Match Day Thread Arsenal v Southampton Tuesday 2nd February 2016 KO 19:45

Welcome to the Really, Really, Really, Really, Really, Happy Clappy, Super Positive, We beat them 4-0, And I would Walk 500 miles, Match Thread

versus


Saints make another midweek trip to The Emirates as Wenger has written to the Premier League asking that we have to travel midweek in a hope it will upset our rhythm.

Match Appointments
Referee: Lee Mason Assistants: A Halliday, M Wilkes Fourth Official: C Pawson

Arsenal currently sit 4th in the Premier league on 44 points, only 1 more number in each column than Saints' 33 points.

League Form last three games (no point just looking at one game )

Saints
Watford (home) won 2-0, but should have been 5
West Brom (home) won 3-0, but should have been 5
Man United (away) won 1-0 (AGAIN), easy performance where we managed to throttle back just enough so that Charlie boy could come of the bench and be the hero.

Arsenal
Chelski (home) lost 1-0, crazy when they are easy to beat home or away.
Stoke (away) drew 0-0, nuff said
Saints stiffs (away) drew 3-3

This form guide clearly points to a Saints win

Last Meeting of any relevance at The Emirates
Tuesday, 23rd September 2014
Arsenal 1 v 2 Southampton
The mighty Saints came from behind after a jammy Sanchez free-kick to win following a Tadic penalty and a Clyne screamer.

Possible Saints line-up:
Forster, Cedric, Fonte, Van Dijk, Bertrand, Target, Vic, Clasie, Tadic, Mane, Long
Subs:
Gazza, Yoshida, Romeu, Pelle, Davis, JWP and CHARLIE ****ING AUSTIN

Formation (there are no choices this game)
5-3-2 clearly this is the most attack minded formation available in the modern game and even surpasses my Subbuteo 6-3-1, which must now be retired to take on the Koeman genius that is 5-3-2
Arsenal may have to play 3-6-1 due to the number of 'flair' midfielders they have. Fingers crossed that Per Mertesacker is fit

Song to sing:
To the tune of The Proclaimers song "I would walk 500 miles"
I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more
To see the man who scores a goal or two, or three, or even more:
Charlie Austin (Charlie Austin)
Charlie Austin (Charlie Austin)
Dum diddle um, dah dah dum diddle um dum dum .......
(copyright, Lemons and Oranges 2016)



Fats' Forecast

Arsenal 0 Southampton 2 (Cedric it's a right back thing and Austin)

COYR

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Remember this fellas?

and this... Cedric you must be next. It is the thing of the Saints right back to do this

 

When did we sign the second Tadic? Master stroke....just as Arsenal think they've kept Tadic quiet all match, we bring the other one on as an impact sub. And are you assuming/know that Pelle is out?

 

Ooh, nice work.

I can't see a loss in this. We're on the up again. 4-0 again will do nicely...

I've never seen this formation as 5-3-2; I genuinely see 3-5-2.

Vin

 

Don't forget we played 4-4-2, at SMS, with JWP and Davis playing wide.
It certainly kept Ozil quiet, so I wouldn't be surprised if Ron went with it again, as Ozil is More than capable of utilising the space in behind Cedric, if we go with the 3-5-2.
Either way, looking forward with positivity.

 

Austin in for Long please.

 

I like it. I particularly like this:

Man United (away) won 1-0 (AGAIN), easy performance where we managed to throttle back just enough so that Charlie boy could come of the bench and be the hero.

It was a measured performance, wasn't it. Bit of a stroll, in retrospect. Coasted along until near the end and hit them with the sucker punch so they couldn't respond.

Trivia: I'm not 100% sure about this, but I understand that every match, where LVG and RK have opposed each other as managers, the away team has won.

 

Think we have to keep the same team, maybe start Austin long and tadic and bring on mane as sub?

I hope this is on sky?

 

Yeah, nearly the same for me. Arsenal are better than ManU overall, but defensively they are way suspect. If we're not going back to Pelle through choice/his injury to dominate their CBs, then Long and Mane should start so as to wear Arsenal's defence out. Then we bring on Austin, though perhaps a bit earlier in the 2nd half than last time out. Maybe 60-65 minutes. And not necessarily take off either Mane or Long immediately. I'd prefer to keep it fairly tight in the first half too, so I'd bring Tadic on in the second 45 mins to take it to them.

Bit of a shame that Sanchez is back, but I think Arsenal will still be more worried than we'll be, and that would work to our advantage too, 'cause they bottle so well.

 

Ah yes, during your 'break' there was some OTT criticism of the negative formation, hence continually referring to it as 5-3-2. Bit of a pee take really. I see it as flexible for sure.:

 

I think we will win 18-0, Austin with all 18.

My actual prediction is a cop it. Have no idea, this game could be any score. I'll go 2-1 saints. Giroud For them, mane and Austin for us.

 

Wow, up early and so positive after reading this. I'm buzzing, am going out to get a Harry styles hair cut as there is only 'one direction' this result is now going.
It used to be the 'story of my life' that we'd lose this fixture, not any more as everything is 'perfect', so perfect.

Nothing is going to 'drag me down' as I am so super positive. We've got to 'live while we're young' and 'one way or another' beat the arsenal.

Southampton, everyone else in the ground can see it,
Everyone else but you,
You light up my world like nobody else
The way you flip the ball gets me overwhelmed
But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell
You don't know, ooh, ooh
You don't know your beautiful.
(Repeat to fade)

Right, I'm overdosing on happy positivity, help, there is someone at my door with a white coat, help, get off me..............heeeeeeeeelp........come on you saints.....

 

Nope. Not on BT either.

 

Keep it the same, don't think Long deserves to be dropped. The Arse won't relish facing him. Loving Long at the moment. Introduce Austin earlier though as somone else mentioned.

Feeling really positive, team will be buzzing for this.

 

I am really looking forward to this game and excited we may pinch the points
Unless Arsenal are absolutely on their A-Game they will loose and they are so unpredictable this season (as are everyone)
I wouldn't change either our formation or players if they are all fit. What a bench?

 

The longer Austin stays on the bench, the more chances we'll miss. We didn't sign him to sit on the bench.

 

Long should start....endless energy and the ability to cause chaos. He can soften them up for others even if he doesn't score himself (and he does also score goals). I think Arsenal would be relieved if we didn't start with Mane and Long. Pace always scares. Charlie is still in the process of understanding his team mates....great as a sub.

 

Lordy, lordy. Three days away from the game and I have goose bumps (literally) reading all this positivity. I can't wait.

More seriously than my 4-0 prediction, I do suspect our defence will keep up its good work and leave Arsenal toothless. I seem to have gone back to where we were last year when I stopped flapping when the opposition attacked.

Vin

 

Completely agree. Our pace on the break will drain and potentially unnerve them.

 

He may start him, but life ain't as simple as how you put it above. He has to fit into the side and earn his place. Ron may start him but that would also be tough on Long who had been excellent for 3 games.