austsaint

Good summary. Wide open through midfield - full backs look shaky and indifferent performances from Tadic and Long - who is better suited as a sub.

I want to add my thumbs up. Looks a great signing, and the Newcastle game just highlighted our need for a player like Romeu. Those all touch videos don't lie - he can play. Impressed with his skilled-with-both feet attribute.

I think you can definitely delete the word almost from the sentence about Mane.

Thanks for the correction. Misspelling or not; he can play.

The Hammers have got them selves a gem in Payate. Just the sort of midfielder we need - skilful; creative, hard in the challenge and great set piece delivery. Whatever they paid....it looks cheap at the moment.

To be fair Mane had to show great skill and run to create those late chances, but yes, you expect him to hit the back of the net with one of them. Much better second half - Martina and Long steadied the ship. Davis very good all day; Tadic did some good things. Mane had a better second half.

What's happened to the composure in midfield and defence? Geordies are waltzing through midfield and down the right flank. We could be 2 or three behind. Fonte and Yoshida look like they hardly know each other. Big Vic has to lift.

The three ex-saints all played well; particularly Morgan and Toby, who are big losses for us.

There are certainly polarised opinions about our JWP. I've seen most of his 70 plus appearances for Saints (TV) and can't see what the fuss and hype about him amounts to. If the recent quote attributed to him about hoping for a senior England call up is true I can only wonder how realistic his own assessment of his form and development really are.

Cannot see Ward-Prowse starting and certainly not in that set-up.......surely Juanmi or Long. Our defensive midfield is looking vulnerable with too much being asked of Vic.

Made me laugh, Bobbyboy.

Cannot agree with you about Yoshida being a liability - there have been plenty of wayward clearances over the past 12 months or so - Fonte, Morgan, Steve Davis, JWP, Toby being repeat culprits. I thought Yoshida had a solid game otherwise; he obviously should not be a regular starter but his game was sound. Agree about Stekelenburg - he looks a top class keeper.

Agree. Let's hope Clasie is just taking time to settle in, because at the moment he certainly doesn't look like Morgan's replacement. Wanyama and Mane already look the two that the big Clubs will soon be knocking on our door for. Mane looks a world class player at times; take him out of our side and there isn't much attacking threat.

I remember Berbatov looking "shot" when we beat Fulham a couple of seasons ago - I can't see him contributing much to Villa's cause at this stage of his career. Adebayor though could be a handful - he always seems to play well against us.

I think this will be the season that JWPs media managed profile will come under intense scrutiny. It will no longer be enough for him to be young, have potential and "technical skills" with a dead ball.

As long as we don't pay a truck load for him.

So true Badger. The informality of Katerina's conversation with Morgan is one of the great things about this Club. As long as it's the Mancs and not the Nth London outfit; Toby bad enough, but Morgan joining that lot would be completely nauseating.

Whichever way you dress this up - Toby's move to Spurs is a gut wrencher.

You don't have rose coloured glasses on - the Mancs are getting a great defensive midfielder (at a very fair price) with an incredible capacity for interceptions and biting tackles. I'll be watching more of their games next season than usual; just to check up on Morgan's progress. I don't think he is yet at his prime.

When you put it like that then 18 million sounds like a snip. Really hope we can sign him but the beating drums of the Spurs interest/imminent bid is quite disturbing.

I have to say that is a very harsh and inaccurate assessment of Yoshida's value to SFC.

Hesketh is the one who impressed me with his skill and creativity in those first team opportunities prior to his injury - as The9 mentions though, he has some physical developing to do.

On the other hand it might help young Prowsey's game if he got out a bit and had a pint or two and got laid occasionally.

Clarkey, you seem not to rate Elia to about the same degree I can't see enough quality in JWP. I can see Elia staying as a squad player - he is probably a slightly better player than your assessments of him, just as Ward-Prowse is probably a tad better than the rating I give him.

Austin is similar in physique to Lambert; not particularly quick; holds the ball up well; good with his head; good finisher and is English. Quite a few similarities to Ricky, compared to say, Ings, Kane, Crouch, and the Arsenal striker who used to play for Man U whose name I can't remeber.