Match Day Thread Sparta Prague v Southampton Thurs 24th Nov 6pm

Forget the fact that Liverpool and Chelsea have no European games this year and are cruising the Premiership. They aren't going to win anything in Europe because you can't win it unless you're in it!

Sparta Prague v Saints

It’s a season changing game! 3 points and Saints will be in the Europa League knock out stage!

After 4 out of 6 games:

Sparta Prague 9 points
Saints 7 points
Hapoel Be’er Sheva 4 points
Inter Milan 3 points

Prague lost 3 points when we gave them a whooping at St. Marys.
We were robbed in Milan.

So, when we beat Sparta we’ll have 10 points and barring a goal fest from Hapoel we’re into the knock-out stage. (let’s bear in mind Hapoel have to come to St. Marys so they have absolutely no chance of over taking us)

And SaintinSerbia is not registering a loss to an Eastern European team!

Tadic will be back!
Cedric is back and is on fire!
Forster is unbeatable!
VVD and Fonte are impenetrable!
Bertrand knows how to do throw-ins!
Romeu is immense!
Clasie is rested and will create that link forward!
JWP is back and will do the same!
Boufal will cause chaos with Tadic and create that spark!
J-Rod will score a hat-trick!

And what a bench! Austin, Long, McQueen, Martina, Reed, Yoshida, Holjberg and GK

(I think Stevie D needs a week off)

SAINTDON13 will no doubt immediately fill in the info. about the Latvian officials!

 

Bring it on.

 

FF and VVD were very good against Liverpool and I defy anyone to score vs them. We will win by one to nil Tadic scores the goal

 

Flying out on Tuesday. Can't wait.

 

Fonte will be rested and Yoshida will start. Tadic may not feature if he couldn't even make the match squad today.

I am extremely thankful Romeu isn't in the Spain set up! He should be fine after a nice break over the past couple of weeks.

Wouldn't be surprised to see Martina start either. 2 games in 6 days may be a bit much for Cedric after a lengthy spell out injured.

Still a strong side though

 

Forster

Martina
Van Dijk
Yoshida
Bertrand

Romeu
JWP
Hjobjerg

Boufal
Long
Austin

Gonna be a very tough game. (Although I said that last time).

 

Hardest game in the group - as I said before the first game. They were just very poor that first night.

 

I agree - I always thought this would be one of the hardest games in the group. I also said it before the first game, and the two Milan games. Maybe Claude know what he is doing after all

 

Don't say that...please don't say that. I was basing my happiness on us having beaten them previously by 3 goals.

 

I can see this as being another draw. Our dogged defence and inability to convert chances... maybe 1-1.

 

https://southamptonfc.com/news/2016-11-20/claude-puel-injuries-post-southampton-0-0-liverpool

Puel says there will be assessments today of Tadic (schnoz) and JWP (muscle injury) before a decision about the Thursday game.

Happy 28th birthday, Dusan

 

A draw would be a good result for us I feel, although the way the group is set (and considering the remaining matches), it is actually of limited value to us.

Forster
Martina Yoshida VVD McQueen
JWP Romeu Clasie
Long Jay Tadic

 

2 draws will see us qualify unless Inter win both games... not gonna happen.

 

But it would also see us finish 2nd, and therefore in theory get a trickier KO tie.

We need a minimum of one win to top the group, and probably two wins. And if that includes a win over Hapoel, then we qualify (whether 1st or 2nd) regardless of the Sparta result.

And besides, I'm sort of expecting us to beat Hapoel. I take your point about two draws being enough so long as Inter don't win twice, but I'd like to think we'll be doing more than just drawing Hapoel. Getting ahead of myself maybe, but I sort of see the Prague game as a shoot-out for 1st place (and I'm not banking on Inter doing us a favour vs Prague, should we draw Prague) - and almost a free hit shoot-out. (In fact, we could still qualify with a defeat vs Prague and then a 0-0 vs Hapoel)

 

Oh yeah I agree completely particuarly about hoping this is a shoot out for 1st.

Was just making the point that if we get a point here then we know that avoiding defeat in the final game will likely be enough.

 

I want us to qualify and then get a champions league drop out team - a big one.

 

I was hoping to get Celtic... to give Brenda a hammering. Sadly they won't finish 3rd

 

Yep it won't happen, but can you imagine Barcelona dropping out of the Champions league?

 

I want us to get not just a rabbit, but a weasel (cos they come in after the rabbits). I have hopes of us progressing....don't need to play big teams just for fun.

 

Really excited for this one! Will be a tough game and I'd love to see long and Boufal link up!