Parsley

Foul on Anita there by the way.

Mitro

Perez has been decent so far at least.

Our midfield has been non-existent so far.

Reckon Mitrovic has been picked ahead of Cisse to try to dominate Blind.

Perez and Mitrovic in for Cisse and Sissoko

He's closer to Nasri than say, HBA, imo. Not particularly quick but good feet, able to jink through tight spaces, decent eye for a pass. His shot didn't seem that bad fwiw, he just seemed to try to bend everything rather than put his laces through it. There's definitely a place for players like Cabella - ideally as a sort of wide playmaker like Nasri/Silva for City or Mata for Man Utd - just not in our old system or seemingly McClaren's new way of playing. It's a bit of a shame.

Silly fee, especially seeing as it includes Cabella, who I had high hopes for this season. Thauvin seems more in the mould of an orthodox, pacy winger though, which probably suits our system better in all fairness.

fuck it, dropped the W-bomb Butland Shaw Kolarov Richards Yaya Toure Ayew Sanchez Mane Gomis Aguero Pelle Let's been having it

Already done it going with Aguero and Lukaku. Was looking at Barkley and Lukaku but Everton's fixture list leaves a bit to be desired.

The temptation to wildcard is very, very high at the moment Aguero's always shit hot until he gets injured.

Bolasie off. It begins

2-0, jesus.

Townsend's miles better than anything we have out wide at the moment, with only the possible exception of Aarons. We could probably do better for the price but I wouldn't be disappointed with him at all.

Fairly sure that's actually Wijnaldum who's been circled. Sissoko's the one furthest forward in the green boots.

He played a decent lofted ball down the left hand side for Haidara in the second half.

West Ham up there as well maybe - for all their poor results in Europe, they looked fitter than Arsenal today.

Looks very accomplished on the deck.

attacking wasn't remotely the problem today like, imo what cost us today is mclaren (or anyone else on the staff) being able to see the game slipping away for 10-15 minutes before they scored because our attack had run out of steam/ideas...if he'd have put aarons and mitro on at about 60 minutes we'd probably have won Joking aside, I think you're being a bit harsh - our shape lost its structure after Anita went off and it was clear in the final quarter of the game that Southampton were by far the fitter side. I'm not sure whether changing up the attack would've made all that much difference tbh when the core of our midfield were all absolutely shagged.

Energy levels were shot in that second half. For 60-70 mins though, encouraging stuff.

Great block from Colback.

Sorry like but what a fucking ball in from Obermong

Our attacking play is clearly a work in progress in terms of fluidity but at the very least we're now getting bodies breaking into the box to support Cisse. It's a basic but really significant change - honestly makes you wonder what Pardew and Carver were preaching before.

Cisse man

That Cedric guy is on thin ice already.