Match Day Thread Saints v AFC Bournemouth 5:30pm Saturday 1st April

After an interminable gap of eight weeks (!) since our last home game, the mighty Saints face AFC Bournemouth on April Fools Day at 5:30pm.

In the gap since our last home match, we've played at Wembley, won two out of the three away games and drew 3-3 in the EFL cup with Man U (who were mysteriously awarded the cup anyway).


Saints recent form in the league: WLLWWL
Cherries recent form in the league: LLLDWW

Saints are 10th in the Premier League, Bournemouth are 11th, level on points, though Saints have two games in hand.

Depending on other results, either side could end the weekend anywhere from 9th to 15th (though some odd results might be needed!)

Plenty of Saints players have been away on international duty, with varying degrees of participation and success.

Players injured and believed to be unavailable (even if back in training):

Jeremy Pied (who?)
Matt Targett
Virgil van Dijk
Charlie Austin
Matt McCarthy {EDIT: Whoops! I mean Alex McCarthy. Matt McCarthy was the bloke I liftshared with twenty years ago}
Manolo Gabbiadini

Referee: Jonathan Moss
Assistants: E Smart, A Halliday
Fourth official: P Tierney

Bournemouth come to us out of a run of good form that started with a draw away against Manchester United followed by home wins against Swansea and West Ham (featuring a hat-trick from Josh King).

Saints come into the match reasonably level and playing well with the boost that after the EFL Cup final, the overcrowding of our schedule has well and truly finished.

The link below links to a page with highlights featuring Jay's wonder strike in the return fixture earlier in the season when we won 3-1 at Dean Court:



COYR!

 

Am I pleased to see this or what?! International breaks seem to go on forever. I predict 3-1 Saints, mainly due to the fact we are playing at home. Bournemouth have been better recently but still haven't won away this year! Goals from Redmond, Yoshida and Rodriguez

 

Good stuff Vin!

Wish Gabbiadini was available, but we are good enough without him - he has given us confidence up front we were missing. 3-1, Long, Redmond, Long again. Jack Stephens own goal.

COYR!

 

Good stuff Vin. Can't wait for Matt McCarthy to make his return from injury. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_McCarthy_(comedian)

 

Always one smart Alex!

 

Can't wait for this, never seen us play Bournemouth before and late ko should mean it's a great atmosphere.

I predict goals. 4-2 Saints

 

What's so wrong with 4-0 then.?

 

We've conceded a lot of goals since Virgils injury and Bournemouth are an attacking side who score a fair few goals.

The fact they will attack will play into our hands and I think we will win but don't expect us to keep a clean sheet.

 

Our defence

 

Whoops!

I shared a lift with Matt McCarthy (definitely not the comedian, last heard of my one was a Catholic priest) twenty years ago - why that name popped out of my long-term memory is a mystery.

This one's mine:

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Vin

 

Could he ask for a win for us, please.

 

Scouser.

Him, not you.

Vin

 

They owe us a favour. Oh, they did....in the semi-final.

 

Fair enough, but I think you're being too unbiased.

 

Wooo a match thread can't go but would have like to. 3-1 Saints. Because 3-1

 

Hmn. Can we have one of our strikers back please? No? Oh well, guess we'll have to try and keep a clean sheet then.

1-0 Saints. JWP from the edge of the box. Absolute pearler.

 

This is the kind of a match you'd like to think we'd take three point. We're in a good form, playing good football, but still there's a lingering doubt about our attack (doubts about our defence we're already used to D) and how it will function without Manolo. Hopefully we'll stick with the same formation and I wouldn't mind giving Jay a chance to play as a central striker in this formation. It think it will be more of a possession based match so Long's impact would be limited, and Jay might just prove to be dangerous with Tadić behind him and Redmond and JWP on the flanks.

 

Do we have any news on how long Manolo is out for? (Sorry in advance if posted elsewhere).

 

Seeing as the club are being really quiet I'm assuming it's worse than feared

Long to start on Saturday, should get some space to work in.

Whats latest on Austin actually.

 

Vin