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Pelle's absence from the start line-up (and injections on his knee injury - OUCH !)...would suggest we won't be seeing the best from him in the near future, and whenever it is that we see JayRod back scoring goals...suggests that in the meantime, we'll get a lot of chances to evaluate / re-evalute Shane Long's value to the team.

and that is exactly what some people on this site have said (repeatedly) about Gaston Ramirez - isn't it? but there are still fans who are convinced that he will be the team's saviour if he's brought back into the squad..despite him being ignored by 3 successive managers ...... someone has to be wrong ...

...try the power of prayer.....

the reasons that I want Saints to win this fixture ... are numerous. .......but it would be a good game to kick-start a revival in fortunes.

(from memory only)...sounds like the sort of stats. for Adam Lallana ....

Koeman gave " a meteorlogical explanation" for yesterday's disappointing performance. ..even allowing for the regular absentees. YES OF COURSE, it was the same for both teams, but our game plan is built on a passing game but yesterday it was like p*ssing in the wind sometimes. Palace's direct style of play never allowed us the opportunity to pass the ball effectively. (and I can see why Bolasie is so highly-valued by Pardew)

......and maybe he will, but not yet. Last season, we only had Gazza and KD (after Forster was injured) and the outcome was like the choice between a rock and a hard place

......and you can be sure that Pochettino hasn't forgotten that either....

two things. ONE - I think some of them may be involved before the end of the season.....between injuries and poor form there aren't many more to choose from... TWO - there really isn't that much depth if the U21 /U18 sides. We try to bring younger players, but 5 U18 lads have had some game time with the U21 side (mainly due to injury problems at the higher level), and the Youth Cup side (lost to Birmingham last week) included a 15 year old full back ...who (to his credit) looked OK for the day - and considering the negative result - However, there is a long way to go before expecting them to be good enough for the First team bench - let alone thinking we've found another Shaw or Chambers. Targett is adequate cover for Bertrand, but will not replace him whilst Bertrand is England's left back. I'd like to see Ryan Seager get a few sub.apps of more than 5 mins. Sam Mc Queen has been very unlucky with injuries in the past year, and Hesketh (who is a very talented MF) looks more frail than Clasie and would get cut to pieces by some of the Prem. defenders. Perhaps Reed would be worth a loan-out, but he does seem to collect yellow /red cards with an alarming frequency. Except for Turnbull and Stephens very successful loan(s) to Swindon, most lower clubs seem to want a " loan player " just to make up the numbers on their benches.

and totally fit and back in scoring form ..when precisely?. I'd love to see Jay Rod back ASAP, but that doesn't mean he'll pick up where he left off....2 years ago.

....but not for £15 million .... He was " last season's Jamie Vardy" - and the only reliable goal source that QPR had in one bad season in the Prem. [/b] NOTE: If Vardy were to get a serious injury .....I'm not sure where Leicester's goals would come from.

me too. ...and with Kelvin Davis OOC in the summer, we still need good cover.....

Oh I agree totally.... what I wrote was that ....." if he plays like that every week" , he'd be as good a choice as anyone else ....(Forster ,or Stekelenburg - even with their CV's) (although Koeman said that Stekelenburg had " medical issues " and Forster is still not back in proper training). ....it was just that watching yesterday...Gazza looked like a totally different player....to the indecisive, ball-dropping keeper, I've watched in some of the U21 games. It may well have been " just one good game ", (hopefully not )...but if he continues to be our first choice for the next few weeks ...we'll very quickly find out...

.....can we really compare the style of football in the Prem. with that played in the World Cup. for a start ....some of the tackling in the Prem.would bring a host of red cards in every WC match - wouldn't it ?

but you haven't answered the question .....Charlie....what do we do for strikers ....when we sell Long (it was your suggestion.)

we have to consider that it will be close to 2 years ...since Jay Rod last played at his Prem. best ...and when he returns, don't expect him to carry on where he left off. His League form before that "goal surge " wasn't so special either...tbf.

obviously a good reason to sell Shane Long then -- as you suggested in the OP. What do we do after January though?

- especially in the 93rd minute, against a goalie in that form.

AND...given our Premier League record against Spurs , a clean sheet would be a huge step forward....for him and SFC.

With a "big man"...(a Pelle ...or Lambert - as was) you tie up two big central defenders...whereas someone like (e.g. Long) has a turn of pace that Pelle doesn't possess. Shane Long has extra pace, and can ride a tackle ....but he doesn't play down the middle, which leaves the opposing CB's " free" to defend. Mane and Long can make ground fast, but will always be outnumbered by opposition CB's. Therefore the system changes (as yesterday) in order to give them a chance. As if we couldn't have guessed... " the knock" that Pelle took a couple of games ago was worse that feared and hasn't cleared up sufficiently for him to start games. With Jay Rod out indefinitely, Shane Long is the only "established striker" we have, and we have to use him. Even if Pelle plays he won't be 100%. Mane is a law unto himself. At best, he can be unplayable........at worst.. he runs up blind alleys and can be easily knocked off the ball by the average defender. and ..whenever he is fouled ....his falls look " theatrical " (to say the least)... and we rarely win freekicks, despite all the fouls that he actually receives. If we don't play Pelle (or a "big man") then we need more attacking options, which means wingers (like Tadic) but we still need someone in the box to put away chances. Without a fully fit Pelle, and an uncertain return for JayRod, we have to find a formation that can play to an alternative pattern. Until January (that's a possible 12 points to win / lose) we have no other options. Only Koeman can decide which alternative he wants ....for the rest of the season.

so did Pelle, but it doesn't mean either of them is fit enough to play a whole 90 min. game.....clearly Austin isn't fully fit, or he'd have been in the start 11.

well he does have a nice finish I'll grant you that.. but those aren't Premier League defenders he's playing against ...if you watch that clip again, you'll see there's scarcely a defender within 3 yards of him in most of those goal sequences... plus I've never seen 3 more stupid goalies in one clip....and by the way....he's already 20% towards his first suspension - for taking off his shirt in a goal celebration....

think this is the key word Alpine - isn't it ?. OK we've lost those 7-8 players in the last 2 years, but in reality nothing happens overnight. Rickie Lambert made his name when we were in L1 /Championship .....and we'd had the best of him by the time he left. Adam Lallana (together with SRL) made his reputation at a lower level, and getting to the England squad was his peak. Nathaniel Clyne , though good in his final season.... was absolute dross at the start of his first season, and looked totally lost.....but in time he got much better. Morgan Schneiderlin came in for all sorts of criticism at first, but it took 7 years to make him the player he is today.(He admitted that himself) Lovren and Chambers were no great loss and it was good money in the bank. Luke Shaw was a " one-off " and never likely to stay with his "potential ". Every player has his price, and it was more money than we'd ever seen before. Toby Alderweireld - was never ours in the first place - and playing with his countrymen at Spurs was a great pull and the deciding factor. Most of the above had played together around 2 seasons - some of them even longer that that. That success didn't happen overnight either. of the newcomers; Van Dijk already looks better than the money we paid for him, Clasie can't be fairly judged on a dozen games, but Cedric and Romeu look better every game they play. When we use a word like potential it points to the future, and we shouldn't expect a re-run of last season - it 'aint gonna happen! The likes of Martina and Juanmi may never make the transition to the Prem. but (thankfully) at least we didn't spent £12-15 million on each of them...... Last season start - with the help of a generous fixture list - gave us a phenomenal start, but key injuries took their toll in the end. I don't think we're top six -YET but we've still come a very long way in a short time. I have been a consistant critic of Paulo Gazzaniga, but yesterday I saw a side of his play that was never there before, and it was the most satisfying - even if we did lose. Was that was a "drop in the ocean" ..or the real start to his career. If he plays like that every week, Fraser Forster will have a job getting the No.1 shirt back.

my thoughts exactly.

[quote=Saint Charlie;2281607 1. "Goals per time" doesn't help much if the time is so limited because the Manager doesn't rate the player as viable competition to our one main striker. Plus when you do it on PL goals/time its not so hot anyway. the "time " referred to is game time in minutes. If you only look at the minimal time Long has played in Prem.games. this season.... He has started only 3 PL games (subbed once) ....and has been oncoming sub.4 times ... and scored twice. (Totalling 362 minutes game time.) ......at 1 goal every 181 minutes, he still scores more often than anyone else in the team, despite his shorter playing time. Yes he was over-valued, but that's not his fault - blame the Board who OK'd the deal......His real value is probably closer to the £6 million that Hull paid for him, and I agree with you ...and others ..there is no obvious player you'd drop in favour of him, but his record shows he DAVGJFU...when called upon, and until we get a better player with more experience..we should never consider letting him go, as you seem to suggest in the OP......... .