Sod it no one else has done one, we're playing Southampton at St Mary's on Saturday at 3pm. Saints aren't catching the top three even with their games in hand and won't drop out of the play offs, they should take it easy and save themselves for the play off games against West Brom or Norwich. We look relatively solid at the moment but can see them scoring a couple e against us. We will score somehow. I'm going 2-1 to Saints.
Thanks Dom gives me a break from doing it. Interesting fixture really, like you said Southampton still can mathematically catch the top two but they would have to win all their games to stand a chance. Hopefully we can't play as poorly as we did in that nothing FA Cup replay game a few months ago. I think "another" draw would be possible, but they are not as prolific as they were earlier in the season since their unbeaten run ended. So we could sneak a win if we catch them on a bad day again I suppose. I think TC's unbeaten run might come to an end. but the belief in the side could still be strong. 1-0
How about another draw? Southampton probably aren't going to get 2nd but form their point of view a win will put pressure on others above them. Probably won't be the same game as Wednesday because Southampton tend to try and play from the back slowly and break the press.
For some reason Southampton has always been a decent ground for us Of the last 6 league games we've W2 D2 L2 and of the last 10 going back to 2006 W5 D2 L3 Although they score goals, they do concede just over a goal a game, even at home. Might have to rely on the back line again, but another Cleverley draw - 1-1
I might email Pozzo and ask,if we win will each of us receive a Mont Blanc fountain pen? I expect he'll reply...
We should lose, but who knows anymore? Hopefully Dennis will return so we might have a shot at some point before the last kick of the match, and maybe even from within their half.
Late change of plans, now free tomorrow. Anybody have x2 tickets going spare, meet in Southampton. Thanks.
Still got my quill from the 2nd leg come back vs Berko Working Mens in the 1881/2 season, seems to have run out of ink though, looking a bit tatty too these days, guess the merch was on the cheap side even then.
I'm going 1-1. We're defensively stronger (great to see Pollock doing well at last) and we seem to be "in the game" more lately. If Dennis and Bayo can get in the game I'm quietly confident....
And someone has certainly put a nice new shiny battery into Porteous in the last series of games. Apart from a dodgy intermittent connection fault in his head area leading to odd bouts of brain freeze, he is beginning (I only said beginning) to look like the regular Scottish international we snaffled from Hibs in terms of positioning, marking, tackling and desire to keep the ball out (eg. early block at WBA after Sierralta decided to do the splits!) and his passing is showing signs of a man who isn't colour blind finally!! Could he eventually turn out to be an inspired signing? Getting ahead of myself again, apologies!!
Porteous and Hoedt are slowly get back to their best like when we first signed them. Ok, maybe Hoedt has never really gotten that bad apart from a few OG's, but it seems Clevs has got Porteous playing well again. We will still need to get perhaps a left-footed CB as back up if we continue to play 3-5-2 next season, but he has turned a corner in performance and attitude.
That's a kind way to describe his recent performances in general; I doubt TDB will be much of a downgrade at this moment in time especially at WB which should suit him a tad better than RB.
It looks like we completely reshuffled the formation and player positions with Andrews out - Porteous at RB!!?! in a back 4 makes no sense and we've paid the price for such oddity and confusion instantly. Porteous fails to stop the cross out on the flank, and the two CBs leave Smallbone unmarked in the middle of the penalty box = instant goal. It's the kind of experiment Val would be proud of.
Tsitsipas and Sinner running around for three hours, maintaining a ridiculous level throughout. Footballers can't concentrate for sixty seconds. Then there's Rodri. "I'm tired". Don't sod off to Abu Dhabi or Dubai every break in the programme then.
Defended so well against Ipswich, but I guess if just one piece is taken away, it can make such a difference
