I Seldom bet ... but I reckon it's time for Altidore to make his mark and net a few goals ... his current odds are 100/1 for a hat trick... I'm going to stick a couple of quid on that and also go for double with a 3 nil win ( with odds of 33/1)
Will be there for both. Less pressure on Southampton than Sunderland so expecting a difficult game. Norwich thankfully lulled Man C into thinking they are a decent team. Not away from home tho and I think there is a nice little point to be had for us
I'm looking forward to a good do or die cup match Dont expect to see any of our first team playing. Maybe be 1 or 2 with our reservists and kids giving you a game.
I think that Poyet will use this game to try a few different things out, which will hopefully change our fortunes for the rest of the season.. I'll be there cheering the lads on towards the quarter finals..
When Saints head to Sunderland on Wednesday night in the Capital One Cup, it will be something of an uncomfortable reunion for the travelling fans and new Black Cats boss Gus Poyet. I imagine Poyet will be a little surprised to see that the club he labelled ‘no better then Dagenham & Redbridge without Rickie Lambert’ are faring pretty well in the Premier League. It is almost a distant memory now of course, and Poyet – having failed with Brighton to keep up with Saints – will hopefully have learned some humility. Though I wouldn’t count on it. His appointment at Sunderland might be considered risky by some, but I think even the most ardent Saints fan would concede that he did a decent job with the Seagulls, albeit in a manner that made them detestable to watch. Their play was fluid and nice to look at, but the niggly fouling, time wasting, play acting and yellow card waving to a man made them both formidable opponents and easy to dislike. It looks like Poyet and his equally abhorrent assistant Mauricio Tarrico are already making their mark on the north east – two shocking tackles from messrs Cattermole and Dossena seeing them reduced to nine men on Saturday while Poyet and his bench were warned for their reaction. Familiar scenes for Saints fans. Saints must be careful not to get drawn into a scrap on Wednesday, with the fantastic start to the season they have had, injuries and suspensions are the last thing the manager needs. Perhaps Gus will be a little more respectful to his South American counterpart Pochettino, perhaps they will even become friends? That would be odd It will be interesting to see how both managers select their sides. Sunderland might see the cup as an unnecessary distraction as they try to rebuild their fortunes, while Saints have thus far used a mixture of youth and fringe players. I wonder if hostilities will resume between Poyet and Saints on the touchline? I got the impression that former battles were born from a personal issue between the Uruguayan and Nigel Adkins, though both insisted it wasn’t. Perhaps Gus will be a little more respectful to his South American counterpart Pochettino, perhaps they will even become friends? That would be odd. Either way, this tie represents a great opportunity for both sides to book a place in the quarter finals and a home tie with Chelsea. Let’s hope they’re up for it.
TBH, SOuthampton give me hope. I remember , not so long ago, that Portsmouth supporters were laughing out of their arses at Southampton. The Saints always seemed to be in a **** ground, going bankrupt, being relegated or whatever ......... how times change. Absolutely no offence to Southampton, but there's no reason whatsoever we can't be where they are.
Good post TME! Personally have never lliked Poyet but hope for your sake he can turn things around. Have just started a match thread on the Saints Board so feel free to pop across and post.
Good side they are, made some quality signings and are rich as owt, wealthy enough to compete with the big boys, a club on the up indeed
I agree with all of that. What I would say, without any disrespect as I don't want another 'Hull' situation, is that the two clubs aren't that different. We're both clubs with little to attract top players, stuck by the sea in a town that's seen better days and without the attractions of London or wherever. Who would have risked £100 bet that Southampton would be where they are now when the club was on the verge of oblivion?
I would bet that Jozy did not score, although you might be right it will be better odds i.e. you will win more money betting on him to score cos' nobody expects him to score.
I still reckon you lot are going to beat us unless Gus seriously weakens the team in preparation for your PL game against City. The team we put out in the last round struggled against Bristol City far more than the 2-0 scoreline suggested.
anything can happen in a cup tie mate, i'm not counting my chickens, we were very lucky to come away with a point from your place imo, your not sitting where you are in the table on a run of 8 games unbeaten for nothing
@CapitalOne_Cup TV SELECTION: Sunderland/Southampton v Chelsea has been selected for live coverage by @SkySports on Tue 17 Dec (7:45pm KO) #CapitalOneCup
Biggest difference is restraint in wages... I'm not sure how things have changed since the Di Canio clearout, but I know that Sunderland carrying one of the bigger wage bills among the non-elite. Saints have a very small squad supplemented by youngsters, so there's more money to be thrown around elsewhere, whereas you guys still have a year or two if I remember correctly before all of the aging-and-overcompensated players acquired in years past cease sucking up cash. Overall, the upstarts have had something of an advantage because few had massive wages cluttering the books on the way up from the Championship, and thus had considerable flexibility in their use of the ever-increasing TV money. And with the state of European football, it's fully possible to spend a hefty transfer fee, hand a foreign acquisition a significant raise and still be paying them less than a middling PL veteran. That's the big equalizer...the other fourteen might not be able to compete on wages and one of the six English powerhouses puts in an offer for the same player, but increasingly they can compete with all but the elite of the continent. Just need to clear out (and keep out) the deadwood to be able to allocate the resources for it.
