Lallana's Left Peg

It's going to be near on impossible to sign a player from Spurs.

I'm not saying someone who can create centrally isn't welcome, but I just think Koeman doesn't see it as an important part in his formation. If you look at our signings in that part of the pitch it's all about size and pace - nothing too subtle or clever about it. Redmond or Townsend would further add to that. Quick football in the final third with lots of width. No dragging players out of position and exploiting space, just law of averages and pounding away to make a breakthrough.

My early observations are that Koeman allows creativity on the wings to open up space for crosses rather than centrally to create clear cut goalscoring chances. He doesn't appear fussed with creativity in the middle of the park. Everything we do attack wise appears to be down the wings.

Not having a go but amazing how expectations and ambition can change in the space of a few months.

Good point - probably not a call-up but a cap would I'd imagine.

Have read that and am pretty sure you are agreeing with me other than my use of 'void' for the existing contract to be superceded?

One other thing - finally, 7 years on, our revenge for Wayne Thomas.

This is how the Spurs fans feel with their pursuit of Schneiderlin and ours of Townsend.

I think it would just cement the place of Jack Stephens in the first team squad. Fourth choice centre-half and backup right back isn't a bad job for a 19 year old.

Burton Albion away (hope I haven't jinxed them).

It is quite usual that when a player joins another team on loan that his parent club ask him to negotiate his terms for the duration of his loan with his new club and his existing contract is void for the period of the loan. For example, if a young promising player had a contract with Chelsea and earned 10k a week with 5k in bonus money every time he made a first team appearance, do you think Chelsea pay him an extra 5k he makes an appearance for the club he is on loan at? Our own Dani Osvaldo took a big pay cut when he joined Juventus last January.

I cannot blame the Board for aiming high however the one thing they had as an advantage was to be aggressive with bids given the outgoings we had. The messing about has not only caused us to miss out on targets but also then overpay for others further down on the list, which is a bit pathetic. So not only do you not get the quality of player in that you want, you also end up losing more money from the sales to get in the second, third, fourth, fifth target or whatever. I wish we had been more aggressive in the market at the start of the summer to take advantage of being a more appealing club to play for and the money we had available.

The concern is: a) will we replace him? b) if we do, then do you trust the current regime to do so given this summers interesting spending c) if we don't, then that leaves us with ONE creative player in the entire squad. One. It's better the devil you know as far as I am concerned with Ramirez as b and c don't appeal...

Dat loss on the transfer fee

We weren't that nice under Pochettino. Lots of professional fouls, lots of hassling the Ref etc. Can't say I've noticed a difference.

I can only think of two - Schneiderlin and Wanyama. He's ahead of the others in the 'depth chart' in my opinion.

Just about gone apparently: http://www.southlondon-today.co.uk/Sport.cfm?id=6316

He is a giant. Millwall through a high ball into the box in the second half yesterday and he caught it like it was an inconvenience. Feel good with him between the sticks - he'll win us some points this season for sure.

I agree - we're at a stage where it is irreversible and the teams are bigger than any organisation. FFP was always about ensuring another Portsmouth didn't happen, but really what it has done is establish the status quo for a long time. What I would prefer is a set of rules that allow clubs to make losses as long as they are underwritten by the owners and wiped clean every year - that opens it up for sugar daddies and still takes away sporting 'merit' of course but it also means the old establishment can still be challenged in the way Chelsea and more recently Man City have. There is probably a big hole in my idea anyway

It hasn't been a level playing field for decades to be fair.

As in, learn a new position that he looks completely unsuitable for?

Very happy for him, as they were Cork.

Only saw the second half, should have scored loads more but general play was far better. Still to click in the final third - a bit disappointing to see it not happen against a very poor team but these things can take time. I never want to see Shane Long on the wing at all. He either plays up front or not at all please. Watching him out there makes my eyes bleed.

It's still not clear what went on at the club to make half the team want to leave in the first place.

Club has travelled up the night before a game for several years now - whether or not it is an evening kick off. I think the last time we travelled on the day was Leeds away in the promotion season and although we won it was a horrid performance and Adkins mentioned that was the last time we'd be doing that.