Lallana's Left Peg

You can't look at the attack in isolation. We have the best defence in the league which means a) that will come at some sacrifice to our attacking, and b) you don't need to score as many goals to win games. It doesn't mean we need an attacking coach, but it does place more pressure on our strikers to convert chances. If you don't, runs like our last month happen. It is also why it is a little risky to only have a few strikers in your squad as you can't carry a striker out of form if he isn't taking chances.

Good talent playing in the wrong league. I think he'd do well in Spain or Italy, but it will difficult to sell him properly in the summer (even with a year left on his deal) given what he earns.

Nothing like the two signings we've already made in January then? Neither of which could get a game for their parent club. Or in the case of one of the players, a club he was loaned to in order to get some games.

1. Shane Long got injured during the January transfer window. And he doesn't play up front on his own either. 2. The club would be the most people aware out there regarding Jay Rod's window to return. I think it's quite clear to all that if he got ANY first team football this season it would be a surprise. 3. Of course there are other reasons the team is struggling. But despite all that we've also created lots of chances for Pelle who has missed them all. 4. Mane was signed last August so I've no idea why you've referenced him being a January signing. Elia I like but Djuricic I don't see the point of signing yet. 5. I have no idea why the only line of defence for those who won't accept that not signing a striker is a mistake is 'name someone' but seeing as people are adamant about it what about Nils Petersen: Signed for Frieburg on loan from Werder Bremen. 26 years old, 6'2", can play up top on his own and knows where the net is. Scored a perfect hat-trick on his debut this January as well. Now I don't know what he earns or what the loan fee is but I wouldn't mind betting he was attainable given we spent up to £10m+ on a full-back in January, Djuricic won't be earning peanuts, and Cork was sold.

If you'd bothered to read any of my other posts you'd see that I am still delighted with the season but just disappointed to the degree to which only have one senior striker may cost us. I've travelled the length of breadth of this country support far worse teams that than the one we currently have. But the great season we've had does not make the current team immune from criticism. We have an issue with taking chances and when I look at it, it comes down to Pelle being out of form. That may be because he is tired. That may be because he suffers from a lack of confidence. It may be because he is just not good enough. We can speculate as to why it is, but what is a fact is that we have no alternative. I'm not looking for Top 6 quality whatsoever - I don't think the chances he's missed in February would only be finished by a £30m striker and / or a Top 6 striker. Some of them would be finished by a half competent striker - certainly one attainable for a club like us. And even if said striker didn't finish them, then Pelle would be on the bench and refreshed instead of being shattered (in my opinion) and not sharp enough to put his best foot forward. If you want to talk about the bigger picture then we're in fantastic shape. But 1 league goal in what feels like a long time...not good enough no matter where we are in the table. And we did nothing in January to help ourselves either. I don't think that was particularly clever whatsoever.

How do you know there weren't?

Absolutely. Are there any other teams who have no single alternative though? Numbers do not equate goals of course, but if you have a striker struggling, out of form, and even worst who's confidence is shot...isn't it a good idea to have an alternative? EDIT: Didn't we do the same with Tadic? Why couldn't we have taken the same approach with Pelle?

Splash out? No. Sign a striker on loan as Jay Rod is clearly not ready and Gallagher is struggling? Yes. Why should me naming names mean it is any more or less possible!?!

I don't think as many other clubs had as many first team players new to the league. I appreciate this circumstance was brought upon us via the actions of existing players at the start of last summer. But after massively exceeding expectations in the first half of the season, we signed two players on loan in January and both of them didn't start today whilst Pelle, who is struggling, completed 90mins. When you are talking about balance in the squad and a need to use the squad over the course of a season, we've been a bit silly in thinking we could ride Pelle for 9 months. I hope Pelle regains some form, but I feel sorry for him - he needs a rest and yet we must be the only squad in the league that has one senior striker who can play up top on his own. Crazy! Still an outstanding season of course, but a little disappointing that it may be the smallest of things that costs us significantly. I still am delighted with the season though.

Is there another team in the top half who went into the second half of the season with a single senior striker fit though?

Did you choose to ignore the rest of my message? I said that even if Pelle's replacement was not as good as Pelle, the benefit is that Pelle would get a rest etc. This is not about Top 6 quality or anything like that. This is about a player who's confidence is completely gone, and yet there is NO single alternative in our squad to him. It's a single point of failure, and we're paying the price. Can't you see that?

I'm dealing with the inevitable dip in form as players deal with the harsh reality of a long Premier League season - for many of them their first season in this league. I'm fine with chasing cup success - absolutely fine with that. But why are people moaning with the downturn in league form? Players are only human - they only have so much physical capability. I am fine and understand why our season is panning out as it is. But many people are moaning. The only thing I don't understand is our lack of striker cover. It's stupid.

Don't be so pathetic. In your opinion is it viable / sensible / achievable for a team to finish in the Top 7 with ONE senior striker all season long? Yes or no? Even if Pelle's replacement was not as good, it would give Pelle a chance to replenish energy levels and / or some competition. He has nothing. No backup, no chance for a rest, no competition. He's being flogged like a donkey and whilst clearly out of form, shot for confidence, and knackered, he is being played. That is wrong. We signed two players on loan in January. I would argue Djuricic wasn't needed. Why wasn't a striker signed?

Pelle has been good for us. Before today I was happy for him to be a part of the team because of what he offered outside his finishing. But after today he needs to be taken out of the team - there is no way a team chasing a Top 7 finish can accommodate a striker with this level of his confidence shot. Has it ever happened before? But we can't drop him as there is no alternative. January was an opportunity to address that but instead we signed two players who couldn't even make the starting 11 today. Now I'm aware that Premier League ready strikers are hard to come by at the best of times, not least in an awkward January transfer window, but right now, what, if any, is the alternative to Pelle? There isn't any in my opinion and the lad is clear struggling big time. It's costing us. Finish those two chances today and we've got three points. But we have no points.

Remember back in 2014 when everyone said how brilliant it was that we played a strong team in the cups? We're paying the price now. You either accept it or take the view that you play a weaker team in the cups - that is the reality with our squad. Deal with it.

Several players hitting a brick wall in terms of form and / or fitness. Never under estimate the impact that the Premier League has on players. It may not be the best quality wise, but fitness / excitement wise it takes its toll.

Our failure to sign a striker in January will cost us. To what degree remains to be seen. Still an outstanding season, but right now we're in a dip and it isn't clear how / if we can address it.

Long has been bad in every game he has played up front on his own. I fully appreciate Pelle is well out of form and also looks knackered to me (they are probably related a bit as well) however his presence is important to the team. He drops deep and Mane and Elia bomb on. It's very simple but the pace of Elia and Mane mean it is hard to stop. What I would do is like to give Pelle more support with players close to him when he has the ball. Many times he drops deeper to get the ball but when he gets to him there is only one option to lay it off to. I would like to see this: ------------forster clyne--fonte-----yoshida--bertrand -----wanyama--schneiderlin Davis--------------------------Tadic ------Mane ------------Pelle Mane is in and around Pelle rather than coming out to in. Tadic and Davis start wide but come inside to allow full-backs to bomb on and have licence themselves to get into the box as Vic and Morgan are covering.

It seems a little silly to suggest something without being able to understand whether or not it is possible. Or at least show the ability to think about it a little.

What would that be with the personnel we have? You change one part of the team and it impacts the other by default. You need all three units on the pitch to work in harmony the way Koeman sets us up. We've seen a few different formations which reflect different plans but the work in the final third in all of them needs a central striker from which others feed from - either with out without the ball.

But we play with inside forwards who rely on a target man to base their movement off and create space for them. Play two mobile strikers and we need to be more clever in the final third and also have creativity in the middle - both are a big issue for us. Pelle is important for us even though he is well out of form with the ball.

Isn't that a given considering he is our only striker

Which begs the question...why did we sack Jason Dodd?

Is he feeding a small rodent in his pocket? He can't leave it alone.

It's not fun but it is far better than the alternative - to have players no-one else wants and in all likelihood a worse team in a worse league position. This is almost best case scenario!