DuncanRG

Bit of doublethink going on here. Are Everton using the press to affect Koeman and the club, or is it 'any old rubbish'? It can't be both. If Everton have told the media they want Koeman, then that is a story, like it or not. That's not newspapers conspiring to unsettle Southampton, it's Everton conspiring to unsettle Southampton and newspapers, understandably, reporting it. Everton are the ultimate source on what Everton want and what they're willing to offer Koeman. The other aspect is the line that Koeman's interested. That won't have come from Everton (no one would print it if it did, no matter what you think) but could be from all sorts of intermediaries, perhaps even someone at Saints.

Can't rule this out either.

We'll certainly be ready if he does leave. The danger is that our top choice goes somewhere else. It was interesting to see Jason Burt write that Benitez wasn't interested - why would he fancy Newcastle and not here?

You'll note that the Liverpool Echo story doesn't have the £100m war chest line, suggesting it has a different source. When things are published simultaneously across the nationals, it's because they've been briefed with an embargo, ie 'don't publish this before 10.30pm'. The Echo evidently wasn't subject to this embargo because it had another source. Does it really sound likely to you that every newspaper in the country independently plotted to unsettle Southampton and published an identical story at exactly the same time? The very concept of a 'destabilisation story' on the part of the media is paranoid nonsense. Clubs and players do these things but for the press it's just a good story which people want to read. If I were plotting to plant stories to mess with Liverpool's rivals, I'd start with Sevilla.

You're being paranoid, and not least because the story is in every paper. Due respect, you have no idea what you're talking about. The press has clearly been briefed by a good source, and it looks like it's from Everton. You don't get the same details coming up in every story when it's speculation. The bit that's more opaque is the suggestion Koeman's interested. That could come from all kinds of places.

Strange one, this.

Lascelles looks a decent prospect, although he wasn't great against us. Will be a few clubs after him I think.

Arsenal were woeful in that game though, and not really because we forced them to be. The form book was thrown out by both sides. It was a great performance but would more likely have been a one or two goal win had Arsenal shown up. You're right that the big teams have been inconsistent, but we've been in the right place to capitalise. It doesn't take away from what have been the best moments of our season, I just reject the suggestion luck's nothing to do with it when it's actually at the centre of pretty much every football match.

That's an interesting one - I expect he'll want to go wherever he feels the manager most believes in him and can convince him that he'll play. Tough to pick between the two at the moment as Klopp has largely stuck with him since his arrival, but he may want his own men in next year. Adding Lallana would give Spurs a really formidable selection of attacking mids (Eriksen/Lamela/Lallana/Son/Alli/Chadli).

Institutional complacency, to use a phrase from the professor in the documentary.

This is paranoid garbage and always has been. Media want unpredictable things to happen - Leicester's victory has had executives dancing. They report on the big clubs the most because they are most popular, but they don't want them to win. It's also true, to some extent, that we've come across the top teams at good times. Arsenal, Chelsea, City and Spurs were all poor in our wins against them, and not strictly because we made them. Only the 0-0 at Arsenal stands out as a result against a firing team, plus the Old Trafford victory in some ways. PS luck plays a big part in all sport, from specific goals, tackles and games to sometimes entire seasons.

No behaviour by football fans can justify making deathtraps for them.

If we could afford them when we were promoted, they certainly can with the new TV deal.

The difficulty Arsenal have or will have is that only Wenger will decide when he leaves. That makes planning harder, although I'm sure he'll do them the courtesy of giving some warning rather than leaving on the spot.

I think we have to provide a CV and cover letter too.

Assume being in the Europa League final rules Lallana out. I would have enjoyed seeing him back were it not for the inevitable poisoned atmosphere.

He will.

Psychology is more important than players now. If Pochettino rallies them and they train well they're still favourites. If there's any negativity lingering from tonight and we come at them strong we've got a good chance. It can't be stressed enough how much City played into the hands of that lineup by pushing high and lacking the legs/effort to transition to defence. It won't be the same at Spurs.

Hope this means we can retire that god awful chant of 'we've come from League One'.

I trust them entirely. They have managed our club very well indeed.

The amnesty's passed, though. I expect we'll see Dembele banned and maybe Lamela, but any action taken against the club for overall conduct will be financial.

I think the issue was that he signed expecting to be a bench and squad rotation player, but didn't even manage that as others were signed ahead of him. He seemed to do okay when he did play, early on at least.

Obviously that's a daft idea but I do wonder whether he could deputise in defensive midfield as Alderweireld did effectively for us a few times.

Yeah, I've mentioned before that Begovic would be great compensation if Forster were to leave, however unlikely. The reason it concerns me is because changes to the spine are very difficult. Losing him and Wanyama in one window would be very hard to recover from. That said, we've lost Lovren/Lambert and Alderweireld/Schneiderlin before, so who knows?

Shout out to his ball over the top to Tadic for our first goal yesterday.