Lallana's Left Peg

Enjoy watching the professionalism of the youngsters in our Academy - we seem to 'manage' games really well overall have a maturity to our performances which often eclipses that of our opponents. I think it's those sort of things which allows the club to blood them in the first team so easily as they have that level of refinement to the way they approach the game.

Would we not get a % of that fee for his development again? Or was that just when he left the club that signed him from us?

He is offensively ugly and would compromise our standing as one of the more aesthetically pleasing teams in the league.

He has all the cards - he has 12 months left to run on his deal and clubs who can and will offer far better terms are after reportedly after him. Even if he didn't play this season, he has 12 months to prove his fitness and get back upto speed before leaving on a free transfer and pocketing even more money. And if there were doubts over his fitness then surely Saints wouldn't offer him such a big deal? I am afraid he holds all the cards.

Crazy how yesterdays result makes me care less about this game, yet really I shouldn't as the chances of us finishing Top 4 didn't significantly improve and we really should go as strong as possible in this game. Yet in the back of my head I am just starting to wonder what the priority should be. Assuming no-one is carrying an injury we don't know about, I'd like to see us go 3-5-2 in order to get Long and Pelle working together up front but with only two centre halves fit and McCarthy playing tonight I suspect we'll be 4-3-3. On that basis: Forster Clyne Fonte Gardos Bertrand Wanyama Reed Schneiderlin Long Pelle Isgrove Maybe Tadic instead of Isgrove if Elia is to play at Newcastle.

I think Arsenal and Man Utd will sort themselves out but we'll make then earn it which will be pleasing.

How many of them looked like Victor Moses?

Bridcutt Outpaced by Can Poyet

Dzeko's conversion rate isn't particularly good either. And just to play Devils Advocate, Dzeko too is capable of absolute shockers and doesn't show a level of consistency that a player of his talent should. That doesn't mean he isn't good enough for Saints, and he is a better finisher than Pelle, but he isn't that much better in my opinion - or at least, wouldn't be for us. Plus his overall play for the team isn't that good - the sort of things a team like us need perhaps more than Man City who just need their strikers in the right place at the right time more often than not.

But that doesn't mean he might not have the opportunity to better himself based on his performances this season. Toby would be mad to stay - I think we all secretly know that. Morgan will be off too in all likelihood so that'll be three first team spots we need to fill this summer - perhaps Morgan replaced by Cork leaving the defence needing major investment, moreso if Clyne doesn't sign a new deal.

If we make Europe, then it would be awesome to sign him back on loan for a bit. Imagine the reception.

He wants to leave Man Utd as he doesn't like sitting on the bench every week. I doubt he'll be keen on swapping their bench for ours.

Why do you think they have financial problems? Don't presume that means they don't pay their players much. Last season they paid David Villa 125k a week. Koke signed a deal worth 90k a week. Neither of those pieces of information mean Toby is on 75k a week there - but it does show that they can pay a lot in wages and that 75k isn't exactly a reach for them.

Sounds viable to me - they're a big club with good players.

Inter have already signed one striker, they may well sign another this transfer window. Say we get to the end of January, haven't signed a striker, and Jay Rod isn't ready. If the option was there to recall Osvaldo, would you? Or go without no matter what the status of our squad?

What happened to all the people that said Shane Long would score more goals because he was now playing in a better team? Plenty of people changed their tune now I see.

Lambert has probably played as much as he thought he would when he signed in the summer. He hasn't played as much as he thought he might in the circumstance of being one of only two fit strikers at the club and one of them well out of favour.

Hard to say - had he not left then maybe one of Toby or Gardos wouldn't have arrived. His departure maybe had the least impact on the team in the present moment, but he still would have got plenty of games for us given our squad size etc. All the news coming out of the club at the time was that the £16m was too good to turn down for a player considered backup in his best position. Only time will tell if that was the right decision - in terms of how good he goes onto become and how we spend / spent that money. We certainly don't miss him - at the moment.

A few months ago I was of the opinion that it felt right to create a space for Stephens or Turnbull and let Maya go but his performances of recent have been very good and I can't say this is a bad deal for us - as long as he is happy to understand where he is in the pecking order. I suspect (and hope!) that *if* we have European football next season he will be of even more importance to us with the increase in games. One criticism of him (and it is not unique to him to be fair) is that it takes him a while to get up to speed when he hasn't had many games - and as a backup that poses a bit of a problem. But we'll just have to live with that as it is understandable.

A great piece for the club. Nicely positions our 'angle' of having the most productive / renowned Academy in the league for new supporters and general interest from casual fans. I thought everyone spoke well and there were a few bits and bobs in there which were news to me as well. As to whether or not it makes a tangible difference to the club will be hard to know, but it certainly doesn't do any harm.

Howe talking of a good relationship between Saints and Bournemouth and one which they will seek to use to mutual advantage in the future.

If his hold up play and other aspects of his game have significantly improved then I stand corrected. But I haven't seen any of it the past few years to think so. Plus he can't even get in the Scotland squad so Strachan thinks there are other strikers who can contribute more, even if he is a better finisher than others who get in ahead of him.

I believe the modern Premier League striker needs to be able to do a few different things very well to make an impact and contribute. A poacher like Rhodes (and no doubt he can finish) is going to find the contribution he can make decrease the further down the table he plays. Just look at how Gary Hooper got on in a relegation battle last season. I think we can, and should, do better - regardless of the fee.

Lallana has been good tonight. It's no surprise that Liverpool look better with Gerrard on the bench. And Coutinho has been more inclusive in his play. Still think their defence is awful and tonight hasn't been better for them in that respect but if they can't fix that they may as well try and score a few.

My interpretation is that Fabregas cut inside knowing that Targett was rushing towards him and wouldn't be able to stop his momentum. Fabregas knew he was turning into traffic and sensed an opportunity and anticipated contact. What he didn't anticipate is that when Targett planted his right foot that he would slip. Fabregas though he'd have to move further forward to manufacture the contact and as he did so (and started to break his stride to go to ground) he was caught by Targett which led to the exaggerated trip - which did him no favours in terms of how the Ref may interpret the clash. It's a penalty - now doubt that Fabregas was looking for it but managing fouls is a part of being a professional footballer. The rules of the game do not stipulate that a player must stay on his feet if he feels he is fouled (though you may argue the spirit of the game suggests otherwise). Fabregas went looking for a foul and got it in a different way than he expected - to that end you may feel like justice was done however truth be told Targett over committed, couldn't stop in time, and impeded Fabregas (whether or not Fabregas was already on his way down). We got fortunate in my opinion.