Lighthouse

Really disappointed. If we'd put out a decent team we could have won that. Can't see where the goals will come from without Austin.

I had £25 on Reed being the first player down the tunnel at HT at 37-1, now £925 better off.

I think I can take an educated guess which.

And Arsenal's does? McQ isn't a rookie fullback, he played up front whilst on loan. Fairly happy with that, it's hardly a Checkatrade team. To not make the bench, one might assume Austin has a knock but it is disappointing if he is just left out.

J Rod needs game time and confidence from somewhere. Arsenal midfielders aren't exactly know for being bruisers, so the work rate of Clasie, Davis and JWP is perhaps more important than having Rom's physical presence.

So many choices all over the pitch, which is nice when we're fighting in three fronts I guess. I'd rest VVD but otherwise keep it fairly strong. Forster Cedric - Yoshida - Fonte - McQ Davis - Clasie - JWP Boufal - J Rod - Tadic

1 win in 8, their last 2 being an absolute spanking from Chelsea and a stoppage time equaliser at home to said Swansea team. If we were heading to Goodison on the back of such form, this forum would be apocalyptic.

Arsenal and HBS. Lose the other 2 and we will still be mid table.

The point is they're not playing with anything like the intensity they played with last year. They've put so much into their CL campaign that they've looked off the pace in the League and have had a couple of spankings away from home.

Think Pompey had a 7-4 against Reading a few years back.

We are no worse than we have been over the last couple of seasons, other than our strikers enduring some poor form. Leicester look every bit a bottom half team.

Guessing Swansea won't be last on MOTD.

We should play our strongest 11 in every game, just like Leicester who's form definitely hasn't suffered because of it.

All going Pete Tongue at Fratton.

I'll take the opinion of the best minds in sports science over that of 'some guys on the internet'. Please don't take it personally but if the likes of Fonte, Austin, Bertrand, Romeu and Hojbjerg were capable of playing twice a week for half the season, it might have occurred to somebody by now.

I loved this fixture two years ago. Was about 5 days before Christmas, we stuffed them 3-0 and everyone was singing, "feed the Scousers, let them know it's Christmas time!"

That great Liverpool side would struggle to get into the top half these days on account the pace and physicality of the league has moved on so much. No way they could maintain the intensity of a modern PL season and European campaign, without losing form and injuries.

I do like that last chap. Upset about our 'delusions' of a top half finish and decent Europa run. Meanwhile the down to Earth, realistic Toffees are going to finally "smash the glass ceiling" of the top 4 and challenge for the title.

Can't you guys read?! He said they are highly paid athletes, everyone knows money is a guaranteed cure for fatigue.

It's the team I'd pick but doubt Puel will go with this formation, unfortunately.

Redmond, Austin, Tadic and Rodriguez are about on par with what I'd have expected at the start of the season. The main problem comes from the big fat zero from Long and Boufal. Granted the latter has only just got fit but those two in particular need to start turning it in fairly soon.

Despite being top half and having played 5 of last years top 6 away, plus in form Liverpool and Chelsea at home. We are nowhere near as bad as Sunderland, Hull, Swansea or West Ham and there are half a dozen other teams worse than us too.

It sure sucks that we have to play both games against Hapoel away from home.

Yes, that performance in Herning was really quite something.

Not really, they've gone from League champions to bottom half.