Crystal Palace v Southampton Match Thread

Friday 26th December
Kick off: 3pm
Referee: Mike Dean. Assistants: J Brooks, H Lennard. 4th Official: L Collins
Location: Selhurst Park

please log in to view this image

Crystal Palace vs Saints

please log in to view this image

Standings
------------------ P W D L GF GA GD Pts
5 Southampton 17 9 2 6 28 13 +15 29
17 Crystal Palace 17 3 6 8 19 27 -8 15

Form
Southampton: LLLLLW
Crystal Palace: WDLDDL

Southampton 3 Everton 0 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTlHSEqYZbw

Recent Meetings
Premier League 08-03-2014 Crystal Palace 0 : 1 Southampton (Rodriguez) - http://www.101greatgoals.com/gvideos/crystal-palace-0-southampton-1-motd/
Premier League 28-09-2013 Southampton 2 (Osvaldo, Lambert) : 0 Crystal Palace - http://www.footballorgin.com/2013/09/premier-league-2013-2014-watch-online_28.html
Championship 09-04-2012 Crystal Palace 0 : 2 Southampton (Lambert 2) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koaGKLj7p1k
Championship 26-12-2011 Southampton 2 (Guly 2) : 0 Crystal Palace - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL3nGgL8Iw4
League Cup 25-10-2011 Crystal Palace 2 : 0 Southampton

Team News
Southampton
Out: Cork, Rodriguez
Doubtful: Tadic, Hesketh, Gallagher
Suspended: Fonte

Possible line up:
-------------------Forster-------------------
------Gardos------Alderweireld---Yoshida
----------------------Schneiderlin-----------------------------
-Clyne----Ward-Prowse------Davis---Bertrand
----------------Pelle---------Mane----------------


Crystal Palace
Out: Chamakh

Possible line up:
-----------Speroni-------------
-Mariappa-Dann-Delaney-Ward--
-----McArthur-Jedinak-Ledley----------
-Puncheon--------------------Bolassie--
-----------Campbell------------

- Saints looked good last time out. They will have more confidence after ending the losing run. There are better options from the bench, with players returning from injuries and suspension. I'm predicting a Saints win.

Prediction: 0-2

 

Have to say the system we played Saturday really suited us, we seemed to look like scoring again after a pretty barren last 6 games. Gardos for Fonte would be my only change, maybe rest Clyne so he is not suspended for Chelsea (though dropping him for old club would be hard), and give McCarthy his debut as he gave Pelle some lovely service preseason.
Another thing to consider is the shocking condition of the palace pitch,esp down the wings. hate to sound horrible but its maybe better for Targett and McCarthy to run the risk of a twisted ankle rather than risking Clyne and Bertrand

 

Bertrand can't play against his parent club Chelsea. I bet you're reading that last sentence, going oh f**k it, I forgot..!

I think Targett will do just fine at LB against Chelsea. I'd like to see Clyney on the other side, so I'd play McCarthy against Palace, if I was going to do any resting. Mind you, for different reasons, Bolassie and Puncheon are very dangerous wide players, as we know, particularly with Jason, so any of our FBs would have to be at the top of their games.

 

Koeman will play his best available side as this game is winnable. Why rest Clyne to avoid a possible suspension and then lose both games? Three points are three points.

 

Hang on- is reed a CDM? Thought he was more advanced. I'm in favour of;
------------Forster -----------
Clyne----alder-----yoshi--target
---wany------Schneider----Davis
Long-------pelle ------jwp

Bench- mane, tadic, gape, seagar, reed...

 

Is there any chance we will keep with the same line up in midfield to give Wanyama, Morgan and Tadic more a rest for the Chelsea and Arsenal game?

 

Absolutely Fran. The only factor he may consider is a game on the 26th and then one on the 28th. For example he may think Vic isn't up to that and play Reed against Palace and Vic against Chelsea of vice versa, or he may rotate the pace players.

 

If we have no Fonte then I would like either or both Morgan and Wanyama in there for leadership/experience etc. Of course I like Reed a lot, but just as one good game can give him a lot of confidence, one bad one could severely damage it. Not sure if I trust Gardos enough yet to play alongside Reed. One or the other.

 

Schneiderlin will be desperate to play...did you see how he struck the ground when he got the yellow at Burnley. He was devastated to miss the Everton game.

 

Koaman's prematch conference is this afternoon according to Sky.

 

Did you mean at Sheff Utd?

 

Which game are we most likely to win, Chelsea or Palace?. Surely Palace. In which case I don't think we should be resting anyone. We should go in with whatever Koeman considers to be our strongest line-up at the moment.

Personally, I would bring Morgan back and play Toby in Fonte's position. Leave the rest well alone with a couple of decent game changers on the bench in Tadic and Wanyama.

Palace are a decent side coming forward, a lot of pace and some very tricky players. It won't be easy and we are kidding ourselves if we think we can have the luxury of resting anyone.

 

Wanyama or Morgan in for Fonte as part of the back 3? Barca style

 

Yes...I must have wiped that from my head. Like it never happened.

 

If everyone is back and fit, you would think we would revert back to the 4-3-3 we've been playing to incorporate everyone. If so, my team would be:

Forster, Clyne, Yoshida, Alderweireld, Bertrand, Wanyama, Schneiderlin, Davis, Tadic, Long, Pelle.

Bench: Davis, Ward-Prowse, Gardos, Reed, Mane, Targett, Gape.

 

I know Reed performed well on Saturday but I'd still drop him back to the bench for the Palace game as I feel that the combination of Morgan and Victor offers a bit more going forward.

I reckon we'll see something like this ...

Pellè
Tadić - Davis - Ward-Prowse
Wanyama - Schneiderlin
Betrand - Yoshida - Alderweireld - Clyne
Forster​

SUBS: Davis - Gardos - Targett - Reed - McQueen - Long - Mané

 

At the beginning of the season I thought JWP might struggle to get starts, but he will be very important to us aa no one else seems able to deliver from a deadball situation. We've missed him.

 

It's Crystal Palace v Southampton not the other way round.

 

Couple of points Lff:

1. Not as simple as just playing Toby in Fontr's position and leaving well alone, as we played 3 CB v Everton, not Toby in midfield. So, there's a formation change.

2. Tadic on the bench, but you say play strongest team?

 

Edited