saintsmike25

Not surprised we're not on fire up top. New combinations take time to work, but I can't help thinking this game is crying out for Shane Long to come on at some point, Pelle needs support up there and if Koeman can see that you're not going to beat this Liverpool team in the air with crosses and crossfield passes, he should do plan B, use Long to run the channels and put Lovren and Skrtel under pressure, they don't like being pressed and just having Pelle closing them down is giving Lovren time to pick out passes to put us under pressure. There is a goal in it for us, it's just can we make use of what we have, my suggestions would be Long and secondly Isgrove who would give Glen Johnson fits, so far we're playing JWP there, just to keep in the team for his delivery, but when we have Tadic we have someone who can do that anyway.

Not surprised we're not on fire up top. New combinations take time to work, but I can't help thinking this game is crying out for Shane Long to come on at some point, Pelle needs support up there and if Koeman can see that you're not going to beat this Liverpool team in the air with crosses and crossfield passes, he should do plan B, use Long to run the channels and put Lovren and Skrtel under pressure, they don't like being pressed and just having Pelle closing them down is giving Lovren time to pick out passes to put us under pressure. There is a goal in it for us, it's just can we make use of what we have, my suggestions would be Long and secondly Isgrove who would give Glen Johnson fits, so far we're playing JWP there, just to keep in the team for his delivery, but when we have Tadic we have someone who can do that anyway.

Well, if we're going to push the full backs up it shouldn't be straight from a GK, Clyne's position was awful there, he was caught short.

Well, if we're going to push the full backs up it shouldn't be straight from a GK, Clyne's position was awful there, he was caught short.

I just hope he puts in some great performances and then we can sell him at that supposed £20m premium. I'll always support the players and the team, but I believe he's better off elsewhere. Hopefully he'll see Lallana/Shaw/Lambert etc become bit-part players elsewhere and he'll not believe the grass is greener, but that won't happen. He understandably has ambitions, so do we as a club and what we can achieve and he wants to achieve won't match.

Great signing, he won't start every game but I can see him forming a fantastic partnership with Pelle, and we also have Jay Rod to come back too. Also, isn't it great not to rely on Sam Gallagher as the back up man? Yes £12m is expensive and over the odds, but do Hull need or want to sell him? - No, and secondly how will he fare in a more creative side like ours? that has pace and power, probably quite well compared to Hull/Brom and Reading. We needed a striker and the fee shows that we are willing to spend the money and have strength in depth that we desperately need. He'll score goals, not 20 a season but apart from Lambert NONE of our strikers (apart from Rasiak in the championship) have done that. Also we should get at least 5 good seasons from him at the age of 27, if he's doing well for us. He won't be brought by bigger fish, that for me represents a long term investment.

Didn't you say "Pre-season games mean nothing" after Saints beat Bournemouth away? yeah hypochondriac should change his name to hypocritiac. I hate posters with agenda's, good thing most people can see through yours.

I think it's a Les Reed signing without a doubt. Glad it's free and adds competition for places in midfield, next up a centre back (or two) possibly a right back, not too bothered about GK, Boruc is more than capable, and a striker would be nice.

Bournemouth are beating Swansea 2-0 at home, yet we confidently dispatched them with our team lacking the signings.

Apparently we've bid £12m for Rojo.

We sell a newly established England international for £30m and bring in a champions league winner with more than 50 premier league games under his belt and two England caps to his name, yet people are moaning because he's not some foreign export that cost £10m. This is a very very very good piece of business, if he's bad then we don't have to buy, SHOULD he do well then we can sign him for a cut-price fee. Now, I know it's hard for many to take in, but our ambition is not the same, perhaps signing him on a season long loan means more money is free'd up elsewhere to sign that 'marquee' player or two.

Bertrand is an established Premier League player.

Thoughts are - Boruc - 7 did well when called upon but only had one save to make Clyne - 7 Some good runs down the right and kept his side watertight, just needs to be a bit quicker with his decisions, he can shoot and should do it more often Fonte - 8 Solid game, but needs a partner Yoshida 5 looked mediocre and let the B'mouth strikers get in behind too often and his distribution wasn't the best Targett - 7.5 Very solid game, I'd like to see the attacking side of his game a bit more, only hit two crosses, there's more to come from him. Davis - 6 kept things flowing, wasn't that noticable Ward-Prowse 7.5, very good game, starting to really mature and will hopefully flourish this season, his maturity shone tonight. Ramirez - 7.5 very creative tonight, dictated the tempo, looked a force in a middle three with the freedom to get forward when needed Isgrove - 8 - Played above his ability tonight, but shone and fought for everything and won every header, he'll improve as well. Very determined and is deceptively quick. Tadic - 7, great assist but was in and out of the game at times. Looked very classy at times Pelle - 7.5, very good touches and link up play. Looks more mobile than Lambert, shame our deliveries couldn't get the ball to him more often. He's a force who will win us games this season. SUBS Cork - 6, was a bit shaky I thought, but some interceptions Reed- 6.5, looks like another version of Jack Cork, very clever little player, but I'd like to see him push up a bit more Mayuka, 4 awful Gallagher 5 - wasn't really involved at all Hoitveld - 6, solid but didn't have much to do. McQueen - 7, looks a good prospect, some nice bits of play Tactics, lined up with a 4-3-3, players still getting used to the system and each other. The Lallana/Lambert and Shaw trio were a huge part of how we played and our identity it will take a while until we're firing again, but glad to see we're looking solid at the back and in the middle of the park.

1-0 Saints, superb cross by Tadic, and Isgrove comes off the left flank to head a beauty into the bottom left hand corner. Isgrove has looked very handy, just needs confidence and he'll be a decent player this season.

Gaston is looking very lively and rejuvenated.

Alpine Saint: "I am not looking to get a rise." That's what the vast majority of your life on here is doing. Well done on such a worthwhile existence.

People thought Lovren was a risky signing when we brought him due to some French media not rating him. Again I have some faith if he was to be sold we could get a sturdy replacement, you have to remember with Dejan he was at a bigger club before us that played in the Champions League, and to move to us as a career move is a brief step down for him. I would say his ambitions will lie away from St Mary's - that's not to say he'd be the worse loss, I think we could very easily sign another decent CB, a question of who though is anyones guess. My sneaky suspicion is that we will get an ageing star who will join us, but will hold things steady at the back.

How did he talk rubbish? It's a good point that he made in regards to Lallana, he is good enough to play champions league football, if I was in his position I would leave as Saints aren't the be all and end all of a playing career when his talent should be gracing the top stage (UEFA Champions League) and a chance to win titles/cups. Something we sadly can't offer him.

To be honest Morgan, Wanyama and Ward-Prowse have all done okay today. But in terms of balance we've dominated possession but apart from a lucky deflection falling to Steven Davis, I haven't seen us really threaten at all. Lambert has been left so isolated and while Lallana is busting a gut to join him, the others seem content to be "water carriers", but that won't do, we're already dominating they need to take up advanced positions and actually make space in the final third. This has a 1-0 either all over it, and while we're playing well I'd like us to take more risks against this Villa side that look short of confidence.

Lambert has been awful, think we need to bring big Sam on in the second half or take Wanyama off.

Already the problem is obvious with Ward Prowse, Morgan and Wanyama in the centre none of them is pushing further up to support Lambert and Lallana, both Morgan and Prowse should be pushing further up.

Time to take off Lovren and put on Yoshida.

We're losing our composure and hoofing the ball.

Alpine calling someone else a troll - the words pot,kettle and black spring to mind. We're in against an in-form West Ham side at their patch which we never play well at, we should take off Cork and bring on big Victor and take off Yoshida/Fonte for Lovren. Then if things stay bad use Ramirez as an impact subs in the last 20.

As someone who has studied sports journalism and is a journalist for my sins I'll give him a few pointers. Check, check and check again, accuracy is always more vital than speed, and in this article it is an unforgivable mistake to spell a name wrong, especially that of the Saints owner. There's google, and if you're unsure you have to double check, when you're out in the field always make sure people spell out their name to you as it's a lazy mistake to make and makes people look stupid. Secondly, the structure of the article, he needs a stronger introduction.. "Apologies in advance, this article was originally going to be called “Dani Osvaldo: The Conundrum”, but after watching the Gaffer’s press conference last night, I was reminded what an amazing club Southampton truly is. To begin a quick re-cap over the last month, Cortese resigned; crisis at Southampton (media). Katharina Libherr takes over and scares us all, yet provides us with joy following her public commitment to the Club, new temporary chairman; all is well at Southampton (media). This is then followed by a training fight, loss of players due to suspension and injuries; crisis at Southampton (media). Finally, all is combined with some solid performances as well as some frustrating ones. It is fairly safe to say that January was not part of Mopo’s plan, yet somehow as Southampton supporters, we are not even surprised. " So the introduction is saying apologies in advance? Seriously? and does it matter what the original article was going to be called is that relevant? It's all a little pointless and redundant in that sense. What is needed is a strong introduction or a drop introduction to bring people into reading it, it's like the article wasn't really thought through. Secondly, if the second paragraph is a bit long winded and putting in (media) is a bit, well bizarre. Again I don't need to mention when to use capital letters and when not, but the article does improve and gets shorter and snappier, but when writing anything just remember you have to draw readers in with a hook - if he works on that and the introduction then he'll be well away.