Good evening, I hope that you are enjoying a pleasant bank holiday weekend.I hope to keep the Saints' momentum going with my continuing set of match threads and hope for three points on Tuesday! Kick off: Tuesday 8th May 19:45 Location: Liberty Stadium Officials: TBC Southampton: Mark Hughes and his merry men looked certain to attain all three points at Goodison on Saturday and had the misfortune of being thwarted with a last minute equaliser. The team showed great passion and commitment and are now out of the relegation places, however the last-gasp Everton goal left Southampton players deflated. Hughes and his coaches will have to pick the players up for a game that Saints really need to win. Team news: Steven Davis is out injured, Yoshida is suspended and Lemina is doubtful. Win probability: 40 % Top scorer: Charlie Austin (7) Games since a clean sheet: 3 Games since a Saints away win: 7 Current position: 17th (woohoo!) Swansea: The Swans looked doomed earlier in the season, however the surprising appointment of Carlos Carvalhal revived their fortunes and they looked almost safe after smashing West Ham at home in early March. However, since then they have only scored two goals in eight games and have plummeted back down the table. They will be hoping their relative solidity and good home form will help them to survive. Team news: Kyle Bartley is their only absentee. Win probability: 30 % Top scorer: Jordan Ayew (11) Games since a clean sheet: 1 Games since a Swansea home win: 4 Games since an Swansea home defeat: 0 Current position: 18th Last time: 0-1 (Shane Long special!) Outlook: This game has a big impact on both sides and our Welsh friends, who have been very magnanimous on this board, will also be hoping for a good result. Southampton really need to win, however it is unclear whether The Swans will keep it tight and try to hit on the counter or go for it. Swansea play a 3-4-3 formation and Saints will be hoping that their fullbacks and creative players will be able to make overlaps in the spaces in the channel and get some joy there. It may be a good day for Long or Redmond to play. I am strangely relaxed about this game and I just hope we put in a good performance to make everyone proud. We have the momentum, so fingers crossed. Never give up hope
I have no idea how you're strangely relaxed about the game! It's all or nothing. We simply have to win. Win and we stay up bar an extreme final day. Lose and we are down bar an extreme final day. I'm nervous already
COYS I couldn't post after match comments on the Everton thread. Time now to move on. The most important game in years. We have show n the fight needed, come on saint Mark and the boys. Let's turn Sunday into a party.
19:45 Swansea City v Southampton Referee: Michael Oliver Assistants: Simon Bennett, Stuart Burt Fourth official: Andre Marriner
Austin was well off the pace against Everton. Bring Long back in, with Tad n Red on the wings. Hojbjerg and Lemina (if fit), same defence (Jack for Yosh). Hell yeah baby I can't wait for this!! I forgot how much I love the drama!!
I am surprised that you are all still so optimistic. Surely you have realised by now that this is the season that match officials have had it in for teams that play in red and white stripes. Sunderland have gone, Stoke have gone and we are next. Come Wednesday morning this thread will be full of angry comments about how **** match officials are.
Not sure if I needed this ‘drama’! Just hope Jack’s enforced absence has enabled some basic training for him on that with high balls in the box, make sure you’re keeping an eye on who’s behind you!! Could be that MH has another plan, but to have Lemina out as well is not very helpful in the circumstances. I think we may well get the draw but am less certain about a win. The crowd at the Liberty will be their 12th man fully realising the fact that Cardiff are going up, pride will take a massive knock if Swansea go down if that happens. Let’s hope we get 2 before half time and add a third in the 47th min. Dreaming beats realistic thinking!!
I don't think we'll do it, but we have a significantly better chance than we did two weeks ago. If we're drawing in injury-time and get ourselves a corner, I'm quite happy for McCarthy to be sent up. Even though it would open us up to Swansea putting the ball into an empty net and winning the match. Yes it is in theory possible that we could match (or better) what Swansea do on the last day, but I don't believe that we can put any reliance on that whatsoever. We have to treat it as win, or go down. How Swansea decide to treat it, well that is less clear.
It's a weird one that a draw would take it out of their hands but also make them far more likely to survive.
