PaddytheVillan

We are utterly terrible. Southampton are good.

Completely humiliating performance. Both full backs and entire midfield a complete joke. Southampton will score at least 3 more today if we play like that second half.

Completely and utterly awful today. This is going to be a cricket score.

We've vastly overpaid for Cash and Watkins. I still think they're good signings, but both are £5-10m higher than they should be. Do clubs know we're desperate? Do we have poor negotiators? Or is it just a reluctance to sell except for top dollar, like us with Grealish?

Gareth Southgate tucks his napkin into his shirt at restaurants before eating.

I don't understand what Grealish has to do to earn a place in the squad. Greenwood and Foden are great talents, but he's proven over a longer period in a worse team that he's currently a better player. No doubt if he moves to United he'll get called up to the next England squad.

Origi is an excellent player - not sure what standard of striker people think we could get that would be better? Ings also didn't get regular game time at LFC....

I'd add Jarrow Bowen to that. Did really well under Moyes and played most games. No clue why we didn't go for him in Jan.

He's never scored a league goal, and he's not a particularly defensively minded player.

Good things from Xia's reign? Signing Chester and Hourihane. Bad things? Literally everything else associated with that bankrupt grifter.

It's really difficult. Pragmatically I might, especially as I'm a natural pessimist, but overall I believe we can achieve more than a result that would see us finish 16th at best.

I would pay what Brentford ask for Benrahma (unless Brentford go up of course), unless we are talking completely silly money. Like Grealish was you can tell he's way too good for that league. We need two new wingers and I can't think of anyone attainable who would fit the bill better. A massive step up on Trezeguet and El Ghazi

I really hope this isn't true. He's earnt a stable preseason and at least until Christmas. Let's see where we are then. That being said, my old man is a Brighton fan (don't ask), and he thinks sacking Hughton (who kept them up in 17th) for Potter has been a good move. But the football under Hughton was terrible mind. It will be a huge challenge for Deano not being able to rely on Grealish for the first time.

All players out on loan, plus Lansbury, Jota, Nyland and Nakamba. Assume Grealish will go for big bucks. We need a defensive mid, two wingers and a striker. That should be a manageable number to retain a team bond, but kick on.

I take your point, but I'd have to disagree. The Bacuna Richards Lescott Cissokho back line has to be one of the worst I've ever seen.

And Arsenal! Don't forget his mouthy comments about how Arsenal are all p u ssies?

When they were getting space down the wings in the first half he went from 433 to 4141, pulling Luiz, Trezeguet and Jack back to help the defence. In the second half he pushed McGinn up so the striker was less isolated. And at the end the team held their shape and didn't sit too deep, as we have done recently.

Management was brilliant today. Tweaking the formation to suit the flow of the game was amazing. He totally out thought Arteta.

Utterly incredible. Best performance of the season. Mings, McGinn, Greish, Konsa all incredible. We really can do this.

When the two up front are Davis and Samatta I'd be hesitant. Both have looked poor, and it would mean dropping one of Hourihane or McGinn, who are both more likely to get us a goal. I'd play Davis on his own.

Man City are totally unpredictable. They've lost a huge number of games for a side coming second and have nothing at all left to play for. Fingers crossed, but it's no certainty.

McGinn will be at Newcastle next season. I think it's important to retain proven Championship players - Konsa, Targett, Elmo, Hourihane (who I'd make captain). I think some others will cut it too - Guilbert, Nakamba, Wesley. Not seen anything from Samatta to convince me he'll be up for it. Hopefully the Grealish, Mings, Luiz and McGinn money, plus parachute payments, will give us some financial muscle. Unlike this season we should bring in 4-5 experienced Championship players, maybe a couple that won't cut it in the Prem (like Leeds did this season with Costa). Biggest call is the manager. I can't make up my mind. I think I'd probably look elsewhere, but won't be gutted if Smith is given another chance. Hard to see what Terry is bringing though.

Do Southampton see Bournemouth or Pompey as bigger rivals? Like in our terms are they playing the Blues or Wolves today? Wondering how up for it they'll be!

Massive day today fellas. Anything but a Southampton win puts us down I'd say as Bournemouth will win vs Everton I think. Come on the Saints!

That's never going to happen - all teams drop points like that. But off the top of my head, we should have 3 more points from the game v ten man Arsenal, 2 more from both Spurs games and 2 more vs Everton. The 7 points lost there would see us safe.