[Archived] Southampton 3 - 2 Rovers

[percy]

de Pedro scores the winner from the penalty spot in the 93rd minute when Dickov is machine gunned down by Niemi - leaving the referee little choice but to consult his linesman before awarding a "dubious" penalty. No pressure de.

We still wouldn't get the penalty. There'd be more chance of Dickov getting booked for time wasting or diving as he lies dying on the floor, full of bullet holes.

Feeling strangely optimistic, I'll go for a 2 - 0 win, with Ferguson and Dickov grabbing the goals. End to end stuff with both keepers putting in good performances, but the quality of Yorke / Bazza / Tugay shining through (and maybe even an Emerton dribble and cross from the byline for good measure!).

Saints certainly don't seem to have a happy camp at the moment, so let's hope we can add to the misery. I'm praying Beattie won't have recovered in time (or will have been transferred), leaving just Phillips to carry the threat for them upfront. For all of Omerod's hard work and Crouch's height, I don't think they'll pose too much of a threat if we win the battle in midfield.

[Philly Rover ®]

Based on lessons learned from last Saturday, here is the lineup we should put out:

              Friedel

   Neill   Short   Matteo   Gray

Thompson   Ferguson   Tugay   Gresko

           Stead   Yorke

Though I think we'll probably wind up seeing something like this:

              Friedel

     Emerton      Amoruso

              Matteo    Fitzgerald

                     Gresko

                        McEveley

                     Gray

                        Wilcox

                  de Pedro

              Stead

In all seriousness, I do think Rovers will win on Saturday--mainly due to the fact that I think Southampton are absolute crap. Sturrock seems out of his depth at this level, and I've picked Saints to go down this year... so I think that Rovers can and will take all three points this weekend. It won't be Rovers winning the match as much as it will be Soton losing it.

1-0 to the Rovers, Dickov to bungle one across after he comes on as a second half substitute.

[Blackpool_Rover]

Southampton 2 - 3 Rovers

Ormerod, Philips , Yorkex2, De Pedro

.........................Friedel......................

...... ......Amoruso......Short.....Matteo

Emerton............................................Gray

............ ..Tugay................Ferguson

...........................Yorke.....................

...............Stead...............Dickov.............

Subs...enckleman, Jansen, Thompson, gresko, neill

They wont know whats hit em! If it fails and after 10 mins ormerod and philips are tearing us apart, go to plan B, 4-4-2

Edited August 16, 2004 by Blackpool_Rover

[ihateburnley]

How can a Southampton fan not have heard of their long-term transfer target Javier De Pedro? And since when did Tugay score a free kick against them?

2-1 Rovers. Stead to score early. Phillips to equilise. Dickov to net the winner.

Hey lay off the guy - he's doing us a favour in giving honest opinions about our players!!! He didn't have to reply, all credit to him.

I think he was slightly mistaken about the Tugay goal - I think someone laid it off to him and he bent it in. Still came from a freekick I suppose.

And to be fair, I hadn't heard of De Pedro either.

[bazza]

Pete, you've come up with a brilliant way of describing the four divisions of football in the English League........LEVELS!

Let's all refer to them as "levels" from now on.

Has anyone noticed in the new match programme that our brilliant league championship wins of 1912 and 1914 (Level 1)are classed on a par with runners up 2000-01 (Level 2)???!!

Also in that match programme I've discovered that Darren Bent has scored for us against WBA. Has he ever PLAYED for us?

Back on subject, we'll be lucky to scrape a draw with the Saints. 2-2

[krislu]

If we can manage to play every player in their natural position:

Soton 1 Rovers 2

Yorke (17)

Phillips (44)

Amoruso (82)

[Drakefyre]

Blackpool_Rover, how can dePedro score when he's not even in your team?

I'm going for 2-1 Rovers.

[92er]

i thought it was very interesting to read the Southampton supporter.

[ABBEY]

ROVER6 YOU WAGED MUTINY FOR STIRRUP AND NOW YOU HAVE A POP AT HIM FOR HIS NICK OF "DIRECT" CHRIST WHAT DID YOU WANT FOR US?

prediction.......i predict on saturday a drunken day in a bar for me in los chistionosh or however its spelt,with mrs abs ranting at my statew of drunkeness as stead scoes 3,york 2 and dickov a 2nd 1/2 hat trick!!!!

[ABBEY]

Blackpool_Rover, how can dePedro score when he's not even in your team?

I'm going for 2-1 Rovers.

classic quote!!!

[Blackpool_Rover]

Blackpool_Rover, how can dePedro score when he's not even in your team?

I'm going for 2-1 Rovers.

Ok de pedro on the bench in place of

EVERY CREDIT!

I thought my team picked itself quite easily!!!

ok de pedro on the bench in place of gresko! He can come on if we have to rvert to 4-4-2 and he will score a last minute free kick from 25 yards

[ABBEY]

Blackpool_Rover, how can dePedro score when he's not even in your team?

I'm going for 2-1 Rovers.

Ok de pedro on the bench in place of

EVERY CREDIT!

I thought my team picked itself quite easily!!!

ok de pedro on the bench in place of gresko! He can come on if we have to rvert to 4-4-2 and he will score a last minute free kick from 25 yards

CLASSIC RESPONSE!!!!

beats all this ne=gativity hands down....bedtime im mashed

[samtheozzy]

I doubt we'll play an away game this season that we'll have a better chance of winning. If we can't get a point out of this one i'm joining the anti-souness brigade.

Southampton 0-2 Rovers

Ferguson

Yorke

[mode_m]

Yorke and Ferguson both need to be reserected after being away last season (well pretty much anyway). I think Stead will need to show that he is still the wonderboy of last year if he wants to keep his place as starting striker for the whole season and not get replaced.

On that note I think all 3 will have a good game and Rovers will win 1 - 0 with a goal from Yorke.

[colin]

Match posponed due to waterlogged pitch.

[The Harwood Yankee]

Based on lessons learned from last Saturday, here is the lineup we should put out:

              Friedel

   Neill   Short   Matteo   Gray

Thompson   Ferguson   Tugay   Gresko

           Stead   Yorke

Though I think we'll probably wind up seeing something like this:

              Friedel

     Emerton      Amoruso

              Matteo    Fitzgerald

                     Gresko

                        McEveley

                     Gray

                        Wilcox

                  de Pedro

              Stead

Is the Souness formation supposed to look like a question mark? That would be apt - its getting beyond a joke how clueless he is with his starting line-ups.

I'd go for:

Friedel

Neill Amo Short Grey

Thommo Tugay Ferguson

Yorke

Stead Dickov

encouraging Micky Grey to push up the left flank where possible.

Failing that, switch Thommo to the left and bring Gally on. But dont let dePedro the Donkey or Emerton anywhere near the pitch after Saturday's displays.

[BMan]

1-0 Rovers

Yorke at the death

[bob fleming]

Though I think we'll probably wind up seeing something like this:

              Friedel

     Emerton      Amoruso

              Matteo    Fitzgerald

                     Gresko

                        McEveley

                     Gray

                        Wilcox

                  de Pedro

              Stead

Brilliant! We've had "The Christmas Tree" now, thanks to Philly Rover and The Harwood Yankee (above) we've got "The Question Mark" formation

Although I'd be more tempted to try this: -

              Friedel

     Emerton      Amoruso

                       Matteo    

                        Gresko

                           McEveley

                           Gray

                        Wilcox

                  de Pedro

              Stead



             Dickov

It's a lot of work for Emerton to cover the right hand side but I reckon he's up to it.

[des]

I think that rovers will win 2-1 and as for stead being rated, his goals kept us up last and who set up the winner on saterday, yes its stead

[Nuclearsox]

The question mark formation is definitely worth a try. With one touch passing up the left wing we can quickly and easily move the ball from front to back. Then a cross-field ball should find Emerton unmarked with just the keeper to beat. He can then take his take his time, pick his spot and lay it back to Short.

EDIT: Just noticed Short has not been included in the Question Mark formation! Souey Out!!

As for the game itself.

So'ton 1 v 1 Rovers.

Edited August 17, 2004 by Nuclearsox

[Blue and White]

I know it's only the second game of the season, but surely this is a must win. There is a very good chance we might not get anything from our following 3 games, so we'll be starting the season bottom of the table and in an uphill climb already. But hopefully we'll get the win now and get some confidence.

Saints 0-2 Rovers (Yorke, Stead)

[Jordan]

Nice one Pete, i also agree with your scoreline 1-0 Rovers and couldn't care less who scores!!

Driving down to Sothampton on Friday night and staying in the travel lodge is anyone else going down then?

[RevidgeBlue]

Anyone know a pub that's showing the game?

It's just that SKY have put the Prem plus package up by 100% to pubs to a whopping £1400 and a lot aren't willing to pay it.

Similar story at the Woodlands on Preston New Rd. They're considering not getting it for the first time, they said it was £2,000.

As for the game itself Southampton seem pretty ordinary under Sturrock so in optimistic mode we might just be able to sneak a 1-0 win.

Which would keep everyone happy whilst at the same time maintaining my 100% prediction record.

[Radagast]

Don't worry - we'll definitely win this one. Southampton are in a bit of turmoil with rumours of dressing room unrest (that's the players in the room, not the room itself) and the fans aren't keen on Luggy's (the Plymouth fans nickname for Sturrock, don't ask me why) 'direct' tactics.

And they lost pathetically against Villa.

Souness will bring Tugay in, Matteo will drop to centre half and Gresko will be binned in favour of Emerton.

Cause he's got big flippin' ears! He's actually had the nickname for about 30 years up here. I thought you were his biggest fan?

Anyway, with some tough games coming up, this is a game we really have to be looking to win. Hopefully the formation will be sorted out (you should have seen the look on my face trying to puzzle out how Gray, Gresko and De Pedro were goin to fit into the team on Saturday ) and we can get past a Saints team left shaky by all the internal turmoil going on down there just now.

Where's Tim Southampton Rover when you need him?

[benhben]

What about the 4-1-3-2 formation, it works pretty well for alot of International teams!

Friedel

Neil Matteo Amoruso Gray

Tugay

Emerton Ferguson Thompson

Stead Yorke

Hmm could go either way this one as were pretty similar to the Saints, but I think we have a slight edge on quality, and Souness must have a better idea of what works and doesnt after West Brom so im going for a 0-1 to Rovers!