please log in to view this image V please log in to view this image Team News: Saints: Adam Lallana may start after being rested on the bench for Saturday's win at Leyton Orient , but may keep his place there because of the brilliant performances since his return of Ryan Dickson. Dale Stephens is 50/50 but this game will most likely be too early for him , similarly Alex Chamberlain who's injury will be assessed this week and will return in a couple of weeks. Rochdale: Keith Hill has no injury worries ahead of this game , with a full squad to choose from after his first team all came through Saturday's game at Colchester. Form(last 8 games): Rochdale: LWDWWWWL (Last game = 1-0 defeat , Colchester (A) ) Saints: WWWDWWWW (Last game = 2-0 win , Leyton Orient (A) ) Expected Saints line-up: -----------------Davis-------------- --Butterfield--Fonte--Jaidi---Harding-- ---------Hammond---Chaplow--------- ----<-Guly-->--------<--Dickson-->--- -----------Lambert---Barnard--------- Subs: Bart , Seaborne, Martin , Gobern , Lallana , Forte , Connolly. Prediction: 1-1 draw. Sorry for the negativity , but despite Rochdale's slip up at the weekend , they are brilliant at home and have beaten/drawn with the best teams in the League at Spotland. They'll go 6th win a victory and with the surface in their favor , we may struggle. I'd take a draw but a win would be a fantastic bonus. COYS
I'd take a draw but I reckon Rochdale will be well up for this one and prove too much for us, especially down the flanks if we line up in a diamond again. Hopefully our fans can make a racket again and spur the lads on. Sorry for the negativity, but I'm plumping for a 2-0 loss. Prove me wrong Saints, please. COYS
Will be interesting to see how Saints cope with the test. We haven't been tested properly for a long time (no disrespect to any other teams we've played), but as has been stated many times already, this certainly is the type of game we'd normally lose. Difficult to say how it'll pan out, Saints could turn in a performance like we did at Oldham, or it could be like Tranmere in mid-January. You just don't know with Saints (and that's why we love them)!
Rochdale are 1 of the teams of the season in this league for me. Having been at the very bottom division of the football league since 1974 and last season being their 1st promotion, they have done extremely well. my prediction 1-1 my hope, an early saints goal, rochdale push forward, we score again on the break. reverse what happened at st marys COYS
It will be a very tough game as they are in excellent form but we are also in excellent form so I think we can grab all 3 points. Also, we have a good record against teams who are good at home. Prediction: Rochdale 1-2 Saints
Nice thread Lambden.. I expect Lallana might get a start tho..... (I hope anyway) KingslandSFC Predictions .... 2 - 0 Saints Lambert & Hammond
Tough one to predict. 'Dale are strong at home but we are full of surprises and it could be anything from 2-0 to 'Dale to 0-4 to us. We need to play out best side so if Lallana is fit he should start. I'm hoping for a win but won't be too disappointed with a draw. COYS
I think it is going to be a very open game. Both teams are very confident and at a guess it Will be the one with the coolest players that will win the day. My heart says Saints will win it but me brain ain't in sync with me heart. So over all I think a draw is about all we can expect at the least.......
Let's all just hope for a Saints win. I don't want to predict. I haven't been predicting lately and we have been beaten.
Looking at the table, 15 points guarantees us promotion (assuming Huddersfield wouldn't have 15 goals on us in that time). It's also reasonably likely that they'll drop some points, they have a pretty tough run-in including Brighton, MK Dons and Charlton away. Being optimistic, I'll say that 4 wins from our last 7 and we should be home and dry. If we could get one of those here it'd be a massive boost, but I'll take a draw.
Where is Singing, the Master Pundit when you need him? . Well, I think that we are on a roll and I am going to stick my neck out and say 3-1 Saints.
This game is vital for us to win , if we do so , then we can afford to 'budget' and drop points at Brighton (although we obviously wont be planning to!). This , IMO , is one of if not the toughest game we have remaining and a point would be a positive result setting-up a win on Saturday v Brizzle Rovers and the pressure on Huddersfield who have two away games at Charlton and MK Dons now. COYS.
Rochdale aren't particularly strong at home ! They are 10th in the division for home results. They are 4th strongest in the division away from home. They've beaten Hudd, been thrashed by MK Dons and drawn with Bournemouth and Brighton at Spotland and Saints are 3rd strongest away in the division. I can see an away win as revenge for the game at St Mary's but am going to edge for a 1-1 draw due to the Spotland surface not being at the quality Saints need to pass it around. Also, if I went for a win and we failed to get one I'd be disappointed, whilst going for a draw and winning will make me happy.
I see it like you really,4 wins and we'd be promoted,looking at it all our home games should be won and that means we'd need to win one from 4 away games so i'm quietly optimistic that 2nd is ours but we all know saints so i write this with a lot of trepidation.
