Donatello

Are you being deliberately obtuse?

Precisely how I feel, as stated in the post-match thread. As for Davis being rated better than Gazza...perhaps it's just Koeman who believes this. A 4 year contract suggests someone (Reed) rates him, perhaps even as our number 2...Ronald thinks otherwise. Why? *shrugs* On match days where Davis/Gazza sit on the bench, Koeman may find it preferable to have a presence like Davis in the dressing room. Then, when an injury occurs, rather than have Gazza usurp Davis (somewhat humiliating), he allows Davis the opportunity to justify his selection. He blew it. It's a pretty flimsy theory, admittedly, but it's a theory all the same. I wouldn't be surprised to see Gazza start if Stek is out next weekend.

5 wins, 5 draws, 8 losses...before that nonsense gets disseminated. Not that I agree with the logic anyway.

Steven Davis was at fault (assuming it was rehearsed). He 'passed' the ball back to JWP at head height. I have no idea where it going anyway.

This was being toted around pre kick-off, and I didn't comment at the time. Technically, he's third choice (he should be 'forth' behind Gazza, imo), yes, but in the context of the argument it's somewhat remiss. The context being that Forster is unavailable for the season. No, the club went into the season knowing that it's Stek-Davis-Gazza. And I'm fine with that, because we're in the unusual position of having our long-term no.1 GK injured, and I wouldn't expect the club to have 5 senior keepers on the books. However, next season, I'd like to seem some progression there, i.e. Stek (or similar) staying in conjuction with Forster returning, and Davis retiring from playing duties.

Ta.

That's probably because you can't count with two

Are we allowed to pass judgement of Davis now?

We did, it's just that Mane had a poor-to-average game. Emphasis on 'poor'.

I cannot fathom why Wanyama was left on beyond the ~25 minute mark. Okay, that's slightly fatuous, but he should've been off at HT. Once he was booked/injured, he was a spent force, and continued the rest of the game as a (nigh on) passenger. Walked so freckin' much. It felt like such an obvious and necessary change. Romeu should've played the entirety of the second half, f'sure.

Well, yeah, but it's kinda irrelevant as Jay plays on the left regardless. The composition of the player isn't really a factor, if Jay intends to play on the left, I.e. he has to dislodge Tadic to play left. If he wants to play center or right, then Mane/Davis.

Same. I'm actually of the opinion that it's mental to start Davis over Gazza

JRod used to play on the left. Tadic has effectively assumed his position.

I'm not sure if he was ever trying to offload him (because I simply don't know), but you're absolutely correct about Kane being treated with indifference by Poch. They (the stands/fans) were screaming for him to play for months, singing his name endlessly, etc, before he supplanted Adebayor/Soldado. Not that it's not Poch's prerogative to play who he wishes.

Isn't it an interview? :S FWIW I was just linking the article. I'm indifferent about all of it. What do we think the chances of him signing a contract are? Pretty slim, I'd have thought.

'Southampton's Victor Wanyama Wants To Put The Whole Tottenham Situation Behind Him' http://m.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/13804756.Wanyama_wants_to_put_Tottenham_behind_him/?ref=mac

Koeman listed as one of the possible replacements by Phil McNulty. Hmmm. http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/34440077

Yes! That was it. Cheers. D'oh. Still, Klopp is probably On the radar of each Top 4 club. He's probably short-changing himself by going/if he goes to Liverpool, but it's an enticing challenge too (breaking into Top 4).

Reference Klopp, wasn't he Man City's first choice for next year? (difficult to pull of if City win the league, admittedly) His pedigree is clearly higher than that of Liverpool (current Liverpool, spare me the historical nonsense ), so if Liverpool manage to sign him that's quite a coup, no? Edit: "pedigree", 'stock' would've been a more appropriate term.

Same here. I feel less animosity towards Liverpool now, which makes it sound so trivial, but F it. Edit: To clarify, I don't have a soft spot for the club.

Yes. Schadenfreude is a thing. The threads will be merged anyhow, so it's akin to four posts.

According to Sky Sports. Discuss. Edit: Sacked. Here's a standard link. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34423344

In spite of the banging on () in the Jack Cork Appreciation thread, he's going to a sub/rotation player at Swansea this season, f'sure (now that they've ditched the diamond, I.e. Ki, Shelvey, Sigurdsson are ahead). That's nothing to be ashamed of, of course.

Morgan on the bench too (can't play every game, of course, but it's the second time he's been benched against a top 6 side).

Extraordinary. What a result! Beauties! Pelle MOM (for me)