If we don't win this we can kiss good bye to top 4 in my opinion. Need to attack from the outset. Team I'd like: Lloris, Walker/ Naughton, Caulker, Vertonghen, Ekotto Hudd, Dembele Lennon, Holtby, Bale Defoe Would like Caulker given a start, Daws' performances have dropped a little recently in my opinion and Caulker would give us a massive aerial threat. If Naughton starts at LB again I'll literally want to kick AVB in the head, he's just not comfortable there and it's unfair to the lad as he's always getting stick and usually gets subbed! Such a waste of a sub when Ekotto should be starting anyway. Give Naughton a run at RB! We should win fairly comfortably, Southampton are safe in my opinion so I hope they won't be in the "fighting for their lives" spirit like Wigan were and seeing as we're desperate for top 4, we MUST win. 3-0 Spurs providing AVB picks my line up
spot on SOS. Think I'd opt for exactly the same line up. You know Bale won't be playing on the left though! so frustrating sometimes. We need to put him out there, jut to mix it up a bit! The defences in the last few games have sussed him. He was non existent for most of the game against city and Wigan. We have to break teams down and get goals now, so a little variety would be nice, otherwise i think we face the usual huffing and puffing, which could be too costly at this stage of the season.
Just a side note, I can assure you that Tommy Forecast has never been, and never will be close to making an appearence for us. 5 years he's been here, made the bench possibly 12-ish times, and only then as a last resort. Why did you send him to us? His contract finally expires this summer, and we can finally be shot of him Although, he has now won his 3rd promotion in a row, playing just 21 minutes of action in all 3 seasons ... and yet, he's always at the forefront of the celebrations as if he's Rickie Lambert.
Yeah exactly mate. Bale had a great spell in the middle but overall, he's a winger, and a bloody good one at that. I don't mind him coming inside in patches to shake it up if things aren't working but predominantly, we need him on the left.
Good shout. How is Dembele though? He went off vs Wigan and i've heard nothing since. We're struggling for goals when teams sit back, bringing in Caulker is a great shout, he nearly had a hat trick against, erm, milan(? Actually got none)
Good point forgot about Mousa. Not read any reports so maybe it was just a precaution taking him off? Maybe his hammy was a little tight or something... Yeah Caulker's a real threat from set pieces, not as good as Daws defensively yet but he'll only improve on that with game time.
I would have gone for Hudd, Dembele and Holtby against Wigan, but I'm not so sure against Southampton. Maybe the team we played most of the year, with Dembele and Parker, Gylfi, Lennon, Bale and Defoe? Southampton are fast and like to play football. They'll give us chances on the counter no matter who we play, and I'm worried about Huddlestone being too slow to keep up with them. I can't quite make up my mind myself. If we play Huddlestone we may get overrrun. If we play Parker, we may throw away great chances to break. As long as it's not Huddlestone and Parker, it will be an improvement.
Lambert isn't fast, but I thought Ramirez, Llallana, Schneiderlin maybe were. I'm not the expert on Saints, but I have seen them take control of midfield against a good team or three, and that's why starting Huddlestone worries me. But as I said, I can't make up my mind. Better to gamble on starting Huddlestone and being likelier to score, I guess.
Ramirez is out, so that's 1 less to worry about! Agree with not starting hudd and Parker. Hudd and holtby could work...
Lambert is of course not going to run away from anyone, Lallana and Puncheon you would probably classify as 'nippy', Schneiderlin covers a lot of ground but not at any great rate. Rodriguez is our chief pace-artist, if he can get running with the ball he is a real danger, and he has that ability to slip gears, gave Liverpool and Chelsea big problems, QPR and West Brom not so much as they sat deep and didn't give him room to get behind them or break at them. The rest of our pace comes from our full-backs in Clyne and Shaw who are both lightning, but unfortunately Shaw won't be featuring and Clyne will probably be otherwise occupied! There's also of course Mayuka who may feature off of the bench, who is as quick as they come. Unless Poche has something sly up his sleeve, best thing AVB could do is play an out-and-out 4-3-3, pack the midfield then sit Bale, Lennon and Defoe up top and pick us off on the counter. Whenever we are able to set up and then press at a team we look solid, but catch us running back towards our own goal and it can fall to pieces, so effectively the quicker the attack the more lethal.
Southampton are having a reasonably good season, have had some impressive results and carry a threat going forward, but only 15/51 points away and 34 goals conceded in those 17 games. Lost at City and Utd (narrowly, but the defence let them down again), Arsenal (1-6), Liverpool & Everton. Drew 2-2 at Chelsea. It's hard to see them getting a result at WHL
I think 433 is a good shout to be honest. We can't afford to underestimate the danger Southampton have in their locker. There's no pressure on them either, which means they can play "football". If they do, they've got players who can hurt us. - And we look vulnerable at the back. Lloris Walker Verts Caulks Benny Hudd Moussa-(if fit) Holtby Lennon Defoe Gazza If not fit, Parker, or possibly Sig, with Holtby moving central and Sig playing between Benny and Bale.
From what I've seen of Southampton they're not blessed with pace but have very good technical players - Lallana, Ramirez (though banned), Lambert, Rodriguez, Schneiderlin all have decent ability with the ball. Clyne is the only one with genuine pace I think, so speed-wise we won't have to worry IMO. Just make sure Lambert doesn't get a freekick within 30 yards of our goal, bloody lethal dead ball striker! Still amazed he's not been called up for England this season.
Anyone got an email, we can send Mikey's scouting report along to AVB? It's certainly an argument for starting Hudd. I just read Dembele's doubtful (though on the other hand Ade may be fit again!), so, so, it means Parker will start, certainly. And we already know Parker and Hudd are a bad combination. Parker and Carroll, maybe? Parker and Holtby?
