S-Clarke

Not quite sure where to start with that, it wasn't anywhere near as bad as some are saying. First half we really should have gone ahead, they were there for the taking I felt. Their back 3 was all over the place and the width was exposing the formation and their wing backs. We were let down by a lack of quality with the final pass once we got in behind, Redmond especially guilty of that in the first half. But the intensity was there, the purpose was there, we just couldn't make it count. 2nd half was a totally different ball game, obviously Arsenal re-shaped a little - but what on earth was said to the players? We stopped doing what we were good at in the first half, it all became too central and we became frustrated. This played into Arsenals hands and they got a grip, although they still didn't really play with huge pace or purpose. But once we stopped doing what made us tick in the first half, it was always going to be a back to the walls job. Now, was that something which was said to them? Were we told to change it? Or did Arsenal really improve that much? Probably a combination of poor half time management by us and a good one from Arsenal. Another game goes without a goal, this has been the most non-season at home that I can remember for a long, long, long time. I know I keep saying it, but it's like this season has just never started, I'm still waiting. Puel didn't do himself any favors with the 2nd half, still can't bring myself to listen to his pre or post-match stuff, but I don't think we're a bad side, we're not miles away from anything - but you do start to wonder if it's the management and instructions holding the players back, are we being told to play within ourselves and not take the game to teams? There was 40m odd worth of attacking talent out there in Tadic, Gabbiadini, Boufal, Redmond at points in that game. We really should have got a goal or looked more likely. I feel sorry for Long, there are goals in him...but I don't think we know how to utilize him - or jay....or boufal correctly. Long summer ahead, big thinking to be done. Don't think he'll go personally, but a few players will likely go before him.

At least he's getting the bites he wanted.

I reckon he'll end up at Liverpool. Klopp loves a young player he can develop.

I'm with Garrett, I'd love to see Hojbjerg allowed time to work alongside Romeu. I don't think Hojbjerg himself is what I'd call a sitting or defensive midfielder, he's much more capable of driving forward and looking forward. I'd like to see them both play a run of games together.... Keep JWP on the right side of the attacking 3, he can drop back centrally if and when required. Bit of flexibility there, but I'd say both guys need to bulk up a bit.

He's an interesting one. Young player, thrown into the pit with Sunderland...but hasn't exactly come out of it too badly....another season down in the NPC may do him well.

Traore? Really? I have no idea what anyone see's in him, he's just pace. Nothing else. And he doesn't even know how to use that properly.

Take the whole quote, rather than cherry picking the first part. He's clearly saying that we've improved this year in terms of giving young players a chance, which is true.

Here's a bit more, which isn't as clear cut... ""It was a bad injury. But now it's okay," said Puel. "The surgery is finished, he can work normally, he can start the gym work and rehab to come back for next season... and with us. "He is our captain. He is important for us. He is fantastic player. We wait until beginning of season to see him again on the pitch. He has a long contract and I think the Directors want to keep him".

BREAKING NEWS Southampton manager Claude Puel says Virgil van Dijk will play for the club next season. worth reading much into that...?

This is exactly the sort of game Arsenal slip up in. After they beat Man City in the cup it was 'Wenger in', everyone was great again. Then they put in that showing against Spurs and it was 'wenger out' again. Now they've beaten a seriously depleted utd team, let's see how they turn up on Wednesday. Pretty confident about this all being said, we can go for it and take them I reckon. They really aren't all that this year.

We were ****ing dog****e back then, absolute dross. Short memories.

He's a West Ham signing if there ever was one.

I think that was the plan after 60/70mins...

Just realised that Sam Gallagher was relegated with Blackburn this afternoon, even though they won. Not quite sure what his future holds here.

We did a job on Liverpool today, again. We seem to perform better when there's a containing job to do, he's tactically got it spot on in these sorts of games away from home on numerous occasions this year. (Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool twice). Seems as if we struggle when we have to play on the front foot. In many ways, Liverpool struggled today in a similar way to us at home against the Hulls/Watfords etc. Funny league this year, funny season. Quite clearly we're at our best when we're not expected to attack.

Why do you want to replace a left back with an attacking midfielder? Would have thought Hull's Andy Robinson would be the more like for like choice.

It's pretty easy to work out I'd have thought. We lost our goals. Mane and Pelle. We lost our CB's in Fonte and VVD. We had to contend with an insane amount of extra games. Everton hugely underachieved last season. 47+ points for this season and top half will be a respectable return.

I personally don't think we'll sign another LB if Ryan goes. Not that I agree. I think the club will say they have enough with Targett and Mcqueen going forward.

We're not the laughing stock of the league though are we? We're probably pretty well respected and admired for how we keep going every year as we do, we're far from being the laughing stock. I'd imagine some clubs would quite like to be a bit like us. A seriously emotionally knee-jerky post though, so well done.

They are apparently keen to keep him at Gladbach, but they cannot afford what Chelsea want. They had a £15m bid for him turned down in the last window, so he's just been on a 2 year loan. With that in mind, I cannot see why Chelsea would want to flog him away as part of a deal. He's a big young talent - but given how easily they flogged off De Bruyne, who knows....

Under the thumb! I'm sure that would be up for negotiation if he showed his wife a tasty signing on fee....

I think the only relevant point is that they're in the CL. If they weren't in the CL then I can bet you that the likes of Kane, Ali, Eriksen, Toby etc would all dream of playing in the CL. Levy is not shy to selling, as we've seen in the past with the likes of Berbatov, Modric, Bale, Carrick etc. (the days when they weren't in the CL). They've bought well, coached them well and have got to a high level already. One season without CL football and new stadium debts to worry about and it may be a different story.

You often see reactions like this when you have a 'boring' PL season. ''Oh, I'd prefer the lower leagues. at least we'd win some games, it would be fun, it's real football!!'' etc etc. But just take a few moments and remember these games: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/7076446.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/7285121.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/7978810.stm Those days were miserable and dull. Struggling in the lower leagues is a lot less fun than struggling in the PL. I honestly wouldn't call any of those games 'real football' and I wasn't happy watching it. The lower leagues are only fun if you're winning, if you're not...it is an absolute dull fest.

He's just as pointless here as he has been at every club he's been at over the last 5 years. I'm sure he's registered as a player to help with the home grown quota, but in essence he's probably just a coach in addition to Dave Watson. He's lived the last few years as a glorified squad quota filler.

Our EL run never really started. Apart from the two home results, - one excellent against Inter Milan which will live long in my memory, it didn't ever get going. Utter dross served up in Prague and Ber'Sheva - two very poor teams in the grand scheme of things. The Prague showing wasn't any better than the dross against FC Midtjylland the season before. Kind of like our general season really, bar one or two stand out results it just hasn't got going at all.