Lallana's Left Peg

1. Koeman has the odd stinker as does any player. It can be frustrating but overall his work is good. 2. Both are ok players but not sure they would be first choice with the current squad. 3. There isn't much pace in our team - I think that is more of an issue than fitness. 4. Hardly got a look in with a 4-2-3-1 so never going to get neat a 3-5-2 system. Can't see him staying - low risk signing who has had no impact.

The club purchased players to play in a 4-2-3-1 system. That wasn't working so we switched it up to a 3-5-2 which is solid defensively but a mess going forward. That system relies on nabbing a goal and not conceding. It is not good football to watch as it is essentially full backs providing width and then 6 players defending well (the three central defenders and three central midfielders). The long term future of this team / club is 4-2-3-1 - but it is good to have a 3-5-2 for certain games. Some of our players don't fit a 3-5-2 - Tadic is probably the biggest victim.

Not a game to be dwelled on in isolation but it was a game that seemed to expose all of our issues as a squad at the moment: 1. We are a momentum team. When things are going well we have the confidence and when they are not we look clueless. It is the biggest indicator in football of a mid-table team. We have a good period and then the slightest set-up results in a hangover for several games. It's not unique to us but it is a trait of average teams. 2. We missed Wanyama's presence. We had no grip on the midfield at any time. 3. The 3-5-2 is nice at times but ultimately it is a formation set-up to ensure we don't lose a game. The football is horrible to watch as well - but that is forgiven when we defend properly and draw or sneak a win. 4. We don't have a clue how to chase a game. Seems our tactics, shape and understanding goes to pot when we have to chase a game. Players get too anxious as well. It's a mentality thing and it is quite a fragile line for us it seems. 5. Many of the weaknesses of some players were exposed in the game however these are well documented now. I am not too fussed as I had us down for around a 10th place finish this season but if we are to push on the above needs to be addressed in the summer. On and off the pitch.

If he is available then I think he will have more attractive options than us.

It was delicious.

I suppose it depends on the definition of coaching for the purposes of the discussion. If you mean the mental aspect of nurturing talent and helping them progress then it can make a difference. If you mean coaching a player to be a better player in terms of technical ability etc. then I don't think that makes a difference at all. For me the best teams buy the best players and then their biggest challenge is having the right Manager looking after that talent. They don't buy players and then seek to make them better - they like to buy the end product (or as close to it) and then have them perform immediately. A part of this will be because they need instant results of course, but if it was as easy to just have good coaching they wouldn't buy the finished product and would just continually develop youth players for the first team and save a lot of money. I'm not saying good coaching doesn't contribute, but I just don't think it is one of the most important factors. Buy good talent and play them in the right circumstance and you've cracked it I think.

If coaching made a big difference then good Managers wouldn't spend lots of money on players. Coaching can make a difference - compared to the overall quality of a player in the first place I think it makes a little difference. The player does need the right environment to thrive - the right tactics for starters, but nothing makes a difference in football like ability. So that is why recruitment is so important. Identify the talent and then identify if they fit your club. Coaching is important in order to ensure a player can perform, but it doesn't make a player better. He has to have the potential. If he doesn't you can't coach it.

I don't think we improve players better than any other team. I think we recruit better than most teams. The rest falls into place.

There is no way Arsenal paid up to £16m for a player and he is only on 10k a week.

Well if he could be like David Prutton in any way then if Wanyama is going to get sent off please do it by taking an opposition player out properly and then go mental at an official afterwards. Do it properly.

You can throw many criticisms his way, but I don't think it is fair to ask more goals from him. He's a midfield destroyer. Not many (if any at all) score goals.

He does his better work without the ball, much like Shane Long. But everyone wants to point out that despite Long's shortcomings as a ball player he is important to the squad - Wanyama is the same. Wanyama hasn't made much progress technically, in fact he is very limited. But his presence and the things he does off the ball are very good and important for us. When he is fit he plays, so Koeman obviously agrees as well. We'd miss him if he left but he feels replaceable. And as has been pointed out I'd be doubtful that either of the Manchester clubs, Chelsea or Arsenal would be interested in him. So its Liverpool or Spurs or a move abroad.

Well if a team in China is willing to pay him £75m over three years they'd probably be willing to pay £25m to sign him.

Like Chelsea last year?

A bit silly - I'd question anyone who ever wants Saints to lose a game. And Leicester - couldn't care less about them. It would be a fantastic achievement for them to finish Top 4 and unbelievable for them to win the league but whether or not they do I couldn't give a ****. Always want Saints to win.

Exactly. He will follow in the footsteps of Michael Carrick, Dimitar Berbatov, Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and club hero Sol Campbell who all shunned moves to bigger and better teams to commit their future to Spurs. They are different to other clubs.

The ticket prices are silly but conversely Man Utd have reasonably priced tickets for the game at Old Trafford and there is so little interest there is a real chance they are going to close one stand in the ground for the game.

Fair point. How about only 1 or 2 games per round are shown on TV and both are on a Sunday. That'll do. Basically make FA Cup games less accessible on TV and make it mean more to be there. That's what I want to do.

If they want the FA Cup to matter, they need to do the following: 1. Winner gets in CL 2. All games on a Saturday at 3pm apart from the semi-finals which are Saturday and then Sunday 3. No other games the weekend the FA Cup is played 4. FA Cup games on free to air TV Done.

Yep!

Was he at Newcastle or Saints when he took a clearance straight into his head and then spent the next 15mins playing at about 5% of physical and mental capacity

We'll be in the conversation for European football as long as the winners of the cups are the teams that finish above us.

I was a bit worried about our last 10 day break before the Arsenal game but we did well in that.

It's a question open for debate but it depends on whether or not you think the best football is the most effective football or the more aesthetically pleasing football (which is also open to your own view on how football should be played). For me Arsenal play the best football but it is not always the most effective.

Hopefully. I'm going to have a play next week regardless as it looks fun.