melmacian_saint

He's not very good, and I think it's a mistake. I'm always a bit annoyed when managers get carried away and start signing players who they know from their home country/league, or one where they have a good reputation. Don't think it does wonders to the team spirit either, as they are very clearly perceived as manager's specific choices and therefore more likely to be given a chance. Obviously Koeman has gained considerable legitimacy to do this with how the season is going, but we must be prudent, and I hope he is aware of this to. As a recent example we have Laudrup with his Spanish Swansea experiment. After a good season with a bargain star in Michu, he filled the team with Spanish players who were no better than the ones that were there before, but were very clearly preferred by him, and team spirit and performance was not as good as expected, with numerous reports of conflict in the squad.

He'll have a stable career in the PL I'm sure. Well done and the best of luck Jack, you showed your quality, were great value for Saints and I'm proud that you were part of our rise and establishment back in the Prem! For those ITK, how is Swansea like? ****, good, boring? Guess a house in the Gower can be as nice as in the New Forest...

From a follower of the Portuguese league, he really isn't that good.

He fits Swansea pretty well. His passing is exquisit, and he was for the last 3 seasons one of our most composed players on the ball, always so neat with his moves. However, he lacked the physical build needed for a defensive CM to show his presence, and crucially did not have the pace to make up for this. Good move for both I think, especially as his contract runs out soon. Maybe he did have a better offer on the table all along, even if not financially!

Is Gallagher injured?

One thing I notice is that the reason why our passes from the midfield are going stray is that we're trying much longer passes than usual. Where Lallana usually came inside and back to get the ball, and Lambert and Rodriguez exchanged position nicely in the central area, now we have two wingers stuck to their side and going wider when we attack, while Pelle is alone wrestling with everyone. Given the importance of our two more defensive midfielders, we now have a massive gap between midfield and attack, as Davis is effectively a box-to-box midfielder rather than our most offensive CM. This is even worse when Schneiderlin is not there to take on Davis' role and allow him to move forward a bit. As a result, if our wingers have an off day (which they largely have of recent, especially Tadic), or they are closed out of the game, we can't get enough numbers or even passes forward let alone create chances. Hopefully when Rodriguez comes back Koeman can find a way of fitting both of them in. It would help our midfielders a lot.

Wouldn't work. Koeman had the choice to call him back, but didn't. His patience has its limits, even with youngsters (see Taider).

Get Rasiak here so both of you can tell us how Davis is the reason we're not going for a treble.

He's taking his hand away to be fair, probably penalty 6 out of 10 times but not blatant... Seems like inertia winning works for us these days!

Few passes here and there, but a lot of long balls today. CMs have been quiet apart from the odd run.

Are we allowed to kick the ball away or do we have to offer hospital passes to each other in front of the box?

I think we're quite lucky. Just down the road, they got children of money launderers, gun-traffickers, dodgy investment fund representatives and fake sheiks. Other clubs had American know-alls, stingy Britons, big-spending reluctant Arabs and Russian mob-dodging oligarchs on an ego trip. In the time where anything went, we were given an industrialist family, with a culture of moderation, that seems to care about making SFC a complete project. That my friends, in these times of short-term franticness and football spending foolishness, is a blessing.

I wonder what he is up to these days...hasn't been on the news after that Ben Smith interview.

Joe Royle is alive...

I don't really see why people think he had a bad run of games before the Arsenal game. He played well vs. Everton, with a cross for Yoshida's goal that would've gone viral had Di Maria done it.

This is quite close to my seat. Didn't actually notice anything. Edit: Armstrong spotted it!

That touch from Davis..

If Rasiak was still playing then the crowd would really get behind what they would perceive as an ambitious team. No such luck with these water-carriers who are going nowhere and fail to impress the stands.

Don't want to blow this out of proportion, but it was unacceptable in many ways. However I'm not pleased with Koeman's attitude in the last few games. Often looking hopeless, passive, angry at post-match press conferences (he took the Man U. result too personally, his spat with Van Gaal was really evident), and more recently reacting badly to us going 1-0 down despite Clough Jr's Brian side coming out of him very evidently last night. We have a team of players that are in their 1st PL season, and after a really good start they are having their first big moment of adversity, which we all know how bad it can get. Surely they need someone encouraging them on from the touchline a bit more actively rather than just expecting them to deal with it?

To be fair Lovren's mistakes have been Hooiveld-esque this season.

Very much disagree. Forster made some good saves and was unlucky. Fonte played well and so did Wanyama, both were in fact unlucky not to score.

How many chances did Pelle have/create?

Ronnie has to take the blame today too. Too slow to change, too negative.

Right can we stop with this? Every goal every team has ever conceded has a mistake in it.

Very glad that Burnley and their marching army of primates and hairless gingers will go down eventually.