fred milne

So do I. He won't be as good at covering the ground defensively but will be more positive in possession.

That's not true. Lallana is showing for the early ball.

Surely you haven't forgotten our imperious 2010-11 season with Lucas and Spearing driving us to glory from midfield. In Sangria's mind, it is the blueprint for how all teams should be set up. On a related subject, the player who sits in front of the defence sets the tempo for the team. He needs to be using the ball much quicker than this: https://streamable.com/gjv5

I agree with all of that except the comment about the 3rd goal - I don't think that's on him.

It seemed that Lallana took Wijnaldum's place in midfield when he came on and Wijnaldum took Mane's. In hindsight, it may have been better to leave the midfield three alone.

I don't agree with the first sentence but I do agree it's far from certain he is up to it.

The whole "he would never have got in Utd's 99 midfield" thing doing the rounds on twitter is nonsense. Keane was by far the main man in that midfield. After that I'd say Beckham was the most important of the four that year. Scholes had a gift of stealing into the box to score important goals but wasn't the controlling midfielder that he became towards the end of his career. Giggs was a good player but hadnt lived to the hype that he generated at the start of his career. Gerrard could have taken either Beckham or Scholes's place and improved that midfield.

The goal against Real Madrid is a particular favourite of mine.

We want the first-choice forward line to set the tempo in terms of pressing. Sturridge can come on earlier than he did against Soton if we need a goal in the 2nd half but he starts on the bench if it were up to me.

We dominated at Soton and would probably have bagged the 3 points but for Firmino's bad miss. (The performance was more convincing than at Swansea.) The team set-up is working well - just carry-on.

Nah - same team as Soton (assuming Lallana is still out).

God you're tiresome It's always about the money

Sorry - I see now

You've lost me.

Moyes

This season one is playing as a forward, the other as a midfielder. The change of position (a managerial masterstroke) has been the making of Lallana in a red shirt.

I don't know about the whole year but he was more than decent tonight. The assist was the icing on the cake.

I'd like to see Can, Wijnaldum and Lallana given a try at some point.

I don't see the comparison in terms of build - Sami was much more of a unit.

Thought his challenge for the penalty that wasn't given was rash. He is the antithesis of someone like Hyppia, Agger or Matip who defends with composure in the box.

In fairness, its not a position that had a fixed number. You had Callaghan/Souness wearing 11 then Whelan wearing 5.

I can remember sitting in the stands thinking that the midfield we had out was a joke.

We had a front six by that point of Gerrard, Murphy, Berger, Litmanen, Fowler and Owen. Pressure on the ball was practically non-existent.

That was the beginning of the end for Ince at Utd.

The 3-1 at Anfield in 2001 wasn't great although the much hyped Overmars goal did only come when we'd gone ridiculously light in midfield following our 2nd half substitutions.