please log in to view this image Wow, just WOW!! What ANOTHER great, great victory. This team is UNBELIEVABLE! I really don’t want the season to end. We are having such a good time…… Hot on the heals of YET ANOTHER victory thread, I welcome you all to ANOTHER super duper, ultra positive thread for last game of the season for the Scintillating, Sensational, Stunning, Stupendous, Super Saints!!! (SSSSSS). We welcome Alan Pardew back to St Mary’s and his Crystal Palace side for the last game of the season, with loads to play for (for us). It will also be my last thread of the season, but as only a loss can take away the ‘thread rights’, I’ll still be doing them well into September/October/November/December/January/February/March/April/May. I’m having to do this thread early as from Wednesday I am on holiday and unfortunately, miss the game. I will have to find a nice bar in Tenerife to watch it ! As usual, any negativity will be ridiculed and happy clapping is actively encouraged First things first. WOW!! WOW!!! We did it. As predicted by me WE BEAT SPUDS! Steven Davis Southampton’s Goal Machine! It would have been sweeter if they were still chasing the title, but maybe that is greedy. The whole team played well, VVD (Mr SIX YEAR contract) was colossal at the back and even Fraser more than redeemed himself when he was put off by the non-interfering (yeah right) Harry Kane in the build up to their only goal. And I say it again. Steven Davis Southampton’s Goal Machine! Palace are the 2016 FA Cup Finalists. Now normally we want the underdogs to win the cup (especially against Man U), but this year it’s different. There are a few permutations for a European place, but to me the safest is that Man U win the cup. Let them have their little glory, and we have more chance of ours. I think AGAIN that the SSSSSS go into the game as clear, clear, clear, clear, clear favourites – Palace surely have one eye on a chance of silverware six days later so will hopefully not turn up. Even if they do, we are simply too good for them. I think go at them from the first minute and they will back away. They have nothing to play for, we have European qualification. Which we WILL get. No doubt. On to the game… Another Sunday, another Sunday win. To quote an ex-manager It’s simple as that. There is, as always with us, no reason to see anything other than a win. We sit 6th in the table* (*Monday 9th May), we are STILL on a roll; In the EUROPEAN places. We are EIGHTEEN points ahead of them and EIGHT places. Palace will not know what has hit them. Palace have loads of players missing: Cabaye, Ledley, Hangeland, Chamakh all with no return date and Zaha may be back to play us. But maybe not. We have no new injury worries and have a FULL squad to choose from. According to some sources Mane may be injured, but I think he was taken off against Spurs as he ran himself into the ground and was a little hot - that is why VVD sprayed him with water on the way out in the tunnel It seems we are fine playing Palace at home, as long as it is not in the FA Cup (ignore the 76 Cup Semi Final as that was away!). Palace have not won in a league game at St Mary’s since 2007. Pardew hasn’t won a league game against us with one of his teams since, EVER My favourite recent game against them (that I have been to) has to be in April 2012 when Sir Rickie Lambert scored 2 goals to help propel us into the Premier League: Some fan reaction to that game: And just for fun, the Cup Semi in 76: 5 game form coming in to this one (… may I add, each one a thereisonlyoneno7 Ultra Positive Thread! ): SSSSSS: SSSSSS v Newcastle – 3-1. Could/Should have been more. Stroll in the park and no danger of anything else. Great to see Jay Rod back Everton v SSSSSS – 1-1. How was that not a victory? They were on the rack all game and offered little. Aston Villa v SSSSSS – 2-4. We toyed with them. Kept getting a two goal lead, then gave the false hope. How cruel are we SSSSSS v City – 4-2. The new 3-1. Outplayed and out fought City. Mane Hatrick, and 1 million Tadic assists Spurs v SSSSSS – 1-2. Another victory against a top 4 side. Take off the 4 points we gave Leicester and add these 3 we got to Spurs and the title would have been closer and not over yet. So there we have it. Spurs didn’t win the league because of us Palace Palace v Everton 0-0 – Bore draw. Arsenal v Palace 1-1 – We didn’t let them score at the Emirates. Man U v Palace 2-0 – We won there. Hopefully the same result in the Cup final. Newcastle v Palace 1-0 – Who loses to Newcastle? Palace v Stoke 2-1 – The only team in red and white stripes they will be beating. Matchday Officials: This will need to be updated. They haven’t been announced yet - I have to do this thread early due to my holiday Tom, you’ll have to wait for your favourite pictures to go up My Prediction: 4-1 Saints. Undecided on the scorers, but definitely 4 Tadic assists. Long 2, Davis Goal Machine 2 perhaps. My lineup: Forster Martina Fonte Van Dijk Bertrand Tadic Clasie Wanyama Mane Long Davis (up front and on his own ) Austin, Jay Rod & Pelle on the bench. And WHAT a bench Have a great summer all. I’ll prepare the next thread as soon as the fixtures come out J COYR!!!!! Be HAPPY!: As it’s the super trouper duper thread: Please all Palace fans, this is the Saints POSITIVE thread. 95% true, 5% tongue-in-cheek
I thought this was a positive match thread? 4-1, 4-0, 5-0 What about a 9-0!!! How often do you score a hat-trick Steve?
Just been looking through my records that I've kept this season. After all of the progress of previous years I had an outrageously high target of 60 points for this season, and Ron and crew have only gone and achieved it with one game to go (we've been behind the cumulative target all season btw). If we get any points at all vs Palace it will be our best PL season ever (again), as it has been for 3 seasons now (including this one). We've finished 14th, 8th, 7th and realistically now 6th since rejoining the PL. I know Leicester deserve all of the plaudits they are getting, and have come form lowly league 1 just like us, but we have bettered ourselves every year for 7 years now - how many clubs can say that? And unlike Leicester we have the capacity to do the same next season! (Don't get me wrong, of course I'd rather be in their shoes!) If we do finish 6th - or even 7th and still achieve Europa League football, I don't see why we can't hold on to Mane and Wanyama (and Pelle, and Tadic - everyone in fact!), and sign another one or two players with real potential, and then there is every chance of doing still better next season. Happy days!
Palace need to have their "We're in the FA Cup Final, so let's not injure ourselves by making any challenges (rash or otherwise) before then" mentality. That should see them kick off, lose the ball to The Kenyan Man Mountain, let us score, kick off, lose the ball to Mane, let us score, kick off, etc for the first half. Obviously, we'll need to change tactics at the start of the second half, as we'll have to kick off, but once Shane gets the ball, that's another goal, then it's back to the first half procession. I can't see any problems with that, apart from an investigation from the FIFA Ethics committee, but bung a few Euros their way and they'll turn a blind eye. Oh, and we'll still be last on Match of The Day. (Still well above cloud nine after yesterday, really)
Loving the positivity. Amazing what 4 victories out of 5 can do for us As I won't be there on Sunday I want you all of you there to chant "thereisonlyoneno7" and "If you're happy and you know it clap your hands"
Astonishing really when you consider the majority of us thought this would be a consolidation/mid-table season.
That would be absolute quality - even the Chapel could join in, without joining in - if you get what I mean! Cracking thread Gromit!
"Long Mane and Pelle" sounds like instructions for an 80's hairstyle: I'll have a long mane, and put some pelle on while you're at it.
I thought something similar. Interestingly (well to me anyway) pelle is Italian for skin and is the origin of our word pelt....very apt for Graziano.
To be fair the rubbishness of the other top teams has helped a lot. If Chelsea are revived and Liverpool buy some decent players it will be hard for us to stay ahead.
Football is always played in the context of who the opposition are. It is irrelevant whether they are good, bad or indifferent - you can only be judged by your performance against theirs. If truth be told, it is more likely that 'smaller teams' are now less afraid to give it a go, rather than be like the rabbit in the headlights when the big teams roll in. As Corporal Jones would put it "They don't like it up 'em"
