot of learning to do. Keepers don't peak until their thirties. To write him off as a "clown" is infantile. I think he needs to get some games under his belt away from the pressures of the PL but let's not forget the frustration voiced (often by the same people) with our other two options. IMO the solution to this will come in January, not tomorrow.

I would have thought that Cortese had his picture on every turnstile.

I'm starting to wonder if he has some kind of chemical imbalance or dietary issue because he's super young and super fit but, you're right, it is becoming a regular thing. Still, I'm sure the club is looking at all the angles. He was excellent today.

He's showing his immaturity, and the more he shows it at this level the more it will be exploited. Besides the error for the goal (errors, plural, if he set the wall), he gave up on a couple of crosses to the far post in the first half, thinking they would go out. They very nearly didn't. I like him and I think he has a ton of promise, but he really needs to get some games under his belt at a better level than Gillingham but below the Premier League. What gets my goat is seeing the knee-jerk negative brigade calling him a "clown", which he clearly isn't. Errors and all, he may still be our best option right now. Kelvin won't be any less cross-shy or near-post-vulnerable if he comes back, and Boruc's dubious judgment and seeming lack of agility/fitness won't have improved either. Neither represents a clear improvement. We need to make a decision and stick with it until the cheque book can come out.

I didn't mean nasty-lazy so much as "believe your own positive publicity" lazy.

We've been much slower to set our triangles today. Fatigue, laziness or credit to Norwich?

I think we're getting sucked into playing their game rather than forcing them to match ours. Still, time to go and talent on the pitch.

No, just open your eyes and your mind. If that doesn't work you have a larger problem.

Ooops!

I'm going with a Ramirez bender.

Yes, there has been evidence - plenty of it. If you're looking. He's young and immature, and it's showing, but he's not a clown FFS.

Get a grip FFS. Now Adkins is proving you wrong, I guess all the heat goes on your next whipping boy.

He's not an "absolute clown" - he's a good young keeper with a lot to learn.

Yep, the wall was laughable but not at all funny. And lining it up was Gazzaniga's job. The less said about the save attempt, the better. His immaturity is really starting to show. He was a little lucky twice in that half after giving up on crosses hit to the far post before they were out of play. Still, we have enough about us to win this. Our second halves have recently been better than our first halves.

Those four teams playing tonight looked very much like us during our years of struggle (Le Tiss apart). We look nothing like we did in those days. Far more quality and cohesion.

If he's there it'll be interesting to see if he's permitted to be shown on the big screens.

Regardless of the results, the dire spectator 'experience' and the fact that we're back in a relegation place, I feel much better for having watched those teams.

Watching two teams packed with "established PL players", I'm quite happy with the way we're trying to do things.