please log in to view this image Well, it’s time. The positive, Happy Clappy, Super Duper thread for the new season. A NEW SEASON!!!! Let me say that again just in case you are not listening….A NEW SEASON!!!!!!!. This is the season that people will be talking about for years to come. Forget “doing a Leicester”. From this year forward all they will be talking about is “Doing a Southampton”!!!! The Scintillating, Sensational, Stunning, Stupendous, Super Saints (SSSSSS) welcome Watford to St Mary’s for the opening game of the year we are going to win a trophy this year!!! We will make St Mary’s proud: As usual, any negativity will be ridiculed and happy clapping is actively encouraged. I’m even getting the Man Utd thread ready now as well The SSSSSS start with a slightly different look than last year. It’s been argued to death on this very forum, but let me get the elephant out of the room. Ronald Koeman. There said it. The Fat Lying Dutchman (FLD). I will start by saying thank you. Yep, thank you. Not for what you think you did for two years, but thank you for leaving and joining Everton and giving those of you under 40 a reason to dislike them as well of those around in 1984 But honestly, why should we dislike them? Because of the FLD’s greedy ways, we will now enter a new era of unparalleled success, where we will play exciting football and win loads of matches. Frankly I can’t wait!!!! We March On. Claude Puel’s Red and White Army! So far the summer transfer window has been predictable; either we are used to upheaval or we have faith in those in charge. There is no sign of any meltdown from us this year! Outgoing: Pelle – Grazie Graziano. Two good years, he got into the national team and he starred in the Euros. This was always going to be the year we eased him on, so well done for getting that final payday (genuinely no sarcasm). Wanyama – Again thanks for the good times. I feel he may go the way of others that have left, but I don’t wish him too much ill. Mane – Disappointing. Not that he left, as I always thought he may go, but come on…to Liverpool? Did he not speak with Lambert, Lallana, Lovren or Clyne? Can be a game changer on his day. Just only expect that day to be about 50% of the games he plays. Once Liverpool have sprinkled on their version of ‘gold dust’, expect that to be 25% of the games he plays. Still, £34 million isn’t bad Incoming: Nathan Redmond - Norwich, £11m A good buy. NOT a Mane replacement, but something different. Quite excited to see how he pans out. Will link up well with Targett & JWP…we have England’s future right here in Southampton on the pitch at the same time! Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg - Bayern Munich, undisclosed Looks very, very good buy. I predict this is our summer find. Alex McCarthy - Crystal Palace, £4m At last, a good backup to our great Keeper Jeremy Pied - Nice, undisclosed Very versatile, may not be the backup to the backup we think he is Watford have had a lot of outs, and a few ins. I’ll be honest as I don’t play Football manager I do not know a lot about the new players, but one name has grabbed me….Isaac Success. What a name. Unlimited puns with that one SSSSSS go into the game as clear, clear, clear, clear favourites – This is another fixture to bet your house on. There is, as always with us, no reason to see anything other than a win. We may even top the table at the end of the game . We finished last season on a roll and haven’t lost in pre-season. In fact, our last feeling of a loss was on the 3rd of April to the eventual Premier League Champions and before that it was the 1st of March!!!! That is a SIX game unbeaten run in the Premier league, all overseen by yours truly. I’m not ready to relinquish my match thread so I can’t see it anything other than a SEVEN game streak! We last lost to Watford in the league on the 28th December 2000. My favourite Watford game? Has to be this: What formation will we play? Could be anything, but the diamond is looking like the way forward. We have few injury worries – Bertrand seems to be the most worrying. Matchday officials: We are covered both East and West for this game.... Referee: Roger East please log in to view this image Assistants: Richard West please log in to view this image Mark Scholes please log in to view this image Fourth official: James Linington please log in to view this image I normally predict 3-1 to us in all games. NO WAY. This has 3-0 all over it. Redmond, Long and Fonte. My team: Forster Cedric Fonte VVD Target Romeu Davis Højbjerg Tadić Redmond Long Bench: McCarthy, Pied, Maya, Clasie, Ward-Prowse, Austin, JRod ...but what do I know. COYR!!!!! Be Happy!!!! PS Watford fans, this is the positive thread, somethings are true, other said tongue in cheek
In all seriousness I am buzzing, stoked, pumped, hojbjerged, puelled, ward-prowsed, clasied, longed, tadiced for this game. Come on you reds!
It's been another long, long summer.....thank The Lord we are back actually playing football again Midlands Massive is ready for the weekends opener with a visit to SMS.....COYRs
I want a four-nil win, and no other team to do quite so well, and Saints to be sitting top of the Premier League table on Saturday night. Pompey have been top once, and the universe demands balance. So - for the sake of the space time continuum - I regretfully ask that Watford lose to us on Saturday.
Don't quite know what it is about this new season. It has all come a bit early for me. Give it another month and I might be a bit more animated.
Probably due to the Euro's. But no matter what, the start of the football season can NEVER come too early for me.
Whilst I do quite like Tina Turner, her version of Proud Mary don't come close to this Apart from that, good job
I expect this lineup Forster Cedric - Yoshida - Van Dijk - Targett Romeu Davis/JWP - Hojbjerg Tadić Redmond-Long I expect that Fonte will be on the bench as he hasn't really played in preseason so is probably a bit behind others fitness wise. Bertrand is injured so that leaves Targett as a first choice left back. Puel rotated our midfield player a lot so it's difficult to predict, but I suspect Romeu will be in the base, and Tadić on the top of the diamond, and two other player will be picked between Hojbjerg, Davis and JWP. Redmond and Long in attack.
