Article: Southampton v West Ham United match thread | Southampton FC, Football

St Mary's Stadium
Sunday 15th September, 4pm kick off
Live on Sky Sports

Match Officials:

Referee: Andre Marriner
Assistants: S Ledger, M Perry
4th official: Michael Oliver

Team news:

It looks like all Saints players involved in international matches came back unscathed. Which is more than can be said for Andy Carroll who couldn't even make it through a training session without getting injured. So Saints have the luxury of 2 fit quality strikers and West Ham have had to sign Petric as an emergency option due to Carroll's injury.

Form:

Saints and West Ham have got off to the same start, 4 points from 3 matches. Both teams won on the opening day, then drew, then lost. Saints drew their only home match 1-1 and West Ham drew their only away match 0-0 (at Newcastle) so this could be another low scoring game.

Saints results so far:

WBA (a) 1-0
Sunderland (h) 1-1
Norwich City (a) 0-1

West Ham results so far:

Cardiff (h): 2-0
Newcastle (a): 0-0
Stoke (h) 0-1

I reckon this will be a similar game to last season. Not a great game to watch but with Carroll absent I'm going for a 2-0 Saints win with Osvaldo getting off the mark and Lallana also scoring.

 

Yay! A match thread! My team;

----------------------boruc---------------------
Clyne-------fonte----------lovren-------shaw
----------spider----------wany---------------
--------jwp---------lamert-------lallana---
---------------osvaldo-----------------------

Bench- kelv chambers hoiveld cork gaston j-rod improve/rowe

 

I was honestly going to go, but It's on the telly so I don't have to mess around with Sunday trains. I predict same result as last season, 1 1. Only this time round I won't be sitting in the rain, I'll be in a warm pub

 

I missed this game last season, and by all accounts I didn't miss much. But I'm expecting to be entertained on Sunday. The previous season's 1-0 home win in the Championship was a tight affair, as was the 1-1 at their place the same season. The least said the better about last season at the Boleyn ground - time to avenge that defeat with a comprehensive Saints victory on Sunday. 2-0 Saints, Osvaldo and Rickie.

 

I would play

----------Boruc---------
Clyne--Maya--Lovren--Shaw
--Schneiderlin--wanyama
--Lallana--Lambert--Gaston
-----------Osvaldo

With Lambert doing a fair bit of striking too. Gaston looked more at home on the left for Uruguay, where he put in two excellent crosses, he was pressing harder than anyone and looked lively on the ball which was a stark contrast to how he looked against norwich. Perhaps he is more suited to utilising the space out on the left in the role vacated by lallana who looked very impressive against norwich and should look to come in from the right and work well with lambert.

Hopefully Osvaldo's interplay will be better than it was against norwich where it was poor. Even though he didn't really fit in he still got a couple of shots off and I expect him to pose a threat again.

If we play the above team I would anticipate a 3-1 victory. Unfortunately we will more likely play a slightly too defensive team in the first half and draw 1-1.

 

So you're literally saying you'd be better at being a football manager than Pochettino?

 

A repeat of last season, a drab 1-1

 

One of the key battles of the day potentially...

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I can't remember the last time I felt so underwhelmed on the approach to a match day at St Mary's. It is sad really, as I should be excited at the prospect of a Saints v West Ham match; I just know Fat Sam will deploy his usual dull, anti-football, away from home tactics. Shame.

 

Sky doing some prep with Adam Lallana today.

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Referee: Andre Marriner

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Can anyone tell me why I immediately got a bad feeling upon reading this?

 

I know what you mean, FLT. I'm getting a whiff of that too. Incredibly, mine might be due to Rickie's involvement in the England setup, I think, although the opponents being West Ham don't exactly light the fires of enthusiasm. Think I'll perk up when we score that first goal.

Usual pre-match press conference is tomorrow, it being a Sunday match. I'll see if the enthusiasm perks up after that.

 

Come on Saints please beat West Ham. My gf thinks West Ham will win 2-1 and that Pochettino will be sacked before December.

 

Pochettino will be sacked before December

_____________________________

Stranger things have happened at sea.

 

If I read you right, maybe you lean towards that idea too..? I think, providing there isn't an absolute disaster looming at Saints, that Pochettino will be here for the long term. He's integral to Cortese's overall strategy much more so than Adkins or Pardew ever were, in my opinion.

 

I just wonder how many poor results it would take NC to lose patience. Its not unthinkable, is it?

 

Or how many good ones judging by when the previous 2 managers have been sacked.

 

For those of us watching on the box, Ed Chamberlin will be joined by Matthew Le Tissier for this one.

 

Good no bias there then

 

I agree with TSS. If we were in danger of going down possibly otherwise no way!