please log in to view this image SOUTHAMPTON VS FULHAM St. Mary's Stadium - 17:30 kick-off Live on Sky Sports 1 from 17:00 FAMILY FUN DAY This Saturday is the club's inaugural 'Family Fun Day' - this means any ticket holder can gain access to the amusements and activities at the ground before kick-off. Activities start at 2pm. These include: funfair, ferris wheel, football drills, skill games and face painting. Match Officials: Referee - Mr Andre Marriner Assistant - Mr Mike Mullarkey Assistant - Mr Dave Bryan 4th Official - Mr James Linington THE FORMBOOK SOUTHAMPTON: LDWWWD Goals Scored: 6 Goals Conceded: 2 FULHAM: LDLLWW Goals Scored: 7 Goals Conceded: 7 LAST TIME WE MET FULHAM 1-1 SOUTHAMPTON Fulham Scorer: Berbatov (8) Southampton Scorer: Lambert (85 - penalty) FULHAM: Schwarzer; Riether, Hangeland, Senderos, Riise; Dejagah, Baird, Sidwell, Kacaniklic; Rodallega, Berbatov. Used Subs: Ruiz (47), Frei (67) and Karagounis (78). SOUTHAMPTON: K. Davis; Clyne, Fonte, Yoshida, Shaw; Cork, Schneiderlin; Puncheon, S. Davis, Gastón; Lambert. Used Subs: Rodriguez (78) and Do Prado (90). STATS: Possession: Fulham 51%-49% Southampton Shots: Fulham 10-7 Southampton Corners: Fulham 3-5 Southampton Odds: SOUTHAMPTON WIN - 6/10 DRAW - 3/1 FULHAM WIN - 9/2 (sourced from William Hill) Score: please log in to view this image Goalscorers: please log in to view this image please log in to view this image NO GOALS - 10/1 Stat: If Saints can remain unbeaten against Fulham, it will signal six games since their last Premier League defeat. Mauricio set a record of six consecutive Premier League games unbeaten last season between March 9th and April 27th, will he equal his own record? DTLW
Shaw has announced he is fit...it's that rare! Feel edgy about this game...why, because we ought to get a result and are at home. I won't mention the Sky factor as we seem to have escaped that hoodoo. However, hoping for a nice 2.0 or 3.1.
Me too Fran. It's that thing about games that we should/are expected to win. I think it's probably a hangover similar to the "oh this is Saints, we're bound to concede in the 89th minute" that hopefully we're over. It's ingrained in me over many years though and will take more than a handy start to the season to get over......
Our odds to win are 1.62 on Betfair. Now that means that our implied probability of winning is 1/1.62, which is the golden ratio. Thus a win would be aesthetically pleasing as well as totally deserved. Vin
This is a game that we should win but recent history would point to a draw. The footballing world will be looking at this match in line with "Saints are at the next level debate" so for me this is a must win game at 3-1 Saints
Not really, as he's only going to be on the pitch for 5 minutes if at all. I agree with Rednright though, a convincing win is an important marker. I don't care who scores, although I'd like not to have to rely on a defender!
This is a Fonte game....though I hope it's a winner rather than an equaliser. Important part of the season...unexpectedly high league position (but in a strange season with other results)...now we have to consolidate. We have already lost a few points against teams that you might expect us to do well against (typical for Saints), so mustn't lose any at home to a middling side like Fulham. I suspect they will not come at us and will try to weather the initial storm, so if a Saints player could score early I'd be very grateful.
Hoping for a comfortable victory but fulham is no gimme. We have a few very winnable games over the next couple of months though and seen today that we may be back in for astori. Will be a very interesting january if we are still top 6 come xmas.
Fulham should suit our style of play...they like to get the ball down and pass. They have a hardworking midfield who, no doubt, will try to press us just as we do to them. Think we'll have too much quality across our midfield for them and can see a relatively comfortable 2-0 win.
My team; Boruc, Clyne, Fonte, Lovren, Shaw, Schneiderlin, Wanyama, Lallana, Davis, Lambert, Osvaldo Bench: Davis, Chambers, Hoiveld, J-Rod, Gaston, Isgrove, Guly? Prediction- 2-0 or 3-1 COYR!
Would like to see one of Isgrove,rowe, Sinclair or Lee on the bench so they can get in behind the defence for the last 20 minutes. JRod has speed but does not attack the full back. Ricki and Osvaldo should be coming onto pullbacks
The 4th official is local and, I'm reasonably confident, a Saints fan. That's all the insight I've got. Jose Fonte hat trick 250/1.
