Match Day Thread Southampton V West Bromwich Albion Saturday 16th January KO 15:00

As much as I would love Rickie to come back for the rest of the season and bang in the goals for a top 6 finish it just aint gonna happen. I can't imagine we would bring him in in the first place, and if we did, he's not the same player that he once was for us. I can see it being like Drogba return to Chelsea. Got a couple of goals but looked past it.

I still love you though Rickie <3

 

Ok bit of a concern Merson has us to win 2-1 with Long scoring first (has he heard we are being positive now and joined in?). As he is always wrong it must mean we're going to win 3-2 with Mane finally scoring first.

 

Just in case the memories are fading:

Rickie scored 15 goals in the premiership 2012/3
Rickie scored 13 goals in the premiership 2013/4
Rickie scored 34 penalties for Saints without a miss
Rickie scored 117 goals for Saints
Rickie was never injured!
and who's to say he ain't the same player now?

 

Questions about our soon to be vanquished foes:
Why are they called "Albion"?
Why is there a thrush on their emblem?
Why are they called the Baggies?

 

Super Positive Poetry Time. This time a couple of Limericks...

There once was a striker named Pelle
A handsome Italian fella
He came back to the team
With goals and ice-cream
From the parlour set up in his cellar

There's no one can dribble like Tadic
He irritates foes like a bad itch
But don't mess with him, son,
'Cos you'll face his mum
She'll smash up your house like a mad lady

The Saints always win at St. Mary's
Supported by the handsome and scaries
That's just as well
'Cos back at the Dell
A win was as likely as fairies

There once was a boy called Harrison Reed
Who's future this forum had clearly agreed
He would kick ankles
But (and this point it rankles)
Not until Koeman was an old man indeed

There once was a striker called Shlong
Who no-one felt truly belonged
Then he ran real quick
And proved we'd been dicks
Our judgement smelt so bad it ponged

We have a tank called Wanyama
Who smashes through walls like a hammer
But he's really so sweet
And dresses real neat
He even affects a shy stammer

Southampton are playing West Brom
A team we will beat with aplomb
They are quite bad
Which makes them feel sad
So I suggest they watch Dick and Dom.

There is a great poet called SpacedSaint
The cleverest wordsmith he aint
He runs out of rhyme
Most of the time
And he's tired so ... bla bla bla blaint!

 

We meeting in the Farmhouse? If that's the case .......

 

Shame, but it was clear in our last season that he was starting to fade. The last two seasons have also shown that Rickie is a player better suited to starting matches and getting in a rhythm.

Never say never in football, but if we did get him on loan till the end of the season, then I wouldn't be totally opposed. He may not win as many 50/50 challenges, but with his experience and vision then if you have willing runners like Mane & Long then there is no reason he can't be an asset.
A good character in the dressing room, a lift for the fans.

A signing for the romantics and the dreamers, rather than the cold hearted ambitious

 

If everyone is fit enough to go again (which isn't necessarily a certainty), then I wouldn't be changing the starting XI for this game. So Victor can make do with a place on the bench.

Yes I appreciate that WBA don't quite have the forward threat of Watford, so one could certainly argue that playing a back five at home to them with Davis as effectively our most attacking midfielder is too defensive. But that arguement is simply countered by the Watford game itself. Davis was making forward runs for fun, way more than usual. And when we were in possession, it wasn't really a back five at all. Targett was more LM than LB or LWB, similarly with Cedric. Having those two, plus Bertrand, as part of the back five is still pretty positive.

And hey, if we do struggle to break WBA down - which is possible - then there's always Pelle and Tadic to turn to. Which is a whole lot better than only being able to turn to Juanmi.

 

starting to fade? he got called up for his country! hmmmph! scored as many as Pelle and played every match!

 

Know the last one. Ticket money used to be collected in a bag and taken to the office via the pitch. The crowd used to sing about it.

 

The thrush, or throstle, used to nest in the hawthorn trees which gave their ground its name.

And they were called simply "Albion" before the West Bromwich bit was added.

Edit: forgot to add that "Throstles" was their nickname before "Baggies".

 

Er, I think Whiteley beat you to that one at 8:13 pm Fran!

 

That woman has no life.

 

You could have just stopped after the word "scoring"

 

I'm gonna have to miss this one as I'll be in Barca watching the second best player in the world behind Rickie, Leo messi.

Would absolutely love a win though, come on saints

 

As is a lot of other players as well, just saying he hasn't fully adapted his fitness for the premier league yet.

 

......and here was I thinking it was reference to their shorts! This site is educational. It should get a grant.

 

Got my info from Frank Skinner (on TV)....also confirmed by the club historian, though Wikipedia also mentions the shorts theory....though I think all teams played with baggie shorts back then.