Vancouver Saint

Does anyone have stats on how far we a running in games vs the opposition? Fitness/energy seems to be an issue. Having watched Poch's Spurs team they are young and out-run opponents...that's where we used to be going. We can't seem to come back after going down (which is now a habit)...it's more than confidence I think, lack of energy/fitness is a factor. What do others think?

Me too. Don't get all this Moyes admiration...did a solid job at Everton without ever reaching any heights...is the height of our ambition being solid mid-table forever? I want more.

Dr Evil, please give our mojo back.

Quite. Turned on at 7.09 am to watch, missed their goal and knew that was going to be the result. You get a game or two like this every season - flat for no reason. I'm not over-analysing it. We are a good team capable of beating anyone on our day. If you think we can't finish, look at Arsenal today...should have won by four or five goals and managed to lose. Let's move on.

So glad we won that. Understand Allardyce's tactics, but seriously, do even Sunderland fans want to play one up at home and hope for a 0-0 draw? Such incredibly negative tactics when they have goalscorers on the bench. Fortune favours the brave. C'mon you Saints!

Klopp will have them totally fired up for this game and they will all be out to impress him...atmosphere will be one of great expectations from the Kop...perfect time to spoil the party and get some payback from some terrible refereeing decisions against us in this fixture in the past.

Agree - we lost it in the midfield second half. Always nervous with KD in (and Yoshida frankly)...but it was certainly not all KD's fault we were so bad second half.

We all watched the same game then. Credit to Leicester - best team performance in the second half I've watched against us by far. Substitutions changed the game...Mahrez (why not on from the start?) and Dyer for them, Clasie (wrong game to start him) Yoshida (out of position out of form) and Rodriguez (didn't need shoot on sight needed hold-up outlet)...5-0 on subs to them. We were as bad second half as we were good second half against Chelsea. Game was screaming for Romeu. Bit of grit to break their forward momentum up and some defensive solidity and good distribution. We can all see it - why couldn't RK? I don't get it at all.

Definitely a cross - lucky goal - although you'd have hoped Stek would have got it anyway. He fooled the TSN commentators here in Canada but not the panel (who were players and knew he was trying to whip that in to the far post).

Yes, agreed - just had a look and they at least give us the credit we deserved.

So happy. We were the better team by far. Mourinho's last words in the pre-match interview: "We are a better team"... well, I think not Jose! He was not even big enough to acknowledge we were far superior today. I don't think any team have given Chelsea more trouble than in this game for the last year or so. Thrilling game to watch - could have been 4 or 5 for us easily. Everyone played well for us, except perhaps Stek who was probably affected by Willians fluke goal...stupid commentators thought he did that on purpose but panel at half-time correctly said that was supposed to be a cross.

Agree Zamboni. I am 110% Saints fan first and foremost - Saints come first. I watched them since I was eight - Terry Paine, Micky Channon era and the Dell. I have lived outside the UK since 1989...and incase anybody hadn't noticed, it's difficult and a tad expensive to get to games on a weekend. I love football and I don't want to never go to a game again, so I follow the Whitecaps here in Vancouver...great little team...get 20,000+ watching them...not anywhere near Premier league standard but getting better and need encouragement. Here, Vancouver is an immigrant city...Italians, Brits, Iranians, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Croatians, Serbians you name it...most support their home teams...Pirlo was here with NYC FC last week and all the Juve shirts were out for example...and I wear my Saints jacket to most games over a Whitecaps shirt. You can never take the Saints out of your heart (even if you want to sometimes!). In my trips back to the UK I've encountered some incredibly parochial thinking...can't have a phone account without a UK bank account...can't open a bank account without a UK home address...WTF! Let's be open-minded...there is a world outside the UK and increasingly our beloved club's success will be determined by the brand franchise it has in the bigger community of global football fans (where do you think Manure, Liverpool and Arsenal are getting all their cash from...even bloomin' Leicester are Thailand now). There is no compromise in my mind - always Saints in my heart - just practicality.

Yeah Dark Munster - a Canucks fan too! I am Saints first and foremost but also follow Hearts having lived in Edinburgh when I was younger and Vancouver Whitecaps as I now live in Vancouver.

Agreed. Thought we look good going forward, poor when we sit back and invite pressure.

Agree 100% Wes Tender! Fine margins exactly what I was thinking...if Pelle's shot (a self-made chance and far from a sitter whoever wrote that) had gone in off the post instead of out we'd have been 2-0 up and it would have been a different game...a correct on-side decision...just one less de Gea's acrobatics...one less bad back-pass...we'd be celebrating a victory. We will get stronger and we shouldn't over-react. That said, I was really disappointed with the lack of effort/urgency/never-say-die spirit second half - last 10 minutes apart. Man Utd weren't great, we beat ourselves today.

It's in the Torygraph...has to be true...c'mon down VvD! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/southampton/11835664/Southampton-set-to-sign-Virgil-van-Dijk-from-Celtic.html Just as well there's a van in there or we'd giving the whole team VD.

Watched live TSN broadcast from Canada...we played well...back close to the "We are Southampton, we play on the ground" we know and love...Norwich didn't show today and we were the better side by far...helped they only had 10 but I believe we'd have beaten their 11 too... frustrating that the commentators focused on Mane at the end and the conversation was all about whether he and Wanyama had played their last game for us. Koeman's reassuring words were timely and comforting...hopefully true. If we get VvD in and keep those two, with Bertrand and Clasie back we have the makings of a decent squad. Juanmi looked promising, JRod will sharpen with more games, Romeu was terrific today...

Do you think this truly crap start to the season is all part of RK's tactic to persuade the board to invest in replacements before the transfer window closes?

I am in Vancouver so couldn't watch the game...caught the tail end of the BBC live text updates...sounds like that was more exciting than the game for some of you. 1-1 is not the end of the world. Be happy that Mane is staying (I'm really puzzled that so many seem to be okay swapping him out for cash at this point - he's been our most dangerous player by far last season and this). We are unquestionably weaker than last year...I think losing Toby was a genuine shock for RK and something he didn't make provision for...could have hung on until Bertrand fit with him...he's the Jenga stick that's bought the pile down. So get a really strong CB...get Bertrand back...get some confidence in the back four and with Soares then as an attacking right back all of a sudden the gap between midfield and attack is closed...better passing to strikers, fewer long balls...a bit of creativity with Clasie (if he's physically strong enough for the PL) and things could begin to click again. Not a great start, but all this negativity is OTT. Come on you Saints!

We need to keep Mane. Need team continuity and stability more than cash in the bank at this juncture. Crazy, but this early in the season last thing we need to trigger is a crisis of confidence and a player exodus because suddenly all the birds begin attacking us at the first sign of weakness. This needs a very firm NO! from management...although when it gets into a players head we have lost control of the situation anyway