Match Day Thread Southampton v Leicester City Saturday 17th October 2015 KO 3pm

By (un)popular request.
SOUTHAMPTON V LEICESTER CITY

Premier League
Saturday, 17th October 2015. Kick off = 15:00
Venue:- St. Mary's Stadium, Southampton, Hampshire

Referee :- Paul Tierney. Assistants = D Bryan & A Nunn. 4th Official = L Mason

Leicester City
Manager : - Claudio Ranieri

Currently 5th with 15 points Played 8 Won 4. Drawn 3. Lost 1.
Goals for = 17. Against = 15. GD = +2
Last game - Saturday 3rd October - won 2 - 1 at Aston Villa. Goals by Vardy & Schlupp.
Team.
01 Schmeichel. 17 Simpson (Benalouane - 65). 06 Huth (Yellow Card).
05 Morgan. 28 Fuchs. 11 Albrighton. 04 Drinkwater.
14 Kanté. 15 Schlupp (King - 77). 09 Vardy. 20 Okazaki (Ulloa - 70').
Substitutes
02 de Laet 10 King 23 Ulloa 26 Mahrez 29 Benalouane 32 Schwarzer 33 Inler

Ex Saint Nathan Dyer is unlikely to feature with a knee injury.
Matt James is absent, long term injury incurred against Saints in May.
Dean Hammond hasn’t seen much action this season.
The main threat comes from Jamie Vardy 7 goals, who played 90 minutes for England against Lithuania..

Saints.
With the International break getting in the way, just as were showing real progress, it remains to be seen if there are any serious injuries, Shane Long was stretchered off against Poland and Jose Fonte took a knock after colliding with his GK. This will be a tough fixture, which may see the return of Jordy Clasie, I am not sure where he would fit in after the Chelsea success.

 

Have you done this deliberately just as I posted a Saints thread in absence of the Match Thread. However, I approve....let's get back to the real football. Various article suggests Clasie may be available for this match, though I would presume he would start on the bench and perhaps get some minutes later (depending on how the game is going).

 

A response to JWP's Goal Celebration request #1597 on the Premier League thread!

 

Would expect Clasie to start on the bench unless there has been some international injuries we haven't heard of yet.
Cant see who RK would drop following the Chelsea performance

 

Nice one

Really looking forward to this, think it will be a cracking game with Leicester having started really well and us slowly improving and dare I say starting to look more like last years team?

Sweating a bit on Mane, Stekkers & Van Dijk, but assuming everyone is fit I would go:

Stekkers
Cedric
Fonte
VVD
Bertrand
Vic
Romeu
Davis
Tadic
Mane
Pelle

Romeu's job is to stick on Mahrez and not let him have any space to look up n pick his passes.

Hard one to call this game, could see a high scoring draw with either side nicking it.

 

Thankfully the back five is starting to pick itself these days hence our improved defensive form. Until Clasie is match fit, I think you can pick any three from Romeu, big Vic, JWP and Davis in midfield.

Up front I guess it has to be Tadic, Mane and Pelle. If Mane gas travelled late them replace him in the starting line up with JRod or Long.

Despite leicester's good early season form I would expect us to win this but it is a potential banana skin so no room for complacency. Ranieri is looking like an astute appointment (but it won't last).

 

We should win this at home, but I'd have been more certain if we'd played right after the Chelsea and Swansea games...bloody international break!

 

I'd go:

Stek
Cedric fonte Vvd Bertrand
Jwp Wanyama
Mane Davis Tadic
pelle

Don't think we will need Romeu and Wanyama, as they are not a particularly physical side. I'd go positive and play Jwp to try and create some chances.

 

4-0 home win.

 

I do hope you are right. Its a cliche I know but we have come a long way these last few years. Not the rise up the leagues but traditionally Saints have raised their game against the top teams and tripped up against the lesser ones - often at home. Since RK came in we have a much better record against the lesser teams but don't get many BIG scalps. That seems to be changing. A win away to Chelsea followed by a home win against Leicester would strengthen the view that we have finally arrived in the big time.

Couple that with the number of players away on international duty .....

 

Don't think Long will be fit after his knock the other night.

 

Don't forget our win against Swansea. Any way I think we are quite big time...in the group behind top 4....just about level with Liverpool and Spurs.

 

would take another 4/5 years of finishing near them to be that. Finishing 4 and 2 points behind them in ONE season does not make them our direct rivals.

 

Does to me if they are between us and top 4....though I suppose you could also include Everton.

 

But what I mean really is it has to happen for more than one season for that to be 'our level' so to speak.

Do you think Everton started this season looking at Palace & Stoke as their rivals?

I see us the bracket below Pool, Spurs, Everton. Which includes quite a few clubs.

 

Sod it. Can't go this week!

 

I agree, this team look a good starting 11 as we are at home and dont want to be too defensive from the off. Couple more internationals to be played yet though so lets see who we have to select from after they are all done and dusted.

 

Got to give credit to Leicester for their excellent start, one of only four teams unbeaten away from home. This will probably be quite a test for us defensively as they play a quick counter attacking style and what ever you think of Vardy playing for England, he's still a handfull IMO. If we can play with the same confidence that we did at Chelsea we can be quite a handfull too, so hopefully everyone comes back fit and we can do the job.

 

Game now sold out. Should be cracking atmosphere.

 

Where's Mahrez playing tonight?