Lallana's Left Peg

It's not my job to identify players. But I don't think you have to be a brain surgeon to know that if you sell a right back for £11m and replace him with one for £3m, and replace a £25m central midfielder with a £5m player and a £8m player then you are probably get players 25-33% as good. And that is what has happened. We replaced Toby properly and whilst VvD isn't as good he is clearly in the right bracket of calibre of player we needed to address the departures. Look at our better players in the summer of 2014 and see how much they cost. Bertrand - £10m. Mane - £10m. Tadic - £10m. Forster - £10m. Pretty much our sweet spot for good players who can contribute tangibly but still have some growth in them. Don't know why we stopped doing that this summer.

None of those clubs will be immune to selling their best players in the summer. But I reckon if they sell a player for £20-25m they won't be replacing them with a player who costs 25% as much. And that is the difference for me with what we did last summer.

Yes - refused to travel for their CL qualifier in Sweden ahead of his move here. But it's ok cause he did that to join us and not leave us. Obviously.

Maybe he doesn't rate the players on his bench as much as he does the ones on the pitch, even if it isn't going their way? Quite clear our supposed strength in depth view isn't shared by our Manager. If we had more difference makers on the bench I think he'd turn to it more. The only player I ever think he actually makes an early sub for is Long to come on. Beyond that I don't think he really rates anyone on the bench.

I'm not really worried. Just gutted that at the end of last season we lost three of our better players (one was out of our control) and we served up *that* transfer window. Was a rather meek resignation to going back to being in the position we're in now. I just hope no-one at the club is surprised.

Well they both know it's easy to get a move away from this club so the club must take a little of the blame. They both been lining up moves since the summer.

We were crying out for a proper finisher in the summer. As our team gets better we require a striker who is less well rounded in other areas and more of a proper finisher given the service.

So what are we 'showcasing' right now then? VvD aside, none of the players signed in the summer are going onto better things because they are all showing that we are at a stretch the best they can probably do.

Wanyama has just a year left on his deal come this summer. He's sat on a new deal for at least 6 months with no intention to sign it. The club won't make an example of him at all - he will get what he wants and that is a move elsewhere. Probably Spurs but people tell me we won't deal with them. He will go make no mistake about it.

Be interesting to see if Koeman throws Wanyama and Mane under the bus or if he (and the club) still have ambition to keep them in the summer and try to protect them a bit. Probably need them to secure the points we need to avoid being relegated at this rate.

Careful, question the ambition of the club and people will round on you. However, I would suggest that if the ambition remains then the decision making for the last 12 months has been awful. Either way, it's not good.

Another poor game from Saints. Rubbish at both ends of the pitch and a lack of belief in what we're doing and quality to address it. What needs to change and what will realistically change?

Well I'll take Mane in iffy form in our side ahead of everyone I've just mentioned there. Every time. Not that I disagree with dropping him due to discipline, but Mane had to come on and had to come on early as our team is suffering from a lack of belief and a lack of quality.

Even when hot and cold he poses miles more threat than anyone else we've got right now. Pelle and Jay Rod are injured. Long does what he does. Tadic struggling for form. We have no other attacking players unless you count Juanmi and Ramirez.

Everyone who shouldn't have been punished but because we failed to spend money properly in the summer that's the way it is. All we've done is highlight to Mane how important he is to us in a way that everyone loses.

There was potential for this after our summer business and now the league has settled down a bit it's proving true. Everyone will say this is what it is like in this part of the table but if you actually focus on what Saints are doing as a club there is a complete lack of belief and a lack of quality to turn it around. As momentum goes we're only heading one way.

It was coming. Questions will be asked about the team again.

He's a stupid player to be fair. No-one on the bench even acknowledged him as he trudged off the pitch.

You must have seen the state of our midfield without him!?!

Great chance for Tadic. He never really believed.

Another 5mins and it's got to be Mane for Tadic or JWP.

Not a bad game to watch, just a lack of quality on display from both sides. Either team can win this if they up their level 10%. Next goal wins probably.

That punch from Stek

Goals in this for us if we get a bit of confidence going. Our general shape is good.

Plays like he is electrocuted every time he touches the ball.