Pass the Dutchie

Back to Fabian Schär it is, then?

Probably 80% a confidence thing. And a bit of luck. We've shown earlier in the season how well we can play - if things work. It's such a small margin between very good and hopeless. A goal helps. A win helps. Maybe the clarity about Fonte helped.

It's easy to criticize someone with a lot of money - and it's important to not forget that he doesn't have to do a thing - but if he (on a £55k/w salary) really cares I hope he won't let his old love go down if they don't get the money together.

Wrong thread?

Swansea sign Dutch international Luciano Narsingh from PSV for £4M: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/jan/12/swansea-luciano-narsingh-signs

Right. True!

He could theoretically be back. Their final group game is the 23rd. If he's suspended for that game and Senegal without a hope to qualify for the quarter finals, he'd fly home early I assume. But I agree this isn't very likely.

If we score 1 goal and Liverpool score only 2, it doesn't mean we've won though. Away goals don't really matter in this competition. So it's true that Liverpool would need 3 to win if we score, but if Liverpool scores 2 we'll also need 2.

Time for new contracts for Romeu (!) and Yoshida. They definitely deserve it, if they want it.

If a player refuses to play, stop paying his salary but refuse to sell.

I liked the look on Long's face when he came on for Rodriguez, clearly showing his appreciation for how well he'd played.

This is about Saints, mostly: https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/jan/11/claude-puel-southampton-efl-cup-liverpool

He's hardly going to say that he fears they'll be weak as **** and don't stand a chance.

Not sure, but it seemed like he injured himself a bit after that terrible miss kick. He never got up from that.

I really hope Senegal will do well. We can really do without Mané for the second game as well.

From The Guardian: "There was a spiritual dimension to Southampton’s goal. One of the club’s loyal supporters, Jack Dowding, had died suddenly last Saturday and there had been a campaign – driven on social media – to honour the 20-year-old with applause on 20 minutes. It was difficult not to sense that a higher power was at work because Redmond’s goal came in the 20th minute. As the winger and his team-mates celebrated, there was the uplifting sight of thousands of Saints fans remaining upstanding to applaud Dowding. There was further warmth towards him during a tribute at half-time." https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/jan/11/southampton-liverpool-efl-cup-match-report

One save from Forster? Two?

If every good chance of the night would have gone in, we'd have won 4-1. Very pleased with the game. Lots of tension, good crowd, awful ref, some beautiful counter attacks, Redmond's first goal in ages... Except for a lack of more goals it was a great night.

WTF? That wasn't a goal?! How?

Come on boys! Very well done so far. Keep it going!

Still on schedule! Won't mind an extra goal for us of course.

I got the first part right. I'm counting on the second part now as well!

Forster Cedric, VVD, Yoshida, Bertrand Romeu, Davis, Clasie Redmond, Rodriguez, Tadic 1-0 Redmond 1st half 2-0 Rodriguez extra time 2nd half

He only played 1 season at the top level in the Dutch league as well. It's gone very fast for Janssen. A bit too fast, it seems. But the man definitely knows how to score a goal. A confidence boost could still release him, but he'll have to start scoring at some point to achieve that.

Martin Ødegaard on loan to SC Heerenveen from Real Madrid. I'm curious to see if the boy still has it after all the hype and no playtime whatsoever.