The only place to be

We look better with him not in the team right now. Him and De Bruyne simply don't seem to play with the same speed as Willian, Oscar and Hazard and there's an intensity that is missing without those three. He's probably here until the summer but sometimes players don't fit systems no matter what you do.

A great win although another disappointing first-half. Mourinho's subs won us the game and we look a completely different team with Willian and, in particular, Oscar in the side. There's a pace and directness that they add to the game. Torres was good. He created chances for himself and was in exactly the right spot for his goal, but he needs to be more clinical (how many times has that been said in the last 3 years?). Ramires and Mikel were very solid too especially after the 50th minute, but it really does look like Ashley Cole is a mistake waiting to happen. The headlines will probably be all about Mata though and that's understandable, but he's simply not as important to this side as he was last year and we're a much better team this season without him. But this was a great win against a good team in tough conditions and it's been a fantastic Christmas period for us. Now we get a chance to make a few changes in the transfer market too....bring on 2014!!

Was for me before the goal, but glad that he got that goal. He's been player of the season but the stats haven't quite been where some people wanted. Two assists and a goal is a nice way to start the season. Links up the team well and linking up better with Hazard too. Becoming the player we all thought he could be.

Sorry Juan, but this is exactly why you aren't first-choice anymore. Oscar has been exceptional since he came on. Two assists and running his bollocks off. Great finish by Willian too.

Fantastic forward play by Torres and reminiscent of the alertness he showed for his goal against Palace.

He's been poor. Just disappointing. Jose can defend him in public but he needs a fucking slap for that.

He's got Oscar and Willian for the middle and wants an option for a left-footed right winger. If Mata can't do that then we'll sell him.

Seriously, what is wrong with you? He just looks so slow out there. Put Oscar or Willian in there and move Hazard out to the left against Chambers.

Oscar and Willian for Schurrle and Mata please. Mata starting to resemble Joe Cole in his last season with us.

Hazard through the middle, Schurrle on the left and Mata on the right.

Southampton Team: K. Davis ©, Chambers, Fonte, Lovren, Shaw, Cork, Schneiderlin, S. Davis, Lallana, Rodriguez, Ramírez. #Saintsfc No Wanyama

We have a few FA Cup games but the difference is KDB is 22 and Traore is 18. He'll play in the youth cup games as well whilst providing cover for the first team.

Wouldn't be surprised if this guy took De Bruyne's position in the squad as 6th AM whilst playing with the youth team until summer.

Think you're panicking unduly. The club is positioned quite nicely in real terms, and that Telegraph article is amazingly simplistic. Commercial revenues are up, tv money is about to increase dramatically and we have a lot of young assets who are growing in value.

Not as bad as the headline figure suggests, some promising news but mostly the same old limitations. Stamford Bridge is a bottleneck and it would be nice to win the CL every year.

Exactly. It's the only deal comparable to us possibly selling Mata which is why I think his market price would probably be between £35-40 million.

I think he could play as a deeper midfielder. He has all the tools and he played in a more conventional 442 for United at youth level. Probably. KDB and Essien out in January?

Obama and Jay Z aren't doing it.

Could get a chance in the summer if Bertrand leaves in January, but I would've thought the focus would be on getting Luke Shaw.

Think I completely underestimated how important this guy might be to our team. Watching him, Oscar and Hazard break for our first goal was an absolute thing of beauty like three fighter jets flying in formation. Pace. Directness. Accuracy. The fact that he can put in a hell of a shift defending as well is incredible.

Exactly. It's why Anelka deserves a ban. He knows what he did was stupid which is why he's trying to worm his way out of it.

Because he's a fucking moron. Same goes for Anelka. Both deserve lengthy bans. Apparently there are images of Sakho and Nasri doing the same gesture. What links all three?

TVs a funny old thing. You see how dire some of the analysts are when there are major tournaments and they bring in the likes of Klinnsmann, Seedorf, Ballack etc. How Shearer has made a career as a tv personality of all things is beyond me, and why Sky use people like Niall Quinn is equally perplexing. Hansen is very much on his way out, Lawrenson seems to be marginalised and then you get some really random ones like Dion Dublin and Kevin Kilbane. Then there's the shit-stirrers like Savage and Keane. The only bright spot is that Garth Crooks is rarely on our screens anymore. But Jamie Redknapp....he can wear a suit well but beyond that I can't think of anything he brings to football matches. In theory we should have more faces on the screen because that late-90s team was full of fashionable, tv-friendly, cosmopolitan guys but a lot are involved in other areas of the game (Gus was getting a lot of tv time but is obviously now tied-up in Sunderland). I think we'll see a few more Chelsea faces on screen in the next 5 years.

I think you're probably right, but in terms of their respective values I'd expect Mata's to be higher now and De Bruyne's to be higher in the summer (after the world cup). It is nice to have two assets whose prices have risen since we purchased them though. It reflects well on the board.

I think you want 5 players for those 3 positions and I don't think KDB or Mata are ideal for what Jose wants. That's why I floated the idea of those two out and Reus in - you have Oscar and Willian in the middle (Hazard at a push) and then Willian, Hazard, Schurrle and Reus for the wings. The other option is to let KDB leave in January, Mata in the summer then look to Piazon, Boga and Traore to fill that fifth spot. All this is in order to finance deals for a striker, midfielder, centre-half and left-back which could easily exceed £100 million.