saintant

Couldn't understand the logic of playing JWP right back - he can't tackle and has zero pace both of which are essentials for this position. Weird decision that for me.

Could lack of fitness be part of the reason for our recent poor run? Under MP the team trained double sessions and it's been widely documented that RK has introduced less rigorous training and more work with the ball. For the earlier part of the season on dry pitches we probably coped ok and this would also have been helped by pre-season training. Maybe some of that fitness has begun to diminish and if you factor in the heavier pitches plus extra matches in a short space of time perhaps we are now struggling to press teams as intently. It's just a theory that hit me as I tried to come up with a reason for our sudden demise - it's as though we've hit a brick wall. Probably a crap theory but it's all I could come up with.

It takes two sides to make a game of football. Villa were at home but were content to park the bus and didn't attempt to come out and take us on. That's going to happen now because some sides will be wary of us. Villa packed men behind the ball and that makes it difficult to create the chances especially away from home. Not a great performance but this side still had enough about them to come up with one moment of class to grab a point. Let's not be too hard on the lads.

Final ball has been poor but we've totally dominated this match. Villa are playing like the away team. They got really lucky with the goal - it was just a smashed panic clearance that fell perfectly for Agbonlahor - the defender didn't even mean it. But for that huge slice of luck and Fraser's rush of blood we'd be level and very comfortable. Sort out the final ball and we can still win this.

One thing's for sure, whatever Rickie is being paid he won't be picking up much in the way of win bonuses compared to his ex Saints team mates!

For any team from Man Utd (4th) or below to get 70 points this season they will need to get 51 points or more from their remaining 26 matches - to put that into context that's the equivalent of 17 wins out of 26 games. I am sure there are teams well capable of that but it sounds quite a tall order particularly as none of the sides in question seem to be firing on all cylinders. That could change of course and one or more of them might go on a winning streak. If we can beat Villa tomorrow we'll have 28 points so to get 70 we'll need to amass another 42 points from 26 games - that sounds achievable provided we steer clear of too many injuries/suspensions to key players. A top four spot could certainly be on the cards but we can't afford to take our foot off the gas!

Looks as though we well and truely mugged Arsenal over by getting 16million for Chambers - is there a slower right back in the Premier League? He got a complete roasting today against Swansea - still, Hodgson will probably pick him for England ahead of Nathaniel Clyne. Hope he plays right back against us as I can see Mane tearing him a new one!

Also worth watching Long's movement as the ball is played into Pelle by Cork. He completely loses the Leicester defence and pops up in the perfect position to receive the ball and stroke it calmly into the bottom corner.

Shane Long's first goal was a thing of beauty. Superb build-up play, a brilliant lay off from Pelle and a sublime cool finish into the bottom corner. In the heat of a frantic match with Leicester defending for their lives, chances hard to come by and in abysmal weather conditions it was simply stunning.

Nice to score 4 goals as it forces MOTD to show at least two minutes from our game.

Looks a very accomplished defender who weighs in with a few goals. Just watched a video of him online in which he scored with a couple of absolute rocket shots from outside the box and scored a few headers too.

Biggest difference for me is not personnel but training intensity and tactics on the pitch. I assume we are not continuing with MP's double training regime so even if we wanted to it's unlikely we're fit enough to play the high-press game. For me the drop in fitness levels and absence of the high-press/quick passing that went a long way to making us the team we were last season is what will be missed more than the players who have departed. On Saturday we just looked like a typical Saints team pre MP. That approach to training and style of play more than anything raised us to a level above the Aston Villa, West Ham, Hull sort of sides. I don't think we have a bad squad of players but feel we are going to miss the high intensity flowing football that we were able to produce under MP.

We made the often repeated mistake of starting at a very slow tempo content to knock the ball backwards and sideways with no urgency. I've yet to see a game where a team starts this way and is then suddenly able to up the tempo. Particularly at home we must fly out the blocks and get at the opposition high up the pitch not play tip-tap in our own half. This slow approach to a game never works so I don't know why we do it - set the tempo from kick-off and put the opponent on the back foot.

Still don't understand all the plaudits that go JWP's way I'm afraid. He's young with much to learn but right now I don't think he is anywhere near ready to play regularly in the first team. He is certainly not a number 10 and as mentioned elsewhere he is not strong in the tackle and does not cover the ground quickly. He has a fairly adequate dead ball delivery but apart from that I don't see much else.

Whilst accepting that it is very early in the season that felt like watching Saints pre the pressing game. If we continue with the tactics employed today I'm afraid we will be just another struggling side which is a crying shame when you think how far we've come. Using the high press we always looked comfortable and dominated sides for long spells home and away. I may be wrong but I fear we are in danger of going backwards to the old days where we found it hard to impose ourselves on teams.

I don't find these games against the so-called big clubs that much of a worry. No point getting worked up and fearing defeat. These type of games are a 'free-hit' as nobody realistically expects us to get anything so if we do it's a nice little bonus. It's the games where we expect something that are more stressful. We should go there in a relaxed mood knowing that all the pressure is on Liverpool as they are expected to win comfortably.

Says he wants to win the title with Spurs yet seems strangely reluctant to predict that he'll improve on their finishing position last season. All he'll say is that he aims to get them playing in the style he wants - well, he might do that and see them finish in the bottom half of the table. If so it'll be curtains for him. So put your money where your mouth is Poch and tell us what position you are aiming for this season, not some ridiculous fantasy wish of being champions sometime in the far off future.

Yes and it worked beautifully didn't it Chez!

Well, that was a king sized kick in the teeth for Rickie Lambert from our master tactician Roy Hodgson. We're in need of a goal so what does Roy do? He brings on Barkley, Wilshire and Lallana, three midfielders who are not exactly full of goals. To give you a clue Roy when you need a goal you generally call for a striker, that's what they do, they score goals in case your years in football haven't taught you that. How many goals or assists do the three players he chose to bring on have to their name in an England shirt? It won't be many. Contrast that to SRL who in not many minutes for his country has scored two cracking goals and laid on three or four for team-mates. Still, let's ignore that and bring on some more midfielders. He must feel like catching the next flight home. If you don't call on a player like Rickie in that situation when do you call on him - maybe when England are three up with five minutes to go. Pat him on the head Roy and say, 'There you go Rickie, show us what you can do son.' Mind boggling!

So MP is reported to be leaving us to go to Spurs and one of the reasons given is that he is unhappy that we are selling some of our better players. Does he know Spurs sold Gareth Bale? Or does selling the most expensive, top players in the world not count! Spurs need to bear this in mind because if they dare to sell one of their assets MP might well spit the dummy and be off. Truth of it is, most of us can see this is just one of the excuses he's making to ease his passage out of Saints without upsetting the fan base too much.

Priceless! MP decides he doesn't want to be here and the vitriol comes out for KL whose family have put this club where it is today using their own money. Staggering!

MP has no loyalty to us. Don't be fooled by him alluding that the owner and board are not prepared to bankroll his ambitions - that's just a cop out to appease the fans and take the heat off himself. If he goes now he is reneging on what is left of his contract - end of.

If MP goes lets not blame the owner or the board. If he goes it will be because his head has been turned by Spurs. If a manager or indeed players want away there is nothing anyone can do about it because contracts have no value in football. We may not like it but that's how it is. So lets not blame anyone other than Spurs for their 'illegal' approach and MP for showing no loyalty to the club who gave him a chance when few others were interested in him. And if Spurs have been so impressed by MP as we keep reading that tells me they've made an illegal approach and spoken to him without our permission despite him being contracted to us. At that stage MP should have politely informed them he was not in a position to hold any talks with them. It's MP and Spurs who come out of this with their reputations tarnished not our owner or board members. We can apportion blame all we like but I think that is just people who are upset being irrational. Make no mistake, Spurs and MP are 100% to blame if this comes to fruition.

If anyone is to blame for potentially breaking up our great team it is players who want away ie Lallana and Shaw along with Mopo for not expressing his loyalty and appearing to be waiting for other offers. As with any club if players/managers see the grass as greener elsewhere they will go and that is their choice although maybe they should think about honouring contracts. Nobody, even the ruthless Cortese can make them stay if their hearts are elsewhere. Man Utd couldn't hold on to Ronaldo, Spurs couldn't keep Bale. It's how football works whether we like it or not. If players and the manager leave it won't be through a lack of ambition from KL it will be because they want to go. We can't offer Champions League football and probably not trophies either unless we decide to take the cups more seriously. If Lallana, Shaw and Mopo along with any other 'want away' players were keen to stay and see where this great squad can go then they would be saying so but if they decide to go let's not lay the blame on those who run the club. All we can ask and expect of them is that they use funds raised to secure as good replacements as they can get. It is a great shame that players and possibly the manager are prepared to damage the project but heads get turned by offers from larger fish and we can't prevent that. Maybe, in time, some of those who go will regret having left at a time when we could be on the verge of something special.

We are extremely naive and need to learn not to throw away winning positions. When 2-0 up in an away match it's time to close the game out so the fullbacks should be told to retain their defensive positions and not go marauding upfield. I'm not saying just sit deep and invite the opposition on to you but we could afford to pick our moments to break on them. We should have been frustrating them until they were easy to pick off. The job was done today at 2-0 yet we take un-necessary risks and leave ourselves wide open. Don't chase a game you've already won. We need to learn this lesson not keep on making the same mistakes.