please log in to view this image Vs please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Team news: Coventry: Left back Chris Hussey hopes to be in contention again after limping off in the draw at Doncaster a fortnight ago. Manager Andy Thorn has a near fully-fit squad to select from with Gary McSheffrey and Carl Baker showing no ill effects from their recent returns. Saints: An almost fully fit squad for Nigel Adkins to chose from, with Guly Do Prado expected to start alongside Rickie Lambert upfront for the 3rd successive game. Lee Barnard is fit enough to make the bench, but is seen as unlikely to do so. Last result: Coventry: 3-0 LOSS Vs Millwall (Away) Saints: 2-1 WIN Vs Peterborough (Home) Predicted Saints team: ----------------------------------Davis-------------------------------------------- ---Richardson--------------Fonte-----------Hooiveld------------------------Fox---- ---Chaplow---------------Hammond(C)-------Cork------------------------Lallana--- ----------------------------------Guly--------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------Lambert----------------------------------------- Subs: Bart, Martin, De Ridder, Schneiderlin, Connolly. Prediction: 3-1 Southampton. We're breeding confidence throughout the side right now, maybe that turned into complacency Tuesday but I'm sure we can get the job done against a fairly poor Coventry team. Saints haven't won away in the League since the 5-2 success at Ipswich in August, but with 2,000 Saints fans roaring the team on inside a lifeless arena and with Lallana back in the side, we should be beating the 'Sky Blues'. Lambert (Free-kick), Chaplow, Guly the scorers. COYS
Dead right about a lifeless arena, one of the very worst of the new build grounds IMO, I would NOT want to go to that place every couple of weeks. Only good thing is good location to drive to. Was at Reading and if Saints can show improvement from that, they will win as Coventry aren't as good a side as Reading, 2-0 Saints I hope as I will be there
Bit on Echo site about how the owners of Coventry were first turned down by Saints. At the time it looked bad, but it's looking pretty good now. Perhaps the fans should have a song ready.
SISU are most well known for being an asset stripping company, about the only good thing the ex board done for us was to turn them down, to be fair they did stabilize Coventry somewhat but if you read the press there are still a few clouds hanging over the Ricoh! I am making the journey! Absolutely buzzing for this game, I am feeling a good solid win! 3-0 to Nige's Army!
SISU have hidden the damage they have done. In 18 months time, it will be far more apparent. They rent the stadium from the council at present.
We have been on fire recently but I wish I shared your optimism about a heavy Saints win. We have had a lot harder time on the road recently, perhaps because teams at home push forward more and press us higher, I am not sure. I would take any win to be honest .
It's true that results have not gone Coventry's way of late but it would be wrong to think that this is going to be a walk over. We do have a problem in that we do seem to falter against teams not known for recent good play.. That why I have predicted a draw. As always I hope for a win...but we just haven't quite got it right with some of the lower echelon of the league in the past.......
If Saints can get back to the form we showed away from home earlier in the season then this should be a win. However Coventry have done considerably better at home than away, as tbh have Saints therefore I am going for 1-1.
A draw for me. We seem to struggle to re-create our home form on the road. Perhaps it's because of fortress St Marys, because of the crowd, or it might be because all of our training drills take part on a pitch which is identical in dimensions to the one at St Marys... Who knows?? I'd love to get an away win though, seems a long time since the Ipswich game!
Other top teams have come unstuck recently (which helped us), so Nigel won't take Coventry for granted. The Peterborough game showed that once we slow down it can be hard to raise the pace again. NA has pointed out that in that game our pass completion rate was over 91%..fantastic fact. When asked how his ankle injury was, Lallana replied;'Okay'. Don't want him okay, I want him skipping like, well, Skippy. Says he's managing it!!! The international break will be good for him. He was surprised to realise how long it was since we'd won away, so time to break that hoodoo.
