Southampton away pre-match

[KrefelderFox666]

6 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Didn't work for Palace.

Or West Brom.

 

Must say, Palace looked a lot fresher yesterday but we dug in and overcame that.

 

I think we will draw on Friday but then beat Newcastle and be all but secure in Top 4. It's great to have that 4 point gap to Chelsea and 7 point gap to 5th and play first for the next 2 rounds of fixtures. Every draw from now on will be another point gained (not two lost).

 

And as I have said a few times before, we don't need to fear those last 3 games as I am sure we are more than capable of picking some points up (2-4 at least).

[UniFox21]

21 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Didn't work for Palace.

We had a moment of absolute quality from Nacho. Southampton have quality and could punish us.

[ARM1968]

I say we just batter everyone from here on. Lay down a marker and win the fuching league next season, CL too. Pep can’t do a quad, BR can. 

[Foxxed]

The confidence here makes me uncomfortable. We can win. But we’ll be in for a surprise if swagger into the game thinking we’ve already won it. Palace was difficult. I expect this to be be too.

[Ric Flair]

Just now, UniFox21 said:

We had a moment of absolute quality from Nacho. Southampton have quality and could punish us.

Of course, we can't simply dismiss teams as easy as we might like to. We are yearning for easy games, we are so close to achieving CL qualification and it's difficult to stay in the moment. Everyone is hoping these next 2 games are against teams who have little left to play for but both games will come with determination to get one over us. We've dished out humiliating wins against both, as well as ending Southamptons season at Wembley recently. 

 

However, we have to continue to be relentless we know that. Our resolve we showed last night was extraordinary and we'll do what we need to do.

[Grebfromgrebland]

Think we'll be unchanged for Friday

[ARM1968]

16 minutes ago, Foxxed said:

The confidence here makes me uncomfortable. We can win. But we’ll be in for a surprise if swagger into the game thinking we’ve already won it. Palace was difficult. I expect this to be be too.

Indeed. Over confidence can be worse than a lack of confidence. We must be focussed. 

[TrentFox]

Ricky and Perez for an hour for Thomas and Madders. Then revert. Manage those minutes, Brendan. 👍

[weller54]

11 minutes ago, TrentFox said:

Ricky and Perez for an hour for Thomas and Madders. Then revert. Manage those minutes, Brendan. 👍

Ricky. 60 minutes ok..60!..

Don't lose that number.

[CosbehFox]

Interested to see what shape Saints play. In the semi, it wasn’t a negative eleven men behind the ball in the ilk of Palace. They played a proper 442 

[CosbehFox]

1 hour ago, Spudulike said:

Sun sets at 20:26 in Southampton on Friday. Perhaps an advantage to be playing night matches. 

You’d want to be playing at 12.30 or 8pm - other kick off times make it tricky

[lgfualol]

Wouldnt be opposed to Fofana rested, but those 3 at the back have become quite the unit bar the odd hiccup. Maddison was a bit arse yesterday and Perez likes to bag vs these so in he goes. Albrighton at LWB if it works, Castagne is too dangerous on the right to move him.

 

Schmeichel

Fofana Evans Soy

Castagne Tiele Ndidi Albrighton

Perez

Nacho Vardo

[foxfan92]

2 hours ago, Gerard said:

I fast 18 hours a day and 40 hours at the weekend.

 

It has zero negative effect once the body gets used to it, human beings don't need to eat every three hours, he'll be absolutely fine.

Its the lack of any liquid in take that has the effect. 

 

As someone who's fasting as well during Ramadan (and playing 30 mins of football at the weekend), its no easy task, and clearly I can't compare that to the intensity of a Premier league game where little Wes is getting up at some time around 4 o'clock in the morning to pray and then playing a 90 min Premier league match and having to train hard with no food or water every day too.

 

I've seen him make the odd stray pass, and that's all I'm doing in the games I play at the weekend (I'm not brilliant at the best of times, but dehydration makes it harder to concentrate). I find around 7 o'clock I hit a wall, as too do other family and friends fasting. I'm sure Little Wes is in much better condition than me, so maybe he doesn't do that, but I'm certain he'll feel the effects in some way.

 

He seems to be doing a great job and luckily in last nights game it was agreed he could break his fast and got liquid in take after 35 mins, but, as we saw when he came off after 60 mins against West Brom, its going to have an effect.

 

I'm a huge fan of Little Wes, and can't see him being dropped, but not sure I totally agree that it won't have any affect. Food fasting, maybe, but no liquids all day ... thats the hard part.

[Dr The Singh]

They will want this, they will want revenge.  This is a tough tough game.

[Gerard]

2 minutes ago, foxfan92 said:

Its the lack of any liquid in take that has the effect. 

 

As someone who's fasting as well during Ramadan (and playing 30 mins of football at the weekend), its no easy task, and clearly I can't compare that to the intensity of a Premier league game where little Wes is getting up at some time around 4 o'clock in the morning to pray and then playing a 90 min Premier league match and having to train hard with no food or water every day too.

 

I've seen him make the odd stray pass, and that's all I'm doing in the games I play at the weekend (I'm not brilliant at the best of times, but dehydration makes it harder to concentrate). I find around 7 o'clock I hit a wall, as too do other family and friends fasting. I'm sure Little Wes is in much better condition than me, so maybe he doesn't do that, but I'm certain he'll feel the effects in some way.

 

He seems to be doing a great job and luckily in last nights game it was agreed he could break his fast and got liquid in take after 35 mins, but, as we saw when he came off after 60 mins against West Brom, its going to have an effect.

 

I'm a huge fan of Little Wes, and can't see him being dropped, but not sure I totally agree that it won't have any affect. Food fasting, maybe, but no liquids all day ... thats the hard part.

 

Good point about the dehydration, we can go a long time without food before feeling an adverse effect but without fluids we break down very quickly. I fast for health reasons and not religious reasons so even when fasting I still drink plenty of fluids so I hadn't considered that.

 

You might be right as well about the "odd stray pass" could be down to a bit of brain fog caused by the lack of liquids over half a day especially as he exerts himself when most people participating in Ramadan will probably be quite sedentary and taking it easy as not to feel any adverse effects.  

[MGLCFC]

I'm sure that the players are well managed in game preparation, but sometimes it is good to win a game, that you are expected to win, but have to grind out a result. I think it brings players back down to earth a bit and then hopefully the next game they are more focused and don't just expect to win. Crystal Palace was a good test of our mental strength and we came through it. Southampton will be a challenge, but I don't think they will be as physical as Palace and that should be to our advantage, hopefully. A draw would be ok, but I'm hopeful for a victory.

[Foxes96]

Perez —> Maddison

Ricardo —> Thomas
 

Building towards the cup final think the formation should stay. Fofana-Evans-Soyuncu will only get better as a partnership by playing together. 
 

Perez for Maddison to manage minutes and Maddison looked poor yesterday. 
 

I also think for the final we are most likely to want to start Ricardo and Castagne as the wingbacks. Therefore Ricardo needs minutes to re-find his form & fitness, therefore comes in for Thomas for me on the left, and Castagne has to stay on the right based on recent performances.

[bovril]

We need at least 4 points from the next 2 games. Looking at the fixtures, the teams around us should pick up points over the next two games and those last three matches still worry me...

[HybridFox]

10 is a magic number 

[David Hankey]

Another 9-0 win, now that would be great!!

[Ric Flair]

The key to this game is being aware of not getting sucked in to a god awful high line defensively like we did a number of times last night. This tends to come about when there's a real lack of cohesion between the 3 CB's and the midfield. Last night I'm not sure if it was the lack of movement from Maddison, Tielemans and Ndidi or Palace's ability to compress that and then the back 3 being quite rash with the recycling of the ball when the passes weren't on but we were vulnerable. 

 

Southampton love a fast break like that, as do West Ham who exposed us massively home and away. I hope Rodgers focuses on that as much as on what we are good at to ensure we don't gift them the initiative in the game. They are low on confidence and we ought to overpower them but it won't be easy. 

[Ross 'LCFC' Turner]

5 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

The key to this game is being aware of not getting sucked in to a god awful high line defensively like we did a number of times last night. This tends to come about when there's a real lack of cohesion between the 3 CB's and the midfield. Last night I'm not sure if it was the lack of movement from Maddison, Tielemans and Ndidi or Palace's ability to compress that and then the back 3 being quite rash with the recycling of the ball when the passes weren't on but we were vulnerable. 

 

Southampton love a fast break like that, as do West Ham who exposed us massively home and away. I hope Rodgers focuses on that as much as on what we are good at to ensure we don't gift them the initiative in the game. They are low on confidence and we ought to overpower them but it won't be easy. 

I was having a whinge about Maddison last night, he kept coming so deep for the ball it compacted everything leaving no ball through the lines for Ndidi and Tielemans. 
 

I’m not sure how fit he looked, I wonder if Perez will get a run Friday has not got 2 hattricks against Southampton? 

[foxfan92]

7 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

The key to this game is being aware of not getting sucked in to a god awful high line defensively like we did a number of times last night. This tends to come about when there's a real lack of cohesion between the 3 CB's and the midfield. Last night I'm not sure if it was the lack of movement from Maddison, Tielemans and Ndidi or Palace's ability to compress that and then the back 3 being quite rash with the recycling of the ball when the passes weren't on but we were vulnerable. 

 

Southampton love a fast break like that, as do West Ham who exposed us massively home and away. I hope Rodgers focuses on that as much as on what we are good at to ensure we don't gift them the initiative in the game. They are low on confidence and we ought to overpower them but it won't be easy. 

Exactly this. Whenever possession is turned over and I notice the oppositions front players next to our back 3 on the halfway line, my heart is in my mouth.

 

Its when our back 3 looks vulnerable because the rest of the time they look very solid.

[deanolegend1989]

Messing around with the team resting people is not the right mindset. If we needed resting people, last night was the one as Youri and Wilf in particular looked nakard.

This is a huge chance now and Southampton really are a very average team who have nothing to play for. Palace have more danger as they have Zaha and Eze who are very talented, as Southampton are very limited but hard working team who really we should be running over.

Same 11 as last night for me or only Ricardo for Thomas as a possible change. No messing around with what’s working and let the partnerships that our flourishing continue.

Youri and Wilf , Nacho and Vards and the 3 CBs. We saw what happened at West Ham when 1 cog is taken out.

 

Win this and we’re almost there. Newcastle will be tougher than Saints I think as there more rigid at the back and with Saint Maxim and Wilson they have a better Benteke up top and a similar quality winger as Eze, so it’ll be much tougher. A draw wouldn’t be a disaster I guess but it’ll put pressure on so really we need a win and the pressure will be hugely on Liverpool.

If we draw and Liverpool win at Old Trafford suddenly there 6 behind us and they have 4 easy games. We might be forced to win 2 and draw 1 of the 4 otherwise.

Win this and Liverpool fail to win at Old Trafford and we are effectively there I think.

[Ric Flair]

1 hour ago, Ross 'LCFC' Turner said:

I was having a whinge about Maddison last night, he kept coming so deep for the ball it compacted everything leaving no ball through the lines for Ndidi and Tielemans. 
 

I’m not sure how fit he looked, I wonder if Perez will get a run Friday has not got 2 hattricks against Southampton? 

Yeah I thought Maddison looked really off, not sure if he was actually in pain or just annoyed with his game but something was really missing. If he is feeling it already then start Perez and bring him on again, I thought that worked well in the semi final as Maddison came on and looked class.