OK so my head has just about recovered from celebrating yet another win and we move on to Stoke away. A few selection decisions for MP if Davis and Osvaldo are fit. Does he stick with Saturday's starting 11 or change things around. Stoke are playing better football this season but struggling to score goals. Still a very physical side though so questions for me about starting with JWP. Think I'd go with Boruc Clyne Fonte Lovren Shaw Morgan Victor Davis Rickie Adam Dani Subs KD Chambers Maya Cork Gaston JWP Jrod Thoughts?
Bring on Stoke indeed, I am looking forward to it - as I have a ticket! I'd go with... Boruc; Clyne, Fonte, Lovren, Shaw; Wanyama, Schneiderlin; Rodriguez, Lambert, Lallana; Osvaldo. OR Boruc; Clyne, Fonte, Lovren, Shaw; Wanyama, Schneiderlin; Ward-Prowse, Lallana, Rodriguez; Lambert.
The weeks gap will be good for the team to recover...I bet JRod smarts this morning. I think we should stick with the same team apart from perhaps Davis back in for JWP. Osvaldo is awaiting full assessment, but is said not to be badly hurt after a training ground injury....not sure whether to put him straight back in...we looked pretty good against Fulham. Shame we don't have a cup game this week, but at least we will be in the draw for the next round
The back 7 pick themselves, I think through circumstance we stumbled on our current best front 4 on Saturday and would be loathed to change it. Also I could understand bringing on Guly on Saturday as we were playing keep ball. If we had been chasing the game Lee's energy would have been useful, whom I think would naturally buy into the defending from the front philosophy.
I'm sure Lee will get a run out in the cup game as he is scoring for the u21s. Another player that I thought we would never see again at Saints.
Yeh, I'd play the same team, Jay has earned his start with that performance. He's great in those first few minutes when we fly out the blocks, forgot how quick he was. Can see us winning this 2-0 again. We're probably the most confident team in the league at the moment. Its a strange feeling, I keep having to check myself, but we are looking so good its giving everyone confidence.
For just one moment let's imagine we take 6 points from Stoke and Hull, would make the trip to the Emirates pretty interesting!
Stoke will play ugly and try and smash and grab. But we can still beat them. 2-1 for me keep the team the same maybe davis in for JWP. Although it could be a dirty game with lots of set pieces..... hmmm decisions! 6pts from both would be sensational but IS possible. I can see some matches rearranged for sky as we continue to muscle in on the top 6! Our time is now. COYR!
I've just posted a comment on another thread that refers to a Guardian article making him man of the match. I confess to a little northern bias, but I thought from day one that he could be special. He is learning fast, but what he brings naturally is pace, something we've been missing. At Anfield this season it was obvious that the Liverpool defenders were terrified of him after that display last March. Watching him being interviewed he is clearly gaining in confidence, and when the history of the next ten years gets to be written he will figure as a "top, top player" to almost quote a well known retired manager. He also seems like a sensible lad, and is the only person of his generation that I know who says "chuffed". So enjoy the smugness!
I hope so, because I'm going to that game. But.......I'm in the Arsenal end, right up in the clouds with the mother in law!! She mainly goes as an inherited hobby from the guy she re-married (who used to support Saints...I know) but he's away on business, so lucky me. Been once before, when we were hammered last year, and its just families. Might even get away with a stiffled Yeeeesssss. That is when we score of course, which we will
The question mark over Rodriguez is his consistency. For a short period last spring he looked incredible but when he's off the boil, as he appeared to be at the start of the season, he can look pretty useless. He almost seems to be the key to our attacking game. When he had his purple patch last spring we looked very, very good going forward and we looked good against Fulham but when he's not playing well we can be fairly toothless.
And Arsenal has some pretty hard games coming in a very short period Imagine we played them just after the United game, they would have been exausted! However, our game comes on 23. November, just after the break, i presume. That's a shame.
As they said on TV, Arsenal have some tough games, including a difficult one against Southampton. A real 6 pointer!!
He can appear useless but he certainly isn't. As I've argued elsewhere, he's our Welbeck. Even when he's not contributing significantly in an attacking sense, he still works hard for the team and offers a lot that doesn't show up in the highlights. That's why I think he'll be a fixture in the team whether or not he's perceived to be playing well.
