Nordic Saint

Yes, our central defensive pairing has suddenly become so good that you expect them to hold out now. We were comfortably in control of the whole game until Djenepo was subbed. Then for the first time in the game Spurs took control of midfield and started to put some pressure on our goal. But, as you say, Kane being subbed seemed to take the threat out of their attack.

There were a couple of hushed chants of 'Yid army' and they even tried OWTS once but it was great walking back after the game. The Spurs fans were hiding. Usually they are full of themselves.

Let's hope he does because the transformation in our defence since Vestergaard was dropped is remarkable. You could almost say that was the catalyst for the turnaround in our season. In Vestergaard's last 6 games, we drew 1 and lost 5, including the Leicester defeat. In the 9 games since he was dropped, we've won 5 and drawn 2. Today, Stephens played better than Alderweireld.

I think you mean 'that fairness' or 'impartiality'.

What's happened already this season indicates just how many offside goals were typically given against us before VAR. If this is anything to go by, we were losing at least 6 points per season because of wrong decsions from referees going against us, but rarely for us: How VAR decisions have affected Saints so far this season: Disallowed goals against: 5 Game: Sheffield United (A; Sept. 14) Incident: Oliver McBurnie's goal disallowed for offside, 52nd minute - FOR Game: AFC Bournemouth (H; Sept. 20) Incident: Josh King scored for the Cherries, but he was offside, 25th minute - FOR Game: Wolves (A; Oct. 19) Incident: Raul Jimenez goal ruled out for offside against Patrick Cutrone, 42nd minute - FOR Game: Leicester (H; Oct. 25) Incident: Ryan Bertrand sent off for challenge on Ayoze Perez, 12th minute - AGAINST Game: West Ham (H; Dec. 14) Incident: Goal for Michail Antonio ruled out for handball, 52nd minute - FOR Game: Crystal Palace (H; Dec. 28) Incident: Goal for Max Meyer ruled out for offside by Wilfried Zaha in the build-up, 15th minute - FOR VAR overturns - decisions against

Because, as Duncan says, some people just love to moan. They are the same people who loved moaning about Maradona's handball goal in the World Cup and Doucoure's handball goal against us last season, and they were hoping to see us relegated with more of the same unfair decisions to moan about. The fairness of VAR has taken that pleasure away from them.

Just a couple of the hundreds of pre-VAR injustices: Diego Maradona's Hand of God Diego Maradona is one of the best ever players to have played football, but this goal by the diminutive Argentine genius was clearly scored with his hand. In the video, it can be observed that Maradona uses his hand to score the goal and the referee makes the wrong decision. Maradona did not show any remorse and called it the "Hand of God" to rub salt into the wounds of the English. Everton vs. Bolton in 1997 Everton and Bolton were both in grave danger of being relegated and this match between the two turned out to be a bitter memory for Bolton. Bolton's Gerry Taggart thought that he had scored and so it seemed, with the ball crossing the line. The referee said otherwise and the game ended in a draw. At the end of the season, Everton avoided relegation at Bolton's expense by just one point, making that wrong decision even more impactful.

That's why VAR is so helpful. Pompey fans whingeing that Stokes was offside is instantly disproved by video evidence. The European quarter-final v Anderlecht was a bit before your time but it was a real blight on our history. The referee had been bribed to throw the 1st leg in Belgium. We'd have won a European trophy that year if there had been VAR.

Remember our European quarter final v Anderlecht? We'd have won that if there had been VAR. In fact, the entire history of our football club would be so much better now. If only there had been the fairness of VAR in the past, we'd now have more major trophies than Pompey.

Before video referral was introduced in cricket, there was an entire Ashes series in Australia where England didn't get one lbw decision. That is the type of bias fans against video referral in football are rooting for. After decades of watching us being robbed by biased refereeing decisions, I breathe a sigh of relief that at long last we are playing a fair game.

No it doesn't even out: it benefits teams like ours to the detriment of big clubs like Man United. At last we have a level playing field

What we actually had before VAR was referees giving the benefit of the doubt to teams like Man United, whether they were defending or attacking and against teams like us.

We'd currently be in the bottom 3 without the fairness of VAR. We'd probably have won 2 more major trophies if it had always been in existence as well as the league title in 1984. Fans seem to have become so inured to the bias of referees in favour of the big clubs that they find it difficult to live without it. They are masochists. I can remember so many crucial games where offside decisions more than a foot wrong were given against us when we were playing Man United, Man City, Liverpool etc but almost none in our favour. Now we are getting correct decisions given fairly some fans are finding it shocking. Man up and get over it.

I can't count the number of wrong decisions given against us, in favour of the big clubs we were playing against, in the years before there was VAR. They cost us so dearly. If the fairness of VAR had been around at the time, we'd have won more trophies.

It has been a vintage season so far, almost on a par with the 2015/16 season. Leicester, Man City and Wolves are all playing highly entertaining, attacking football but Liverpool are the best team in the world and as many pundits have said, one of the best teams this country has ever seen. I watched Wolves beat Man City the other night and what a great game that was.

. That should, of course, read Palace player.

The Norwich player was 6 inches offside, not 1 millimetre. He was therefore clearly offside according to the offside rule, which was around for a long time before VAR and he looked it to me at the time. There's nothing to whinge about there. Those are the rules of the game.

As did we all and 99.9% of the time from that position, that's exactly what we'd have got. It was a very clever free-kick, which Palace had obviously practised many times in training. Credit to them for that.

With defeats for Bournemouth, West Ham & Villa, results have gone well for us. Stop all the whingeing about VAR ffs. Without its fairness, we'd be in real trouble this season. The whole point is that it is fair and there is no bias shown towards the big clubs.

I think that Obafemi, with his pace and strength, could be the answer. He can burst through defences like Traore does for Wolves. If we'd had Obafemi rather than Adams today, we might well have won.

I look forward to Obafemi forming a long-term strike partnership with Ings. They both have pace and an eye for goal and, as a pair, they can create havoc in opposition defences and score a lot of goals.

Superb. Our young British players, Ward-Prowse, Stephens, Redmond, Armstrong, Obafemi etc are beginning to develop a great team spirit. That 2nd goal is one of the great team goals in Premier League history. Credit to Ralph for that. That's 4 wins from our last 6; win the next 2 and we'll be in serious contention for a Europa League place.

Magnificent again today. Best defender on the pitch.

Agreed. He's improved. He's finding the target now. Long may it continue.

No, but there's still no harm in supporting our players. You should try it one day