Match Day Thread Arsenal v Saints - Sat. 23 Nov - 15:00

Having had the extra week to prepare I have dug out some interesting statistics concerning this meeting.


· Arsenal have never beaten Saints in a season in which Saints have lost 9-0 at home.

· Saints have beaten Arsenal lots of times but have also lost a fair few over the years

· Saints have scored lots of goals against arsenal over the years.

· Arsenal have scored even more goals against Southampton though over the same period


Comments -


Saints are coming into this one on a rotten run but secretly we all believe that the Saints can turn it around between now and January.


The modern day problems at Southampton started at about the time Cortese left and here we are. Saints have had good times and bad times and right now I think we just need to stick together and fight back because we can.


Arsenal have had some legends play for them over the years and I am thinking Merson and Wright and their still not very happy post Wenger. But their problems are feeble in comparison to Saints and one can only think what it's like to worry about not finishing top 4.


There's no doubt RH is committed. We just need the team to start playing with conviction and purpose. We seem to fare better on our travels and were a tad unlucky at Man City.


Most pundits will not expect Saints to get anything from this game though.


But then no one expected Saints to come back so strongly from the abyss in 2009 and be a force again in the Premier League now did they in such magnificent style?

More to Follow....

 

Worth reading just to see that Le Tissier goal again.

My son is going to be with Arsenal fans at this game...was worried about celebrating if Saints scored. We've decided that he will be quite safe.

 

Dear Arsenal,

Let's face it, you're no longer the powerhouse you were. The days when the crowd asked David Beckham if he took his wife up the Arsenal are long gone. But how can you rectify this situation you find yourself in.

Might I suggest that you deliberately lose to Saints on Saturday. Then you can acknowledge something is going wrong at your club, address the issue and make up for it by thrashing all our relegation rivals. Not only that, but you'll be able to turn the corner and beat Liverpool so that your "invincible" record remains unsullied. Losing to the Saints is a small price to pay for that kind of glory.

 

We will surprise a lot of people and succumb to an unlucky 1-0 defeat.

 

Saturday 23rd November 2019
ARS v SOU 15:00 KO
Referee: Stuart Attwell.
Assistants: Richard West, Neil Davies.
Fourth official: Gavin Ward.
VAR: Andy Madley.
Assistant VAR: Eddie Smart.

 

Another tonking I fear.
3-1 saints.

 

I would be happy if we treated this game as we did the game at City, with Romeu, Armstrong and JWP/Hojbjerg in a straightforward midfield three that just filled the gaps between the CBs, let them come on to us, and force Arsenal to use the wings.
With that sort of lineup I might even be tempted to go four at the back and put Redmond and Djenepo up front for their pace on the breakaway, in support of Ings.
If we go five at the back, then the wing backs just have to get forward and make a contribution.

 

Arsenal are in a bit of a bad place at the moment with a lot of unrest amongst the fans so this could be a good opportunity to get something. Keep it tight and the crowd will be on their backs.


Knowing Saints though, we'll cough up a soft goal in the opening ten minutes and go on to lose 3-1.

 

What’s Arsenal’s heaviest home defeat?

 

Sign of the times and general feeling that nothing is going to change, not happy at expressing this but after watching the Everton game, I came away possibly like thousands of others thinking, there’s a terminal problem in the camp and it’s not just about the squad’s quality. True we desperately need real improvements but, honestly, even this range of players, we know can do better but right now are not showing any sign of that happening soon.

 

0-6 this coming Saturday.

 

"Our problems started when Cortese left"

Which problem are you referring to?

Back to back top 8 finishes or Cup final and European football?

 

The crowd at the Highbury Library don’t really get on anyone’s back. Most you’ll hear from them is a collective sigh.

 

Always makes me laugh when people say that - ignoring the fact we improved after he left

 

I would say it played a part, but so did Paul Mitchell leaving. If you look at the recruitment before and since he left then that would be where I would say the main change was and why we are **** now

 

Suggest they let us win, sack Emery as a result and appoint Pochettino.

 

dare I say I think Saints can get a draw here

 

Can't see who said it - has a post been deleted??

I think we can. I just hope people realise that in our current position that would be small miracle and there's need for (yet another) meltdown if we fall short.

 

SW London... not too far from me and @sotonsaint ?

 

Also makes me laugh when people don’t realise that the structures he put in place were always going to take a few years to dismantle. The rot *started* when he left. Well, when Markus died actually.