Lallana's Left Peg

Absolutely terrified of what Aguero can do on the break against us with all that space behind the defence, but to be honest it will be fun to see us give it a good go and get at them. I am sure we'll have our moments. Lets just hope we minimise the amount they have. I think we saw today when Liverpool pressed high up the pitch that Man City struggled to cope with it and it even resulted in a formation change from Mancini. So lets give it a good go and see what happens.

Appeared to be a load of nonsense to me. Not sure what caused it to kick off but neither side wanted to get particularly 'nawty' whilst at the same time standing their ground. There was a lot of jostling about and to my eye it appeared innocent bystanders got caught up in it. Then when some distance was created between the two groups most interested in messing about people got more vocal and threatening - funny. But lets not pretend this was all Saints - there was plenty Wigan fans there interested in getting involved. I am not sure what caused the friction in the first place but it takes two to tango in football. Interestingly when I did make it over the other side of the canal the Police were then about and I overheard copper mention to some fans that things like this can happen because Wigan do not pay for proper policing at their games. So if that is true perhaps the Wigan fans may well be advised to contact their club to ask them why that is given what happened on Saturday (not that it excuses any violence, but if you are going to have a clear bottleneck hotspot for trouble like that pathetic bridge over the canal then you would think it may be wise to ensure it is a safe place on game days).

Seldom used by Adkins, his signing appeared to me as a backup option as our efforts for a fast winger came to nothing in the summer. Didn't really seem to 'fit in' under Adkins and the slow build up play we favoured no matter what our formation or shape. It's a different world now under Pochettino, we're pressing high up the pitch and breaking very quickly when we have the ball. On the face of it we may well get more out of Mayuka and his pace / movement. Even if he has a long way to go with his all round game, can he make a contribution in the new system or do we think he will still be one for the future?

Quality is there but he isn't the quickest. Need to see him and Lallana on the pitch at the same time. Clearly not delivering anywhere near enough to justify his price tag. Still think he has an important part to play - but also delighted we've progressed to the point that the system we play now means others can play and he isn't missed so much.

As gutted as anyone with the result but the performance was by and large superb. Only negatives are conceding from set pieces (having defended well against them otherwise) and not scoring enough when we are well on top. Since the turn of the year we've played Arsenal (6th), Villa (19th), Chelsea (3rd), Everton (5th), Man Utd (1st), and Wigan (18th) and taken 7pts. Not a bad haul and we're still disappointed. Performance levels are very good and considering how long Espanyol took to take to Pochettino's tactics a few years ago I think the players have reacted brilliantly and started to adapt very well. Davis and Lallana for Ramirez and Puncheon next game please - deserve their chance to start now.

Think Pochettino has a bit of a selection headache on his hands here. Quite clearly the best footballing option would be Ramirez, Lallana, and Puncheon behind Lambert. But a massive part of the second half performance on Wednesday was the pressing from the front and Davis was sensational at doing that - and obviously far better than Ramirez doing that work. So we've got a challenge of finding the right balance between the guys will will hunt down the ball and get it (to the degree we spent the second half camped in the Man Utd half on Wednesday) vs. the guys that pose most goal threat when we have the ball. I really liked the balance of Jay Rod, Davis, and Lallana in terms of shape and getting the ball back but it didn't quite work right once we got in and around the opponents box. If we had Puncheon and Ramirez on the pitch there would have been better chances created but there is a fair argument to say that we may not even have the ball enough to create those chances if they were the ones pressing. Could be one of those games were we have a gameplan that will change according to how much of the ball we expect to have and our tactics to get it back. Wigan will only play one up top so it may be more of a fight in midfield which may impact how effective pressing high up the pitch we go. That said, it is quite clear to me that Pochettino doesn't appear to give a **** about how the opposition play (in a good way, I think) and believes his pressing and set-up will nullify any team. And given what we did to Man Utd in the second half (including them going through three tactical substitutions and formation changes to no effect) it would be hard to argue against him at this stage. I suspect we will start with Lallana, Puncheon, and Ramirez and all of them will be on a short leash if the pressing isn't effective enough from them. It's harsh on Davis and Jay Rod but in that part of the pitch right now we have options and it is clear to me it is those 3 (plus the two behind) that are getting through an enormous amount of work without the ball for our new system to work, so all five will feature at some stage regardless of who starts. And you know what, if those front four (with Lambert) do their jobs pressing it won't even bother me who plays in central defence - at worst they have to read the quick breaks and act accordingly and mop up like sweepers (that is assuming all goes to plan of course). Looking forward to seeing how this new system gets on against a team in the relegation zone as opposed two teams in the top five.

Quite pleased with the business we've done today. Trimmed the squad a bit with an opportunity to do so more once the loan window opens. We were all told by reporters that it was likely to be a quiet window so while the mongs are out in force on Twitter we've still signed Forren who potentially seems someone who can contribute a lot. Happy the club hasn't made any stupid panic signings, and we can all focus on getting the most out of what we've got under the new Manager. And if the second half last night is anything to go by, it is going to be quite exciting no matter what.

Puts himself out there to try and find out Saints news and gets a load of grief for it. Surprised he manages to bite his tongue so much with how people address him on twitter and such. He is a PA journalist which gives him a damn sight more integrity than most. He'll get things wrong from time to time but none of it is from being lazy. Considering how much the club likes to keep things in house I think he does a good job even getting the bits and bobs he can pass on.

Live 30mins walk away from Old Trafford. Hate losing but we gave it a good go. Really was a game of two halves. First half I wasn't too happy. We played a high line but didn't press them much when they had the ball, it didn't feel like we were giving ourselves much chance. We looked aprehenscious on the ball and as a confidence team it didn't bode well. Got a gift of a goal but all it did was give Man Utd another kick up the arse. Hated seeing Jay-Rod on the wing - he just isn't comfortable there for me. Man Utd were worth the lead at the break, their movement up front was very good and they weren't shy of bombing forward when they had the chance. Got to HT only down by 1 which was good. Second half was something else. I couldn't tell you what formation we played. It looked like it could be Davis behind Lambert with Lallana on the left and Jay-Rod on the right but to be honest the whole thing was so fluid I don't have any idea what was going on. Lambert would press the furthest defender, Lallana and Jay-Rod would sit on the full-backs and Davis would operate like a forward-defender giving grief to whomever had the ball and if the Man Utd defence dare try to get the ball past those four (in their own half) then the rest of the team chased after the ball like a pack of dogs. It was very brave and quite remarkable to see. And it worked bigtime. Man Utd had no answer. They made all sorts of changes to combat it and nothing worked. In basketball terms it was akin to a full court press. You hassle the other team in their own half and challenge them to get near your half. It sounds dangerous but we did it so well. A little more quality and composure in the final third and we would have scored three in the second half but I am not going to moan about that. We need to take advantage when we play well and have good spells and we didn't. But it is potentially a good sign for the future. Finally a good mention for Boruc - his gives the whole defence confidence and played very very well tonight. Saints fans in good voice, but Man Utd fans are so spoilt over the last few decades I think they've lost the whole point of going to a game which is a nit of a shame.

Lets wait and see what the Pochettino tactic gets out of the players before we worry too much about a lack of faces. It appears clear to me that Pochettino couldn't give two ****s about how the opposition play and is entirely focussed on what he wants Saints to do so lets see if the likes of Chaplow, De Ridder, and Lee can contribute before we worry about a lack of new faces. On the face of it the intensity of the work and type of football Pochettino likes to play certainly lends itself towards using a lot of the squad. Perhaps the new management is going to give the squad a boost (starting from a clean slate etc.) which will mitigate any risk of going stale and the need for new players.

It all depends if the club want to be protagonists in the market or not. If they have a need they can proactively go out and try to sign targets. On the other hand we've spent lots and lots and time and effort on developing a network of contacts throughout Europe and the rest of the world so an opportunity may arise to do something as the club are informed of something or even approached by an agent. I suspect we're always open to sign players but at this moment in time not proactively looking to address a gap in the team.

He'd be wise to instil confidence in his squad and at the same time not to show his hand publicly though I would not be surprised if we didn't sign anyone. That said, given Vegard Forren confirmed he didn't once meet with Nigel Adkins to discuss his transfer to Saints perhaps asking the Manager about transfers isn't wise anyway...

I love the outrage at these interviews. What did people expect - awkward questions to be asked in a live environment? I am sure there are lots of questions fans and journalists would like to ask but even if there was ever a forum to ask them do you think you'd get the truth in an answer? The club quite rightly wants to control the information it gives and there is absolutely no reason on earth it would volunteer information that would portray it in a bad light. Why on earth would the club do that? Makes no sense. Much better to have control over what is said and try and manage how the club is portrayed in the piece. And if awkward questions were asked the club would just give the answers it wants and then people would claim it isn't the truth and we're back to square one. This is probably as good as it gets under the current ownership for now and while it may be frustrated to many in the real world the club are doing the right thing for itself.

Hard to say until we see how Pochettino has us playing. It may well be that a few players out in the cold come back into contention. There isn't a glaring hole in the team, and it is hard to attract players to sign as backup so assuming we're only going to go after players who will make us better it is a difficult time of the year to make transfers.

Prior to a week ago, I didn't really know of Pochettino. Because of that I've basically read all articles that have since been published in order to understand what it is about the way he plays that made Cortese appoint him. There have been a few good articles that point towards his record with giving youngsters debuts and nurturing them into the first team. However at Espanyol I don't think he had any other choice. So I've been focussing on how he gets his team to play. This article appears to go over it as well as any other I've read: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/blog/_/name/tacticsandanalysis/id/757/punting-on-pochettino?cc=5739 So in summary the main characteristics of his football are: - Lots of pressure on the opposition in their half - Attacking - One and two touch football to move the ball quickly - A high defensive line How well do we think the existing squad is aligned to this approach? Pressing The Opposition This is a sure way to completely exhaust Rickie Lambert yet it appears the pressing will start from the front. However Lambert is clearly our most effective striker so how will he press so much without the ball and yet still remain a threat when we have it? Attacking This will suit us very well - though I am a bit concerned at the counter attacking ability of the better teams. One and two touch football to move the ball quickly I am not too sure about this - it relies on lots of movement and of course lots of quality. We are bound to lose the ball far more often than we like. In the Championship and by and large in this league we aren't really an 'early ball' team - we tend to work it a bit and tease open a situation. This sort of football is quite different. A high defensive line This is quite scary given our current personnel - our improved defence has been all about team shape ensuring weaknesses can't be exposed. None of our centre-halves are particularly quick and whilst they are decent at reading the game there isn't much you can do when the ball is lumped over your head into 30 yards of space. This is the biggest concern for me. I think back to how AVB did this at Chelsea with far better defenders and they were opened up at will. The other theme to all this is how well the squad as a whole is aligned to this sort of football. It will be interesting to see if players who had a small role to play with Adkins (or no role at all) find this type of football a better fit for their abilities or whether it is something our best team / better players will be able to take to. There will be some casualties along the way but if I had to hedge a bet I could fast see Chaplow becoming a preference off the bench ahead of Davis because of his energy and how he hustles. Just as we get tired in midfield he could replace a winger and run about hassling the opposition. But that is just a hunch.

The one thing that will harm any credibility that opinion has is it coming from f**kwit pundits who talk alot but say very little - like Jamie Redknapp. How on earth can he start that column by saying Pichettino may be good in the long run - completely undermines the rest of his point the stupid *****.

So the money the HNW individuals are putting in will be converted to shares if the takeover is successful, yet the Trust state that the majority shareholder will still be the fans if the takeover is successful. Surely the HNW individuals are diluting the impact of fan ownership on a weekly basis? Doesn't add up to me.

A little update on Adkins: This in particular made me chuckle: Blackpool behaved the same way in the summer after they learnt of our interest in Matt Phillips. Karl Oyston what a ****

We only need to improve fitness if we continue to be shabby with the ball after we work so hard to get it. The reason the great teams can press all the time is because they use possession of the ball to replenish energy levels. In the second half we tired because we lost our verve and understanding in the opponents half. When you keep losing the ball and then press for 10 seconds afterwards you are bound to get gassed. So it is clear for me - if we aren't going to get better with the ball then get fitter. If we're going to get better with the ball then perceived fitness will improve without actually having to do much fitness work at all.

Got to learn to take our chances against the better teams, but overall it was a very positive performance. Enjoyed the tempo and the pressing but when Everton put two up front we didn't look very comfortable doing it (pressing) as we didn't protect the ball well enough when we got it back and they had dangerous players on the break. We have Boruc to thank for a point really, but then again we had plenty of chances first half so I don't feel like a point was undeserved at all in terms of overall performance. Bit bothered about Ramirez keep coming up with cramp. Love how much effort he is putting in but that needs sorting out as I don't think he should be getting cramp at this stage. Plenty of reasons to be positive about the future and it will be interesting to see how much is done over the next 5 days in Barcelona. Quite a game to try it all out in - Manchester United away next Wednesday. Could well be a game that Fonte and Lallana are back for in some capacity. In fact Lallana on the bench would be a nice boost but I suspect Wigan may be more realistic.

Didn't Adkins alude to the players going away for a few days in the sun after we got knocked out of the FA Cup against Chelsea? Pretty sure he did. Weird coincidence it is Barcelona though.

So do we know anything of how Pochettino likes to play? I have read a few articles that talks about pressing high up the pitch and playing possession football, but do we have any idea of formation or anything like that? He has said he has seen us for a few weeks so I'll be interested to see whether he looks to keep the players with what they are familiar with and phase in his ideas slowly or whether his ethos requires complete change at the start.

Well this is the thing isn't it. We need to detach what Adkins has done for us and the manner of his departure from any feelings of our prospects under Pochettino. Quite clearly Cortese believes we have a better chance moving forward under Pochettino. I can potentially see why when you consider his pedigree and reputation - moreso when you align it with the objectives of the club moving forward. The timing of it seems disastrous though, and that is my big concern. For what it is worth my perception is that Pochettino can take us forward, but he has half a season of real pain to keep us up and impose his ideas on the team. We'd just about got to the point where we had adapted under Adkins and now to start again is a big ask. I trust the players to get on board, I don't think they were all devote followers of Adkins as the fans were, and I may dare say a fresh voice and new ideas could help several of them. And, one other potential benefit is that if Cortese feels he now has a man at the helm appropriate for the league we're competing in, the signings could be even more exciting. But that is a hunch based on nothing.

I'm usually quite pragmatic but that left me a bid sad.