Match Day Thread Sat 15 Feb. 15.00 - Plucky Little Southampton vs. A “Big” Club from Liverpool - no, not that one!

The ones who play in blue, of course …..

After the heroics of last week getting a win and a draw against Spurs and Manchester United away, we are back at St Mary’s for a game against another of the “Big” clubs. Or so the pundits would have you believe. It’s good that both Spurs and Man U had “off days” so we were “lucky” to get the points. I hate the pundits most of the time – especially when they’re selling JWP to clubs like Everton (“A Big Club”)

Anyway, I digress …… Liverpool – city of world pop. Acts from Liverpool have had a record 56 number 1 hits, more than any other city in the world. The city of the Beatles, Gerry & the Pacemakers, Billy Fury, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Boo Radleys, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, OMD to name a few ….. but, enough of that, on to football.

Liverpool – home to 2 football clubs.
Liverpool FC – 19 League Titles, 7 FA Cups, 6 European Cups, 4 UEFA Super Cups and 1 FIFA Club World Cup. Currently sitting 2nd in the Premier League table and with an outside chance of becoming champions.

And then there’s Everton – the 2nd longest continuous surviving club in English football, ranking 3rd in all time point ranking. 9 League titles – the last of which was 35 years ago. So, despite lying 16th just 5 points away from the drop zone, this history allows them to think they are a “Big Club” who should be able to sign any saints player they would like.

Of course, we all remember Ronald Koeman, our manager between 2014 and 2016, being tempted and defecting to them claiming he had been given a “war chest”. He spent around £150 million on players before being sacked the following year with Everton in the relegation zone.

Since then, they have hired and fired 4 more managers (Big Sam, Marco Silva, Carlo Ancellotti and, remarkably, Rafa Benitez - who may have been a Liverpool plant, the way he took them down towards relegation) before settling on the “tried and trusted” manager, Frank Lampard a month ago. Frank was most successful at Derby, getting them to a Championship final, then going to Chelsea where (reportedly) he lost the confidence of the the players. So, now he brings his new team to St Mary’s off the back of his first win, a 3-0 “demolition” of Leeds (who hit the woodwork twice – if one of those had gone in, that could have markedly changed the result) and they will all be up for this game.

Everton had a fairly decent January transfer window, signing Dele Alli (better watch out for snipers at St Mary’s then!), Donny van der Beek (who, some said, was desperately needed for Man U on Saturday) and El Ghazi from Villa.

This is likely to be a tough game, not least because that cheating **** Richarlison will be playing and we know he always scores against us.

My favourite memory of Everton at St Mary’s? April 2014 (blimey was it that long ago?) when they scored 2 cracking own goals in the first half …… wasn’t able to find a decent clip of that though ….

Come on Saints! Much as I’m uncomfortable moving towards the rarified atmosphere of Fats’ match threads run, I really don’t want you to go all “Saintsy” and lose this by giving a stupid goal away …..

 

When I read the title of this thread I thought Tranmere Rovers were in the Premier league for a mo.

 

Thanks to St Osprey!

Saturday 19th February 2022. 15:00 KO. Southampton v Everton.

Referee: Andy Madley.
Assistants: Darren Cann, Wade Smith.
Fourth official: Keith Stroud.
VAR:Andre Marriner.
Assistant VAR: Derek Eaton.

 

I didn’t realise that there’s a limit to the length of the title, so I ran out of room before naming the club! Thought I’d just tease readers

 

You made me remember this result then ;(
https://www.playmakerstats.com/match.php?id=2760067

 

I remember that too. Former Saint Paul Rideout getting the Hat trick for Tranmere.

 

Not going to be tricked into opening that....I still remember pacing the house screaming and swearing

 

We still have to avenge that cup semi-final goal by the little **** Adrian Heath so I hope the lads are up for it

Then of course there is that dirty bastard Bailey who conspired to get our players sent off.

Let us hope that Ralph reminds our players of these past events that need avenging.

 

He was playing well before his injury. But does he come back in for Elyounoussi? Tough decision.

 

I don't think you can drop Mo at the moment. But Ralph has good options to choose from.

 

On the bench for me.

 

Will there ever be an Everton thread when those 2 don't get mentioned? Granted the level of dislike for them means they are impossible to forget.

 

When we play them in the FA Cup Final the thread will probably bring it up a couple of times, but when we thrash them 10-0 it will all be forgotten for ever.

 

Yeah, it's nice to have Redmond back. But, like Tino, he only makes the bench for me. Those ahead of him don't deserve to be dropped after the past week.

 

We need a few games where we win with a high score so that we improve our goal difference. A few clean sheets would help.

 

Harsh on you, I thought you’ve played okay recently

I’d have him on the bench for Long or Smallbone

 

Yeah sticks in my mind because we were on a family holiday in USA. I clearly remember reading the result & match summary at breakfast, in shock & thinking, “Saints, how the ****ing hell are you able to do this stuff”!

 

Mo El finally showing what a good footballer he really is and Perraud getting a run at LB with KWP in his more natural position are the final pieces of the jigsaw as well as Stuey being fully fit now. Maybe a new GK in the Summer but Big Fraser is in his best form for a few years now and we might have to replace Broja of course.
There is a great balance in the team but a nice fluidity also.

 

Was it Everton that we beat to keep us in the premier league? I think it was 99-2000 season.