http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/southampton/news/pochettino-praises-great-lambert_68162.html I don't recall NA selecting individual players for praise!
Am I being cynical when I say MP is just trying to up Rickie's price? Yes, thought so. If MP does think that Rickie is a great player then he is in good company. Rickie to score on Saturday, and we go on to win 2-1. That'll be fine.
Hulk Hogan reckons we are going to draw this game, but he also thinks that Chelsea are going to beat Wigan 40 - 1! Thankfully Lawro has us down as a defeat, phew.
I hope Jack Cork's mum can sew some extra-large pockets into Jack's shorts for Satuday, cos Yaya is a big fella.
[video=youtube;SmVV6j2FtUI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmVV6j2FtUI&feature=youtu.be[/video] Luke Shaw there up and about, but doesn't show him doing anything too strenuous.
'Man City boss Roberto Mancini says Yaya & Kolo Toure are both available for the trip to #saintsfc while Vincent Kompany could also return.' ....great
I doubt they'll risk Kompany. Yaya is an issue, but let's face it, they have pretty good backup anyway.
Mayuka on OS saying he is pleased to be back. Must be very weird for him...Adkins was in charge when he left and he returns when the rest of the team have settled in with the new manager and played 3 games. Wonder if he fits in better with MP than with Adkins style.
Well obviously there are only minor differences between MP and Nigel's systems, but he's certainly got a lot of running in him so fits the pressing game, and he can be a hammer blow if we win the ball back high up the pitch, he definitely operates better with opportunities to get behind the other team rather than a long patient build-up that allows the opposition to settle into a deep defensive shape. So hopefully he can both help us press, and when we do win the ball back we can get the ball to him quicker and in a way that suits him better. Will be tough for him though, 2/3 weeks ago with Lallana out and Rodriguez not fully firing he may have had some decent opportunities, now with Adam back and Jay in his best form of the season he's probably found himself a lot further down in the pecking order than before through no fault of his own. I still like him as a counter-attacking option to release pressure when we're ahead though, but whenever a team is sitting back against us I think we have better options right now.
I must admit I'm looking forward a lot more to Mayuka under Pochettino rather than Mayuka under Adkins. Adkins barely gave him a chance, something I wasn't particularly happy about.
Full Training Gallery: http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/training-gallery-squad-prepare-for-city-645434.aspx Jose, Vegard, Clyne and Shaw all involved. No sign of Gaston anywhere.
Would be a big miss but if I had to choose one player to miss tomorrow out of Shaw, Clyne and Ramirez it would be Ramirez. Lallana should be back in the starting line up anyway so he wouldn't be as big a loss as Shaw or Clyne IMO.
