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Saints v Reading build-up (the big one)


kwsaint

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How do you rate Leigertwood's chances? What's a Mullens/McAnuff midfield like? Thought midfield was where you bossed us last time we met.

Your defense seems pretty watertight, though it does seem to bit vulnerable to pace

 

 

Not a clue about Leigertwood. The club play team news pretty close to their chest. All we can do is take it that he is not definitely ruled out as yet.

 

Mullins and McAnuff in the middle are a long way from Karacan and Leigertwood. We have relied very heavily on the work rate from our centre midfield all season and are now having to play two players who have not played in that position all season.

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Not a clue about Leigertwood. The club play team news pretty close to their chest. All we can do is take it that he is not definitely ruled out as yet.

 

Mullins and McAnuff in the middle are a long way from Karacan and Leigertwood. We have relied very heavily on the work rate from our centre midfield all season and are now having to play two players who have not played in that position all season.

 

McAnuff's been one of your best players on the left, will he cope in the middle of the park? Especially as our cultured passing midfielder Schneiderlin is out injured for the season and he's been replaced by leg-munching Hammond!

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after playing us. reading have a tough fixture IMO

forest have really hit some lately

 

 

saying that, they will probably win easily 3-0

 

Dont see that at all I'm afraid. I would think home to Forest and Crystal Palace is as comfortable for them as it gets.....more comfortable than Peterbro and Middlebro away anyway.

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Dont see that at all I'm afraid. I would think home to Forest and Crystal Palace is as comfortable for them as it gets.....more comfortable than Peterbro and Middlebro away anyway.

 

Word. For them to fail to go up they'd have to literally fail to even draw against both us and Brum away. Can't for the life of me see them failing to beat Forest/Palace at home.

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Word. For them to fail to go up they'd have to literally fail to even draw against both us and Brum away. Can't for the life of me see them failing to beat Forest/Palace at home.

 

And Brum will be preparing their play-off first leg game.If they beat us tomorrow night they will be champions and we of course won't.

We cannot count on any other teams beating either West Ham or Reading to gift us the title or promotion, this is something we have to do for ourselves.

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I am fed up with West Ham and a few other teams calling us Lambert FC, if we win and score a few goals tomorrow I hope the goals are shared around, would be nice to see a goal from Fox, Cork, De Ridder, Fonte, Guly or Chappers. Lambert can have all the assists!

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Well finally I have my ticket 12 days after ordering, the royal mail decided it would be a good idea to post it to another house on another street.

 

Thankfully the guys were honest enough to bring it up to me earlier today. So thanks to them!

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I'm so confident that we'll win this, it's unhealthy.

 

Eerily, me too. I just have that nagging feeling that we're going to play our A game and win this handsomely. I don't want to feel like this, I should be cacking myself at the prospect of Reading making us look stupid, but for some reason I have an air of calmness rarely seen by myself before a big game.

 

That's it, I've said it now - I'm putting a fortune on Reading for the win.

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Is it just me, or does tonight feel like nPower Championship eve?

 

Cannot wait for this one. Have been sort of obsessing over it all week. We've had Reading nipping at our heels for months - we need a performance in which we firmly say "down boy!" :)

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Eerily, me too. I just have that nagging feeling that we're going to play our A game and win this handsomely. I don't want to feel like this, I should be cacking myself at the prospect of Reading making us look stupid, but for some reason I have an air of calmness rarely seen by myself before a big game.

 

That's it, I've said it now - I'm putting a fortune on Reading for the win.

 

I have been totally vaccinated against that sensation by our failure to beat Pompey.Very edgy about this game.

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I have been totally vaccinated against that sensation by our failure to beat Pompey.Very edgy about this game.

 

Derby games are always weird. Look no further than the recent Merseyside derby. Everton in form, Liverpool not - Liverpool tonk them 3-0 and still falter afterward.

 

We will be okay.

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Is it just me, or does tonight feel like nPower Championship eve?

 

Cannot wait for this one. Have been sort of obsessing over it all week. We've had Reading nipping at our heels for months - we need a performance in which we firmly say "down boy!" :)

 

It's exciting, even though it's been a short week it's bloody well dragged hasn't it? Tomorrow will be unbearable trying to work...

 

Bring.it.on

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Reading seem confident, they are on a good run of form and most of their fans remember "dicking" us at their place, which they did until Hammond got sent off.

 

They also seem to think that if they stop Lambert from scoring, they've won, but they are forgetting Lallana who didn't play at Mad Stad

As well as Adam missing Jose also went off a h/t because of a tight hamstring.

He probably got that because we has just played West Ham 4 days earlier and if I remember correctly they had some bully boys like Reid,Faye,Diop and Carew on the end of Fat-Sam's huff ball tactics. Some of our players were "black and blue" going into the Reading game. (they had a easlier home game against Derby 2-2 before they played us).

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I am fed up with West Ham and a few other teams calling us Lambert FC, if we win and score a few goals tomorrow I hope the goals are shared around, would be nice to see a goal from Fox, Cork, De Ridder, Fonte, Guly or Chappers. Lambert can have all the assists!

Some goals from midfield really are needed. Cork and Hammond 1 goal between them this season (Spiderman has 2), thats poor really for a high-scoring team. Our full backs don't score many either. Last season Jose got 6 I think, this season zero.

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Is it the time for NA to have a substitute goalie on the bench? Hunt has previous with goalkeepers and i wouldn't be surprised if their big lads targetted Kelvin at corners & free-kicks.

 

The Peter Cech incident? That would be Stephen Hunt who plays for Wolves.

 

For this occasion I would go with Bart on the bench.

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I am fed up with West Ham and a few other teams calling us Lambert FC, if we win and score a few goals tomorrow I hope the goals are shared around, would be nice to see a goal from Fox, Cork, De Ridder, Fonte, Guly or Chappers. Lambert can have all the assists!

 

A rough translation of Hammers calling us "Lambert FC" is "West Ham's strikers are ****e".

 

Long may it continue, although I believe we only needed a centre back's goals to take 4 points off Hammers this season!

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I am tempted to stick 50 pounds on Reading to soften the blow, but would prefer to lose the money!

 

If I did this it would 100% be a draw.

 

Everyone I talk to who is not a Reading or Saints fan says his has draw written all over it.

 

Reading fans are very very confident.

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I am tempted to stick 50 pounds on Reading to soften the blow, but would prefer to lose the money!

 

If I did this it would 100% be a draw.

 

Everyone I talk to who is not a Reading or Saints fan says his has draw written all over it.

 

Reading fans are very very confident.

 

Judging from their forum, they are not.

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I'm confident. More confident than I was about Monday's game. The skate game was a freak result, Palace was stupidly comfortable, and we got better and better. Reading are missing important players, and got a lucky result on Tuesday. I listened to it and Brighton battered them. We'll create opportunities, and we've got the strikers to finish them off.

 

3-1 Saints. Job done.

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I am fed up with West Ham and a few other teams calling us Lambert FC, if we win and score a few goals tomorrow I hope the goals are shared around, would be nice to see a goal from Fox, Cork, De Ridder, Fonte, Guly or Chappers. Lambert can have all the assists!

 

That's easily refuted: we've scored 76 goals in CC play, 26 of them by Lambert; which means 50 by other players. 50 goals scored would already put us in the middle of the pack for goals scored; but if you assume that we had played another striker instead of Lambert and not quite as outstanding as Lambert, that striker -- let's call him A.N. Other -- would have scored some goals too. If we assume that as many as half of Lambert's goals are due to the "Lambert effect", and that A.N. Other would only have scored 13 therefore (which is being very generous I think to the "Lambert effect"), then we would have scored 63 goals: enough to put us 5th equal (with Reading!) in CC goal scoring. Not bad at all, and not the record of a one man team!

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West Ham and Reading have easy final 3 games so its those 2 who are the favs .

 

Saints can continue to keep plugging away behined the scenes and look to winning last 3 games if the friday big clash does not work out.

 

The papers and pundits talk about Big West Ham and thier massive budget and squad of almost 2 teams, then Reading and their unbeatable winning run which wont come to an end as no one can see them get beat. Thats ok with Saints as it puts the spot light on them. West Ham have a slight chance of losing to Brighton but a draw could be enough to help Saints.

 

I went to the away Game at Reading and Saints were awful, but we got a lucky draw so why not tomorrow....the luck has been with Saints all season.

 

Saints 2 (13, 80) Reading 1 (33)

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Right I have been looking at our home record over the top 10 teams and as us and Reading are the top 2 I have gone to the top 10 below us.

 

West Ham. 1-0

Birmingham 4-1

Blackpool 2-2

Cardiff 1-1

Brighton 3-0

Middlesbough 3-0

Leicester 0-2

Hull 2-1

Derby 4-0

Burnley 2-0

 

W-7 D-2 L-1

 

The only games we have failed to get a point/s in are the ones we have failed to score in. Leicester from this list and Bristol City.

 

I do wish that this game was Saturday at 3pm as Saints have won every home game this season that has kicked off at 3pm on a Saturday. Our only 2 home defeats came on a Friday and Monday night. Both coming in consecutive home game, and the only home games we have failed to score in thus far. It also came in the the same spell that saw saints only take 4 points from a possible 12 at SMS, with the Blackpool draw and Palace win.

 

Apart from that slightly bad spell in December and January where we only won 1 in 5 home games we have a pretty impressive home record.

 

Played 16 W14 D2 L0 with the only other draws being against our rivals and somehow Ipswich!

 

So Saints score and we will at least get a point, right.

 

This is the reason we should be looking to win, take out the mid season blip, at home, and we are bang on the money!

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West Ham and Reading have easy final 3 games so its those 2 who are the favs .

 

Saints can continue to keep plugging away behined the scenes and look to winning last 3 games if the friday big clash does not work out.

 

The papers and pundits talk about Big West Ham and thier massive budget and squad of almost 2 teams, then Reading and their unbeatable winning run which wont come to an end as no one can see them get beat. Thats ok with Saints as it puts the spot light on them. West Ham have a slight chance of losing to Brighton but a draw could be enough to help Saints.

 

I went to the away Game at Reading and Saints were awful, but we got a lucky draw so why not tomorrow....the luck has been with Saints all season.

 

Saints 2 (13, 80) Reading 1 (33)

 

We have been in the top two all season, in spite of some dodgy form in December and January. Right now we're sitting at the top of the league, six points clear of third place with four games to play. Do you honestly think that this is down to luck? I don't - to be at the top at this stage of the season means that you're winning most of your games, drawing some and losing very few - and that you've been doing this throughout the season.

 

To overtake us, West Ham need to win three of their last four games - and that's assuming that we lose all four of ours. How exactly does this make them favourites? Do you think they're better placed than we are?

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We have been in the top two all season, in spite of some dodgy form in December and January. Right now we're sitting at the top of the league, six points clear of third place with four games to play. Do you honestly think that this is down to luck? I don't - to be at the top at this stage of the season means that you're winning most of your games, drawing some and losing very few - and that you've been doing this throughout the season.

 

To overtake us, West Ham need to win three of their last four games - and that's assuming that we lose all four of ours. How exactly does this make them favourites? Do you think they're better placed than we are?

 

This is quite clearly a person preparing themselves for the worse. I think we all do it at some point, if not football then in other walks of life. It is one of many ways of coping with a situation. If you stop and think and ask anyone from the outside I have asked have said they cannot see West Ham not slipping up at least once, and we will at least get 5/6 points min.

 

But I still think to myself we are going to screw this up, while at the same time thinking sod off are we. Same s last season!

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Evening chaps!

 

Looking forward to tomorrow night. I'd love a draw but both sides will be hell-bent on taking all three points.

 

Don't underestimate our midfield without Karacan and Leigertwood. Mullins you all know well, and McAnuff can handle himself and be effective going forwards from centre. Kebe on his day is by far and away the best and quickest winger in the league, and Cwyka also very useful. Good feet, very good cross. Not the sort of player you want to stick a leg in on as he'll switch feet and earn a free-kick/pen.

 

Should be a good scrap which we'll relish.

 

Most of all I just hope West Ham continue to implode at home. They're arrogance, their manager, their fans; even their owners - horrible characters!!

 

It'd be great to go up with you lot!!

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Evening chaps!

 

Looking forward to tomorrow night. I'd love a draw but both sides will be hell-bent on taking all three points.

 

Don't underestimate our midfield without Karacan and Leigertwood. Mullins you all know well, and McAnuff can handle himself and be effective going forwards from centre. Kebe on his day is by far and away the best and quickest winger in the league, and Cwyka also very useful. Good feet, very good cross. Not the sort of player you want to stick a leg in on as he'll switch feet and earn a free-kick/pen.

 

Should be a good scrap which we'll relish.

 

Most of all I just hope West Ham continue to implode at home. They're arrogance, their manager, their fans; even their owners - horrible characters!!

 

It'd be great to go up with you lot!!

 

 

Kebe is the only player in the championship that I would have in the Saints team.

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I see the outcome as being quite simple.

 

With no Leigertwood, an insipid and tackle-shy Reading midfield like against Brighton will see Southampton run out easy winners.

With a properly fit Leigertwood back in the middle it means McAnuff is where he should be, at left wing, and there's a chance Kebe will bring his "A" game. A hard-fought draw.

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Kebe is the only player in the championship that I would have in the Saints team.

 

That's quite some statement.

 

Alex Pearce is by far and away the best centre back in the league this season, but if you have better then someone should contact the Actim Index and get it amended... http://actim.pressassociation.com/

 

Adam Federici also best keeper.

 

But what do us fans know ;)

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If Readings performance at Brighton is anything to go by, this is on a plate for us. Brighton would have scored loads of they knew how to put the ball in the net. Hit the post 3 times and missed a pen. That said its on a plate for Reading if we play like we did against Pompey.

 

I've got the whole day off tomorrow as I have to make the long arduous trip from Brighton.

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That's quite some statement.

 

Alex Pearce is by far and away the best centre back in the league this season, but if you have better then someone should contact the Actim Index and get it amended... http://actim.pressassociation.com/

 

Adam Federici also best keeper.

 

But what do us fans know ;)

 

Not doubting Pearce has been excellent this season, but I wouldn't swap anyone in this league for Jos Hooiveld. I guess it's our job as fans to big up our own players.

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Not doubting Pearce has been excellent this season, but I wouldn't swap anyone in this league for Jos Hooiveld. I guess it's our job as fans to big up our own players.

 

I know we have a core of players bought by Pardew, and good players they've been too, but if we do get promoted, the signing that has taken us to the next level is clearly Jos Hooiveld. Had Dan Seaborne played all season (and don't get me wrong, I actually like him as a player), I don't think we'd be where we are. Not only has Jos been a brick sh*t house alongside the more cultured Jose, he's also weighed in with important goals, and seems to have helped with the team spirit too. A masterstroke signing by Adkins. Celtic fans don't have a clue.

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