Baird of the land

Completely bemused at the treatment of Tella this season, ignored completely again while Walcott who's had tonnes of opportunities and been awful gets another.

Not particularly enthused about the defensive Diallo selection. Much rather see Tella there if Redmond/Armstrong are out.

Let's hope we can win so the fans can sing 'Can we play you every week.'

Watched N.Ireland scrape a win. Steven Davis is still class(in what's likely to be his penultimate international game). Fortunately for N.Ireland Lithuania were clinical when it came to the OG.

I wonder if Lampard's off to Rangers. If you are in that limbo land where you don't want to be a yoyo team like Norwich's manager and the likes of Villa/Newcastle have zero interest in you, going to rangers and winning some titles might rebuild his rep might hold appeal.

If he ever wants to manage Liverpool he needed to make a step up. Always a risk but I think they are the biggest club he was likely to get and have decent money to help him push them on.

Great to see. Remember Romeu asking to do the same when he hadn't been playing. I have wondered why more fringe players don't do the same.

Yep seems the opportune time to give him a breather. Both other fullbacks should be completely fresh with no international duties.

I expect he'll buck his standards up in response. The issue is he seems to require being told off to stop his professionalism slipping. Maybe this time it'll stick and he'll blossom into a quality player but i'm fairly content that saints got rid.

I don't particularly rate Dean Smith. However if Villa had any doubts they should have got rid in the summer. Wonder if its a bit of a snowball effect (everyone else is sacking so we better) because otherwise why wait 2 days. Curious to see who these great replacements they'll be after.

Yeah he pulls zero punches. I do wonder if he'd have been a much success as a manager 20/30 years previously, when players had less power. How united have spent so much money and yet have a centre midfield consisting of Fred, Matic or Mctominay is laughable. Saints have a better midfield than that let alone the top three with stars such as Fabinho, Rodri and Kante.

Happy to see Brighton and Newcastle sharing the spoils. Odd decision by Norwich. I know its the international break but after you've had that much faith in the manager to abandon him now seems strange.

Pathetic from united, just make it so easy for city to play by refusing to mark city players when they have possession. Sancho in particular looks a truly awful player.

United playing 5 at the back played into City's hands. Shaw seems to regularly go through spells where he looks very poor.

Was rewatching Armstrong's goal. Was that a golf ball being thrown from the crowd?Why?

Was hoping for at least 10 points from this run, so i'm happy. Just hope we end up on more after the Norwich game.

He was unlucky last week too with a first time effort that whistled wide.

With Livramento looking a bit off the pace yesterday, plus he's going away with england isn't he. I wonder if this might be a game to give him a rest and go with KWP and Perraud who should both be fresh after international break.

I thought Lyanco was fine yesterday. There was an instance where he tried to dive in and intercept in midfield and didn't quite get there. However, in a three i don't particularly mind him being aggressive and trying to intercept in that area of the pitch. The interesting thing to see is how he copes when part of a 2.

Hopefully Armstrong will get some minutes for Scotland and come back in better condition to contribute to Saints.

Great reaction too, bailing Salisu out for that second awful blind backpass to Watkins.

Feel at times attacking wise we're too keen to shift it out wide at the moment.

That was a lovely diving tackle by JWP in the first half to stop one of Villa's few attacks.

Yeah was shouting for Diallo constantly to come on because Elyounessi was very poor once we switched shape

The second fould could have been but equally you could argue Romeu had a foul after he was booked, so to i can see ref going final warning on hiim. However, that dive was exactly the reason the yellow card rule was brought in. Why have the rule if you aren't going to punish someone who blatantly cheats like that.