I will be out of the country on a weekend break . Don't care what the score is as long as we win . Two reasons . First , My manager and team leader are going and they are massive hammers fans , and I want pay back for the gloating I had to put up with after the defeat at their place . Second . It's my birthday on Saturday , so hope at least to have Wi-Fi in the hotel !!!!
One of the users on KUMB reckons Pochettino and Cortese would take a draw if offered it now. Not sure about that...
Makes for an interesting match-up. West Ham hasn't done well when pressed in the games that I've seen, but with our central mids pressing, all it takes is a well-placed knockdown or two to turn the game on its head. And they're disciplined enough defensively that, if they score first and are able to defend deep (or simply decide to spend most of the game in their own half, as they did against Liverpool), it may lull us into the complacent passing-with-no-purpose that was our undoing at various times earlier in the year. Still, I'm going to say 2-1, goals from Schneiderlin and Lambert.
I'm so glad we haven't still been doing this. In fact this may be one of the most overlooked changes in style that Pochettino has introduced, instead of fannying about just outside the opposition box waiting for the goal to grow bigger, we look for the first opportunity to get the ball in the box, far less frustrating!
I'd like to count the number of chips, lobs and diagonals played from 25-40 yards away from goal into the box last game...I'd bet that it was more than we attempted in some months earlier in the year. I agree, that's been our biggest innovation; at times in the past we confused merely having the ball with being the team in control, now we're (mostly) patient when we need to be and (mostly) aggressive when it's necessary.
Whether we win this game or not, I bet we get more points than West Ham over the next six games. Our form says that.
Dunno if anyone posted this but saw it on youtube, http://m.youtube.com/user/olliecoolman#/watch?v=IsbSt-eNfnM Saints fan@ Reading with that one Nigel Adkins Chant.
Opta fact: WHU are the only PL club to lose every away game they fall behind in (10 games). Southampton are a team that have lost the most points from winning positions.
