Lallana's Left Peg

First goal was a somewhat risky ball out to Yoshida who got their before the Villa player and then he played a one-two with Ramirez before shooting.

They have the ability to cause any team problems because of the way they play so gung-ho and overload the attack at every chance. They don't play in a very controlled manner and we should be ok as long as we play incisively in the final third as there will be plenty of space for us to exploit presuming they don't change their tactics.

The whole lead-up to the decision was very peculiar. Ayew cut inside and it was a really heavy touch but instead of anyone going to meet him everyone backed off and VvD showed him inside as well which seemed a strange decision to me.

They played Gestede up front and put their two best crossers of the ball on the wings and then forgot they'd need to be able to get the ball to those players in the first place for that plan to work

Thought the first half was absolutely awful and a better team would have taken us apart, thankfully we were facing Aston Villa who are dire. Don't think anyone coming into the team stepped up and made a case for themselves other than Targett (who has no chance when Bertrand is fit). Other thoughts: 1. I am really glad Caulker is fourth choice - he is very average and somehow can't shake off the ballwatching when crosses come into the box. Gestede really should have got his header on target in the first half. 2. JWP had another nothing game - not using this to have a go at him but he really needs to start influencing games when he plays in the centre behind Pelle. Davis made more impact in his 20mins than JWP did in his 90. 3. Encouraged by Juanmi's touches but unless he hits the gym his influence on the pitch is going to be minimal. Appreciate he was playing out on the left though (and Gaston likewise on the right) which is not a preferred position. 4. A little surprised Vic had the Captains armband given his contractual situation. Didn't think he did has bad as some made out - some sloppy passes (taking us back to his first season) but overall his work was diligent. 5. VvD is great and love the way he seems to be on cruise control in games

I don't know if the stats back it up but I always felt Niemi had a chance because of the spring in his feet whenever he would dive to make a save.

My only real concern about tonight is our ability to make Gabby Agbonlahor look like Romario over the years.

Good PR for Saints but I'm not so sure Man City fans will be bothered about losing a player who now plays in League 1. Although it is crunch time for Man City and their Academy - it's had a lot of lip service the past few years and now they need to show the bottle to give these players games and a pathway to the first team.

I think at the time the club / Koeman said that Gaston wanted first team football and he couldn't be guaranteed that. It was an impressive cameo at West Ham though. I personally suspect (but can't prove) that moving him on also allowed us to make the late Alderweireld signing. Ramirez has a chance because of injuries and he rejected the chance to move away in the summer. However I am pleased he seems to be in the right frame of mind to at least give it a go. I do wonder sometimes what he career with us may have been like had he not picked up that nasty injury at Sunderland in the Pochettino season. He seemed to have got himself in a position to start even with Pochettino's high demands at the time so he must have been doing something right.

Despite his services rendered - during which he undoubtedly did as much for Southampton as they did for him - there is still a professional and courteous way to leave a football club. In fact, dare I say, the fact he spent as long as he did at the club meant that there was even more onus on him doing things the right way when he wanted to leave. Unfortunately for him and us, and for whatever reason, he pretty much did everything that was possible to create a messy split. He may have his reasons for that but he is being very thick if he thinks that supporters would gloss over it for his previous performances for the team. Fans don't ask for a great deal - I think we all understand that loyalty in the modern game has disappeared and quite frankly who can blame him for leaving? - bigger club, bigger platform, huge wages - the move made perfect sense for him. But then, isn't there a right and proper way to go about things when you are Captain of a football club you have spent 12 years at? And if there isn't, don't be surprised at the level of abuse that comes your way from supporters. We all remember Adam saying he wanted to stay at Saints, the badge thumping etc. And the moment Liverpool flashed a bit of leg he was off - and in a way that was disrespectful to the club - supporters included. So you'll have to excuse me if there is an element of schadenfreude to see him struggle a little and Saints competing with the team he left us for - that's football.

When are Saints being investigated for stealing £16m from Arsenal?

Still better than Liverpool and would have had a penalty and a man advantage for 85mins had the Ref got the first of his big decisions right.

But the point is that despite that had we beaten Liverpool at home with a half-decent performance from the Ref all that was required we would have still finished above Liverpool despite our turgid away form from February onwards.

Two efforts there, the second of which is sure to invoke the desired reaction.

I'd imagine he was having a great time Friday night. And Saturday night.

He doesn't play well with Coutinho in my opinion. They both want the ball and they both want movement off them. It'll probably be the same with Firmino though I haven't seen enough of him to know he is a similar player. It's all about balance and having the same type of player on the field in the modern game is like playing with 10 men.

I think we'd have to play Mane (suspended though) or Seager up there (or maybe both if it was a league game), both with dramatically different characteristics as players and would massively change the way we play. No long balls!

I doubt Wanyama will be rested - he's the only midfielder we've got with any presence and is remotely hard to take on / bully. If he doesn't play we're usually ****ed.

Enjoy the way the team reacts to going behind or needing to dig in and grind things out, but thought overall yesterday that we were far too open in midfield and left far too many spaces for players to drop into and receive the ball. Considering we were set-up to counter, I would have expected a far more compact team when we didn't have the ball. So happy we nabbed a point though.

Ramirez and Juanmi only attacking options on bench - what are the chances of neither of them getting on regardless of the score? Don't think Ron fancies either of them!

That is quite a defensive team from Liverpool and quite a small team from us. Have no idea how this will go.

And just as importantly that he was going to be accountable to someone and decision making wouldn't start and end with him. He wasn't a fan of the idea of Governance! The club are doing well after his departure but many of his ideas and concepts are still alive today, they are just implemented in a far more inclusive and appropriate way. But I can't deny some of (if not the most) of my favourite seasons of following Saints were under his charge.

I see what you are getting at but there are so many clubs that don't do the things right we did it would be unfair to say Cortese did not do a good job - whether that is putting people in the right roles or attracting and keeping players at the club. In aftermath of his departure it came to light more than ever what an egotistical and spiteful man he was, however his vision and bloody-mindedness at where he wanted Saints to be convinced many of our best players to sign new deals at the club, something our current regime have failed to do. In all likelihood Cortese's spending and management style was unsustainable, but we shouldn't write off his role in helping to establish this club as what it is today.

Even Daniel Levy wouldn't be mental enough to think he could get that.

I presume we'd have to do the same for Jack Stephens as well then.