Lallana's Left Peg

I think Europa League - even automatic group stage qualification - would disrupt our season too much anyway so I wouldn't mind the extra four games (and two away trips!) myself!

He won't have much of a pre-season though as he'll be an integral part of a side representing the best English players under 21 at the European Championships this summer. His form isn't great but he has plenty of quality.

*If* he is done, how does medical insurance work these days? Would we get compensation? A bit grim to discuss but I guess being out for a year and not even back in training is more than a tad worrying.

Sorry - I should have made it clear - England U21's.

He was absolutely awesome yesterday: I am not sure how on earth we can replace him. If we could, others would be buying the player in the first place.

JWP needs a set position and more of an identity to his game. He has the tools (technique and intelligence) to do it. I am confident he will. For now we should be happy this is another good young player happy to commit his future to Saints and understand that players develop at different speeds and not always at the same rate as well. When you see him play for the U21's he stands out as a very very good player - have some patience. That said, its the crunch time of the season and maybe time we do whatever it takes to see if the Top 4 is attainable.

The most annoyed I have seen him is when he was constantly asked about Liverpool's ex-Saints the week of the Liverpool home game. He showed annoyance but didn't act aggressively - he got his point across and the press conference moved on. I imagine Koeman is used to pressure situations as a player and this prepared him well for management.

Maybe so but when you are the lone striker in a football team full of good midfielders you need to score goals. I'm not expecting a prolific striker at all but he is not a good finisher and it has and will cost us points. His other contributions are important but are they as tangible as the goals he misses out on? I am not so sure. Hard to conclude one way or another but if he is to play up front for us I want to see goals.

I can't work out his style - if he's dong a Yakubu / Hazard style thing of placing it via bad contact but at the last second after seeing where the keeper is diving or if this sort of penalty is his 'thing'. Either way it scares the living daylights out of me.

It was Hazard - I think it was a fair shoulder barge. I don't like the way players get penalised for being stronger than the other these days. JWP has bulked up but he is still relatively small for the hustle and bustle of the Premier League. I think Mike Dean let a lot of contact go yesterday and I quite enjoyed it.

Can't finish for toffee and that is disappointing considering how few and far between chances have been for a few months and how much money he cost the club. Enjoy his workrate and what else he brings to the team but we need quality at this stage of the season.

I think I'd rather have a Manager who can show he can cope with the pressure of the relegation fight by answering questions in a far less aggressive manner and showing he is controlled and measured.

Sometimes the best person to take the set piece is determined by the angle or personnel on the field (and who will be attacking the delivery) and often in this case a decision won't be made who is the best candidate to take it unless you go to where the ball will be delivered from. Also if you have two people there who will take the set piece with different feet then the defence can't settle for an inswinging or outswinging delivery.

Shambles of a Manager, and very funny that he is failing hard.

You mock, but I live in Manchester and know a fair few Man City fans (the sort who were at Maine Road week in week out). To say many of them feel a bit detached from their club is an understatement. They of course have enjoyed their success but they don't feel a real attachment with the club, or a part of anything. Everything is so sanitised 'big club' about them. Perhaps inevitable, but to go ahead and achieve what they have by just throwing money at it hasn't entirely fulfilled them. Of course, it is debateable as to whether or not doing it any other way is possible but the novelty of it all has worn off a little.

I like Tadic's tickled cross for Cork's goal against Sunderland.

Reminded me of Darren Ambrose's strike at Old Trafford a few years ago the way the ball was hit - it barely rotated while in the air.

I would be a tad gutted if we modelled our away strip based on a partnership with a US team however if it meant we got a lot of extra revenue from it which allowed us to keep / buy players then it makes sense under FFP rules...however, unless a US team is paying is a significant amount of money (which I doubt) how on earth do we measure the financial benefit from doing something like this? Won't it just be a punt on increasing profile and presuming there is a positive impact on revenue off the back of that?

QPR are awful but it's not just Redknapp's fault. They are so bad as a team and as a club. Tony Fernandes is an awful owner - so out of his depth.

Could have a scenario where another team outbids us and he has to either stay at Atletico or sign for them when he'd prefer to play for Saints. Even when a player wants to stay we may not be able to make it happen Great news that he wants to stay though. He's crazy, but great news.

I think he's really brought them on as players but as a club their record at players physical welfare is absolutely shocking.

Koeman said Jay Rod is unlikely to return to training this season. Although he said 'it is not unlikely' I don't think he meant the double-negative.

"The transfer window is months away. Any update on Nathaniel Clyne and Morgan Schneiderlin?"

I am not sure about Les Ferdinand as DoF but if our own Les rang up with a £6m offer for Charlie Austin I am fairly sure the first thing Ferdinand would do is remind him we signed a striker for £12m who scores as many goals in a season as Austin does in a good month.

Good for him. But his form has tailed off dramatically the last month. Who was the last player we had who made the Dutch squad while they were with us? Is he the first?