Just had a quick look at a Southampton Message Board

[10Jackson 0]

They are all convinced that they will beat us and they are you much better team with better footballers!

In my opinion they do have some very good footballers and so do we! They said Bassong is no Samba! But he has manage to keep some attackers quiet such as RVP and Hernandez to name a few! But we also have snodgrass who is an awesome footballer and Pilkington is good and amazing at some points, Russell Martin to name another

I was just thinking what everyone else thought who has the better footballers and who you think will win with what score line!

[chicken 0]

They have quite a bit of ability going forward but sod all in defending.

The odds on this being a 0-0 must be pretty good.

If we can keep their attacks to a minimum and go up the other end and create I can see us getting some joy. The only problem is that they are pretty fast on the counter attack so we may be a bit more measured.

Having said that I would like to see Kamara given an extended run against them, I think his pace and trickery will help.

[star_manic 0]

guess who will tip them to win on Gillette Soccer Saturday on SSN. clue:- they are the only club he played for.

[RvWs 4 year contract 0]

Ask those jumped up little upstarts whos above who in the league?! When you''ve done that, ask them about how many they beat us by at Saint Mary''s this season...If they''re that much better then surely we would have been battered at their indentikit, plastic, souless shell of a football stadium..[;)]

[Phyxius 0]

Was Wiz on there agreeing with them?

[TIL 1010 5,246]

[quote user="Phyxius"]Was Wiz on there agreeing with them?[/quote]

I was just about to let SJ10 know that i hope he understands that Wiz is the ''voice ''of  Norwich fans on other clubs websites. [;)]

[BroadstairsR 2,273]

I would be more concerned if Adkins was still their manager. I think this new fella has got a lot to learn, and not just the language. He will likely prove to be out of his depth in a Premiership relegation struggle when the chips are down. Apparently they were awful against QPR last week-end when nobody turned up, including Lambert. 

Saturday could realise this as we have become a hard team to beat (and I hope Tettey is back.). Saints are playing some decent stuff on occasions but I feel that there is a lot of momentum from where they had got to at the time Adkins was sacked.

 

I considered the sacking suicidal at the time and, with only one win under wot''s his name, this might well be the case.

 

I expect us to win, but just a draw won''t do us any real harm. They have some decent players and are very capable when attacking. We, however, have become a tough nut to crack. 

[ncfcstar 342]

[quote user="BroadstairsR"]

I would be more concerned if Adkins was still their manager. I think this new fella has got a lot to learn, and not just the language. He will likely prove to be out of his depth in a Premiership relegation struggle when the chips are down. Apparently they were awful against QPR last week-end when nobody turned up, including Lambert. 

[/quote]The stats and reports I''ve read say different and that QPR were extremely lucky to win, So''ton had something like 67% possession and more shots on target etc.  This isn''t going to be easy, but we should have enough about us to beat them at home.

[Branston Pickle 4,144]

Yes Saints have some decent players, but so does every side at this level - you do have to wonder why they are where they are in the league if they are so good.

Imo it''ll probably be a close game, as most are in the PL, but I don''t see why we wouldn''t be favourites to win as we are at home where we have only been beaten 3 times; a draw wouldn''t be the end of the world for us, either.

[First Wizard 0]

[quote user="Phyxius"]Was Wiz on there agreeing with them?[/quote]

 

I haven''t joined their site yet...............but its a thought.

[Yellowbeagle 0]

I wouldnt swap many of our like for like players for theirs, yes they have looked good going forwards this year but then so did we last season with alot of the same players attacking wise as we have now aswell as doing better in this league last year than Southampton are this. This season Hughton has tried to focus on the defending and thats taken away from our attacking threat and yet we are still getting more results than Southampton and thats with awful away form.

[Bill 1,788]

until then

 

"Under hughton, I cannot see us winning a game."

 

http://services.pinkun.com/forums/pinkun/cs/forums/1/2799897/ShowPost.aspx#2799897

 

which also includes yet another doomed view of us from Highland ''canary?''

 

"I think the quality of Southampton, Reading, Wigan and ourselves pretty similar - perm 3 from 4 for relegation. Problem is Southampton and Reading have money which will help buy themselves out of trouble. So Wigan, Norwich and one of the other two for the drop.

 

Don''t agree that Villa, Swansea or QPR will be scrapping round come April. "

 

 

[Mister Chops 7]

I can''t believe that fans on a club''s message board think their club will beat another club in a league match.  What kind of messed up sh*t is that?  I''m sticking to the Pink Un.  Houghton Out, Howson Out, Hughton Out, Delia Out, Cody Mark II Out, Fry Out, we''re going down and won''t get another point this calendar year.

[I am a Banana 0]

[quote user="chicken"]The odds on this being a 0-0 must be pretty good.[/quote]

 

We still have Hughton in charge, we have had more 0-0s than anyone else this season I think. Hoots will settle for a 0-0.

[Yorkshire Canary 118]

They need to win we do not. The Everton resultbreally removed the pressure we should be able to express ourselves at home win some and lose some

[Yellowfuture 71]

[quote user="Mister Chops"]I can''t believe that fans on a club''s message board think their club will beat another club in a league match.  What kind of messed up sh*t is that?  I''m sticking to the Pink Un.  Houghton Out, Howson Out, Hughton Out, Delia Out, Cody Mark II Out, Fry Out, we''re going down and won''t get another point this calendar year.

[/quote]

Perhaps negative posters on the Southampton Board are hounded off or even banned, nothing like that would happen here,

[Bill 1,788]

you''re right

 

unless you have evidence to the contrary

 

otherwise I expect the Southampton board will soon feature posts about Delia, how we are a smaller club etc

 

opposition boards usually do

 

 

[Yellowfuture 71]

It''s reassuring to know that you feel the same.

[Bill 1,788]

maybe because I have never seen anyone being banned or hounded off for being negative

 

 

[smooth 114]

It is a huge game and it is one of the Ames both teams would have earmarked.

It is a good opportunity to meet an evenly skilled team (recently promoted teams) and take three points off them and get a massive three points to your tally.

I am glad they are talking like that, it is going to be a game that goes at 100 mph. A draw or win for us is ideal. A loss and they begin to pull us in.

But Hughton is talking the right way about our form and I am sure we will have a different formation to. Recent games and that may confuse the planning by Soton to handle us.

We are a genuine threat from set pieces and I really hope we can handle the pressure. This is the type of game our players should want, a game against opposition near us, who with a win we can push nearer to one of those relegation places.

Becchio could have a cracking game on Saturday.

[First Wizard 0]

Rather than this game being ''must win'' I think its more a ''must not lose'' fixture.

[Zak Van Burger 0]

[quote user="Wiz"]Rather than this game being ''must win'' I think its more a ''must not lose'' fixture.[/quote]An interesting statement Wiz, how does this fit in with your views on Chris Hughtons negativity and cowardice, shouldn''t he be going all out for the win like Lambert would have done, why is a draw acceptable at home to Southampton but not away to say Fulham?

[nutty nigel 7,902]

[quote user="Wiz"]Rather than this game being ''must win'' I think its more a ''must not lose'' fixture.[/quote]

 

I think you''re right. I think for clubs like us a lot of games in this premier league are more must not lose than must win. I think we should and will try to win the game. But if we''re only drawing after 70 mins how much of a gamble, if any, should we make to open the game up in search of a winner?

 

 

[Nicko 0]

I think the squads are fairly evenly matched. Their best player is Rickie Lambert. All these nonsense about Ramirez, Lallana, Rodriguez etc - they are overrated. Lambert can and probably will punish us and perhaps even Puncheon can. But they seem to be quite weak at the back (apart from Shaw) so this is where we can punish them.

We will win this game or draw it. I can''t see Southampton coming to Carrow Road and turning us over.

[First Wizard 0]

[quote user="Zak Burger"][quote user="Wiz"]Rather than this game being ''must win'' I think its more a ''must not lose'' fixture.[/quote]

An interesting statement Wiz, how does this fit in with your views on Chris Hughtons negativity and cowardice, shouldn''t he be going all out for the win like Lambert would have done, why is a draw acceptable at home to Southampton but not away to say Fulham?
[/quote]

 

Imo Zak, there were games when Hughton ''bottled it'' and didn''t go all out for a win, this game isn''t one of them, so it fits well with my previous comments.

[Yelloow Since 72 56]

That this match isn''t a ''must win'' for City means that there will also be less pressure. The more Saints push forward, the more they could leave themselves vulnerable at the back. I think that it''ll be tight in the first half, then CH has the option of Kei and Benno to add pace as players tire. I think it could be a cracking game.

[zemas tendon 0]

I say Unleash Kei on there defence in the 89minute!!

[star_manic 0]

[quote user="Wiz"]

[quote user="Phyxius"]Was Wiz on there agreeing with them?[/quote]

 

I haven''t joined their site yet...............but its a thought.

[/quote]we are willing to give you a free transfer Wiz.

[It's Character Forming 1,204]

I''d say this is one of those "A win would be nice, a draw is OK, and defeat is a bad result but not the end of the world" games.

[Tumbleweed 106]

Defeat would be bad, let''s not deny that. Although we are 8 ponts clear we must not get sucked into  a downward spiral  and lose momentum at this critical time. 3 other teams will get more than 32 points and if we fail to get point(s) on Sat one has to wonder where we will get any from. So this is a must not lose game for me. We have a better defence (just) they have a better attack. In my view, our problem is that their attack is better than our attack by a bigger margin than our defence being better than their defence. So I think the game will be settled on small margins and refereeing decisions could swing it, sadly. My money is on a draw, probably 2-2 but like many of our matches could go any way.