5string

Very rarely do I ever stop watching a match before the end. Stopped watching now - can't stand this. See ya.

Completely different sports on completely different surfaces (type and size), requiring completely different physical conditions from the participants. For starters, tennis players don't have the opponent kicking, pushing and elbowing them as they're chasing for the ball. Not the best comparison.

Probably only once, now. Might have been nice to have a 2nd go.

0-4. Not very good. Reed actually backed off Walcott as the ball came in. We need a goal, if just to get some self-respect.

Clasie...! We seem to have trouble shooting below about 45 feet. Need training from dambusters.

Isgrove & Long off. Tadic & Redmond on

They're in a no-win situation. Too close, get in the way. Too far, can't make a reliable decision. But, yeah, ref-in-the-way seems to be worse this season.

Welcome back! You picked a hell of a game to return to. Ooh, well defended Gardos.

Haha Kevin Friend! A foul for that? Really? He truly hates us.

I think changes were necessary, but maybe we should have started with some of those on the bench (Yoshi, Tadic & Redmond instead of Stephens, Isgrove & Hojbjerg, for example?), then later in the game brought on some of today's starters. Bit of experience at the start of the game can work wonders for influencing youngsters & showing them the ropes.

Oh dear. At least Jenas (if that's who it is) is right about us... no urgency.

Who is the co-commentater on BT? He's almost hoping for Arsenal to get double figures!

Jeez, really Saints? Come on, this is poor, even for our 2nd reserves.

Text commentary on Sportinglife. 9 posts so far, 8 about Arsenal, 1 about Saints 'not being able to get out of their half'. Balanced?

Buger! Martina not really making much of an effort there.

Well, about 2 seconds after I typed that, he tried a fancy flick and nearly came unstuck - rescued himself, though. Thanks, Florin! Considering he's not played since the dinosaurs went extinct, he's doing ok. As for his pace, well JRod wasn't exactly Bolt-speed when he returned either. Need to give him a chance (which is what Puel is doing, of course).

Calm under pressure from Gardos. Good sign. Martina looking to attack as well - need him to defend well, though.

That's working well for me, too. Oh, Long is hobbling already! I have the dreads for this match.

Right, COYS! Mr Kevin Friend is our 'friend' on the blower. Hmm...

Apart from Gardos, Isgrove & Lewis, all the other players have had decent runs in the 1st team at various times. Thanks to Puel's 'yoof' policy.

Still, there's always a silver lining... Brighton getting stuffed by Lincoln

"One of the best cup ties you'll ever see". No, if Wycombe had won it 6 minutes into time added on THEN it would have been one of the best. Damn Spurs - they're so slimy.

Interesting to note how many of our former players are also on the injury list at their respective clubs: Lallana Clyne Chambers Gaston Alderweireld No mention of Shaw, but I imagine he's not up to full fitness yet?

Yep, Sims's run was brilliant for that move - quite deliberate, too, I'd suggest. It was also very intelligent play, carrying the ball that far - even if Long had missed, much time was being used up. Even if he hadn't cut across, Hojbjerg was yelling for it, probably intending to introduce the ball to the corner flag quite intimately. I think that helped to distract Liverpool defenders. Someone earlier in this thread commented how clever Soares had been to head the ball to Sims rather than leather it upfield. Overall, a winning move. I agree with your comments re how Long is being used. Maybe it's also time for us to stop relying on crosses so much and attack on the ground from unusual angles, as Redmond seemed to do so successfully last night. Pace of Long & Redmond, with Tadic trickery & JRod guile would suit that approach, surely?

It was pretty close. Long ran pretty dead straight. Sims's run was almost in a straight line, except for that slight 'jink' after the centre circle, but at a very slight diagonal angle, so that gave Long an advantage, too. Those 2, Lovren & the ref ran the straightest.