Lallana's Left Peg

Just needs a set position at which he can then influence games. A part of this will be developing his presence on the pitch physically - when you can't beat a man or shield the ball very well you severely limit your opportunities to influence a game with your quality. It'll come, but he needs a position soon.

Whilst fluid formations and playing 'between the lines' are all very important aspects of modern football, we certainly do continue to play systems and work on patterns of play all of which are born out of formations and tactical structure. Mane may drift about but he will always have a starting position and a set of responsibilities both with and without the ball - the question is whether we play in a way to get him the ball more often but sacrifice other parts of our team.

Mane has fast become our most effective forward player. His ability to beat a man (either through skill or nipping in ahead of the defender to nick the ball away) creates a lot of problems for the opposition and he has proved that he can provide as well as score. By playing in a more central position he gets on the ball more and by virtue of his starting position can be more dangerous. However, when he plays there he needs to play off the striker and that changes our shape - we go 4-4-1-1 when we're not playing three at the back. And when we go 4-4-1-1 that creates a bit of a problem in midfield - we don't really have any natural players wide in a midfield four and in previous games we've had Tadic and Davis there. With them unavailable, I don't even know who else could play there. So the simple question is this: Would you play Mane central off Pelle or Jay Rod to get the best out of him but sacrifice the effectiveness of the rest of the team (or rather, the personnel that play in somewhat unnatural positions because of it) or would you play Mane wide which means the rest of our players 'fit' the system better? Of course, you can argue that Mane is just as effective wide, but I am not sure Koeman sees it that way now. EDIT: Of course, I mean conundrum!

I'd have hoped that with only three senior centre backs at the club, and one of them very much a developmental punt, that we are confident of signing a priority centre-back target soon.

Anyone know who we got?

Reminds me of the time Liverpool sold Torres for £50m and purchased Carroll for £35m. And I hope this one works out just as well for them.

Wonder if they'll release a squad list for the Dutch camp - I notice fro the Tadic interview video that many of the U21's are still training with the first team despite all senior players now being back.

Celtic will always sell if the money is right. A friend supports them and he basically said they are hoarding cash waiting for Rangers to come back (at which point they'll then spend to ensure they are better than them) and in the meantime will just spend enough to ensure they win the league each year and invest in young players to develop. Its a sound model.

It's pretty clear in one of the posts above.

Hmm Villa or QPR. Think I'd rather stay in Groningen. Or stab myself in the eye with a rusty nail.

I was wondering what on earth we were doing when we brought him in last season. He appears to be the bubbly enthusiastic member of the coaching staff who is motivating and chatting away to the players - a bit of a departure from the role he was fulfilling at Bolton (Head of the Academy) but he seems to be doing it very well. And, to be honest, it's great to see his reaction when we score. Especially the really enthusiastic hand clap

It's Cuco Martina, a £1m signing from FC Twente to warm the bench while Ryan Bertrand is injured and then watch from the stands when he is back fit.

I reckon Adebayor.

I'm sorry, exactly what is going on in that second picture

Very short in the big mans world of the middle of the park in the Premier League, especially if you do not have a strong build. Will be interesting to see how he copes off the ball.

We produce players who are courted by better / bigger clubs, it's harsh to even claim we don't promote the Academy an incredible amount. In an alternative world we'd have Lallana, Chambers, Shaw, JWP and Chamberlain in the first team right now.

So with Clasie signed and the ITK's saying we're shopping on the continent for further signings, doesn't this mean that not all our senior players can be registered for Europe this season?

The way he flights balls to land softly and give the runner a chance reminds me of the way Petit used to do it for Anelka at Arsenal.

The pace coupled with his injury-inviting methods of kicking the ball towards his opponent and then nipping in ahead of the tackle is mental

To be fair in Spain you can get a yellow card for looking at the Ref the wrong way. They have this crazy rule where ANY handball is a yellow card

The club has done very little wrong since Cortese left but there have been a few decisions that have been wrong (benefit of hindsight and all that) - allowing Cork to get away was one of them. He wanted to sign a new deal last summer and said words to that effect. And why not - he had just 12 months left. Not giving him a new deal because Koeman wanted to assess him is strange, because we didn't wait for Koeman's say when we negotiated a number of other contracts. Either way, it was disappointing to lose Cork - we made it an easy decision for him.

As far as I am aware we spent the first 6 months deliberating whether or not to offer him a new deal and then the new deal was offered in January when Koeman said he wanted to keep him and by then Cork said he didn't feel 'wanted' by Saints and said he wasn't signing it. My point is that Cork should have been offered a new deal well before he had jut 6 months left on his existing one. EDIT: Edited for spelling.

By offering him a new deal well before he has less than 6 months to run on his current one. Or in other words, giving ourselves a chance of keeping him.

Would imagine Wood and McCarthy would continue their partnership in the centre of the defence for the U21's, Turnbull will go on loan and Stephens in and around the first team set-up and dipping down for games as and when required for fitness.