DuncanRG

Yoshida has been seriously good recently. Really good shift from Clasie too.

Don't think it says much at all about us. Between the injuries, treatment by coaches and pressure of the move he's well removed from his circumstances with us. Shame to see.

John Terry wishing Virgil luck with his injury, there...

That's conjecture, as with every other theory about what might have won us that game. (Other than Romeu scoring rather than hitting the post, I guess)

As cover/competition, which is what he is!

God, he's an arse. Unacceptable for a player to use the words 'he should' when talking about a manager. Should be disciplined.

Jesus.

Great stuff, congrats to Redmond and Ward-Prowse.

Please, some decorum. It's who paid whom.

Dunno why everyone's so angry, or why they're talking about him trying to 'justify' the move. He's already said money was a big factor, but that doesn't mean the stuff about his family is untrue. The bits about West Ham's ambition are press lines, but so what? Our guys do it too. PS - Fonte won't have been running around demanding to be put up for interview. The club will have offered him up because he's a new signing, good bloke, good media performer, interesting career story etc.

This is such a myth. We already know that the big boys let clubs our size take players like Van Dijk and Mane, see if they prove themselves as consistent, high-level performers and then drop huge money to take them. Only rarely do they spend big on talent which needs developing for the first team - Stones and Martial are the only recent examples I can think of. Ward-Prowse isn't a consistent high-level performer yet so won't be attracting bids yet. He may or may not get there, but if you're a club with loads of money, why spend £15m on Ward-Prowse now when you can spend £25m in a year or three, and get him when you know he'll produce? That's what happened with Mane and looks likely to happen with Van Dijk and even Cedric. (I should stress that I'm not comparing JWP's talent to that of Martial or Stones. I'm far from certain he will end up at a top club, I just don't think that a lack of publicised interest thus far proves very much)

Nah, they turn out a few others and don't sing YNWA during games, other than at the end and if they're 3-0 down or something. Liverpool away fans aren't as good as Utd, Chelsea etc but beat ours I think.

The Sinatra song will get binned eventually. It was a nice idea, having an 'anthem', but that song clearly hasn't resonated. Much better if we come up with more chants, allowing us to treat OWTS like Liverpool fans treat YNWA. But I'm not optimistic!

You can't upgrade. I once tried to do the same with a senior ticket and was only allowed in because the steward was feeling charitable.

If we're discounting Van Dijk for playing half a season (and Gabbiadini if it comes to that) then Romeu is the only option. Prowsey to get the Terry Paine 'not a foreigner' award.

I'd jump at the chance if he wasn't one of our guys. I'm just wary of the psychology of crawling back to Southampton, especially when you return as a big earner. But I suppose that's more a reason he wouldn't come than a reason he wouldn't succeed if he did.

Telegraph reporting that Oxlade-Chamberlain is likely to leave Arsenal and is "desperate to play more regularly and regain his place in the England squad". Not for me, but worth putting out there.

Yes, rather a lot. Pep's got Sterling on the path to fulfilling the promise he showed in his Liverpool days.

Redmond's in with a chance of a cap but I wouldn't have him over Antonio or Rashford if I were naming a squad tomorrow. Expect he'll put himself in strong contention over the rest of the season though, even if it's just for a run-out at a Wembley friendly.

Austin goes on the bench, where he should always have been.

From a cross against Ibrahimovic. That's not the sort of challenge we'll face at Spurs, good as Kane is. There's a lot to be said for consistency, particularly on the toughest away day of the season. Big shout to drop Caceres in unless he's bang at it. The fact he was on the bench doesn't necessarily mean he's match fit and ready to start, not with our injury problems.

I am! Will PM

He won't, Puel's putting him out for the U23s first.

Apologies, missed that last quote. Raises eyebrows for sure, but he's not the first owner to over-reach. I'm just not sure why we're especially sceptical of the Chinese. As for far-eastern businessmen running English clubs, there are plenty of people in a certain Midlands city who will be pretty happy with theirs.

Not following you. What's wrong with the interview? He's an unsentimental businessman, like most owners already are. Sort of a shame, but it's not something that's just arrived with President Xi's football fandom.