Match Day Thread Saints v West Ham - K.O. 3pm Saturday 19th August

You would have to predict a home win on Saturday as it cannot be possible to have yet another game without a victory at St Marys. I am not convinced that Gabbiadini will be an automatic place and wonder if there will a starting place for Austin instead. The performance last week was promising but I would like to see that work manifest itself in a few goals to keep things entertaining.

It is curious to read the criticism of JWP on this thread as I thought he put in a brilliant performance last week and was unfortunate to come off. As soon as he was substituted, we looked more ineffectual. Give JWP some more time. He is a player that seemed to eventually improve last season and looks like making more progress in 2017/18. Not sure about calling for Boufal to replace him either even though he had some good moments defending last Saturday. Still not a fan of the Algerian and I think he has a lot to do at the moment to justify his fee. Boufal is a player who really needs to deliver this season and if he is going to step up, surely it must be at the expense of the erratic Dusan Tadic?

I think we will win 2-0.

 

"The Algerian"? Makes a change from "The Frenchman" I suppose, but it makes me suspect that your prejudices may be showing again.

Vin

 

Is the Algerian the Moroccan?

 

These funny coloured people are all the same...

 

No the Algerian was Taider.

 

I don't think it is possible to refer to people belonging to any nationality, HR. We are all part of the same global family. Or we could refer to him coming from the country between Morocco and Libya although that could be construed as an injustice to Tunisia. Perhaps I should read the Guardian so that I know how exactly to refer to countries other than England.

 

I think you have made your own point. There is no need to differentiate between people based on colour/creed/sexuality. This is 2017 now, not 1970.

 

Have to say, could be avoided, and I'm like the least pc person I know. If you have to pick a country as a descriptive term, then please get the right country.

 

Totally agreed. But it is probably ok to say that someone is of a particular nationality. Can't see that is offensive unless you contrive to mix up nationalities that don't like each other.

Anyway, I thought that the idea of the thread was to talk about the West Ham game as opposed to having a pissing contest to see who is the most-PC.

 

Apologies - born in Paris, though.

 

It is, but once again, your undertones come through - and I am not the only one to notice it. And by the way being PC isn't a crime. As I said before we are in 2017 now, so equality is here, for men, women, black, white, yellow, brown, gay and straight. Next you'll be saying that there are some good neo-nazis.

 

It's not that's it's offensive; more that it's completely wrong.
Boufal was born in Paris and plays for Morocco so I'm not sure where Algeria comes in to play.

 

Back to the points raised........

Think we might see Austin & Gabbi from the start with a little shuffle & Mario finding a place next to Oriol. That, could be interesting.
Hope we dominate this one, but please can we get a breakthrough. If I see Fonte air punching again I'm going to lose my ****!

 

He's acknowledged that now, so lets get back on track.

 

No worries, I was late to reply and it's since been said. I hold no grudges and implied no intent to his comments.

 

Maybe you should read some of my comments in the politics thread where you will get a good idea of my politics and would realise that this is something that is never going to happen. The notion of a good Nazi is an oxymoron.

 

I am sorry - I am maybe being a bit sensitive. [emoji106]

 

I don't understand where you are coming from SF4L. I have never had an issue with West Ham as a footballing team and always think that they are a ide who likes to entertain. Their fans had a bad element back in the 1980s who brought a lot of discredit to the sport but I feel that , as a rule, their supporters appreciate entertaining football. The tenure of Allardyce was an interesting experience insofar that he made them difficult to beat and got them promoted yet the fashion in which his teams played was still deemed contrary to the tenets of the club.

If I dislike anything about them, it is their owners who I find unsavoury. However, I think that this is generally the case where any owner tries to cultivate a media profile whether it be Sugar or Ashley. Owners should be seen and not heard. They have had a degree of luck inheriting the Olympic stadium but last seasons performance initially saw them punished for playing in unfamiliar grounds. My employers are based in Essex and a number of my colleagues are West Ham fans, many of whom consider themselves to be following a team with similar aspirations and a wish to play attractive football that is similar to Saints. Those colleagues who follow West Ham have never expressed any negative feelings towards Saints and I don't feel negative towards their team either.

For me, it is always about beating the favourites and big clubs. The likes of Man Utd, Arsenal and Liverpool are the three teams I like to see Southampton beat. Even Spurs are not really a team I hate. Pochettino "defected" from Saints but you have got to give him credit for nurturing English players. West Ham are very much a working class team and very much like Millwall and Portsmouth insofar that I think this will be something they will never shake off. There will never be prawn sandwiches at West Ham! It seems a bit harsh to want to give the happy Hammers a pasting. Of course I want us to win, but I have no ill will towards this team.

 

No problem. Just being a bit cynical. Don't know where Vin is coming from sometimes.

 

Perhaps he'd like us to spank a team owned and run by the sleaze twins.