Saints (H) 3pm Saturday 19th April

edited April 18 in Match Threads
7:50am, 31 hours and 10 minutes before kick off, guess no one else wants to do this...

Who would want to manage Saints?

They sacked Ruben Selles after they were relegated 2022/23 - their third manager that season - and hired Russell Martin on a 3-year contract. He got them promoted and was handed a new 3-year contract in July then sacked in December and replaced Ivan Juric on an 18-month contract who was sacked after just 107 days.

Now Simon Rusk in charge, hired as U21 manager in the summer, appointed caretaker for the two games between Martin and Juric, promoted to first team coach and now caretaker again with Adam Lallana as his assistant

Rusk started out with 3-4-3 against Villa, kept a clean sheet, switched to 3-5-2 in the second half and conceded three goals

Ramsdale
Harwood=Bellis Bendarek Stephens
Walker-Peters Fernandes Ugochukwu Manning
Archer Onuachu Sulemana

A noticeable absence from the starting line up was England U19 RW/CF Tyler Dibling (7th for minutes on the pitch this season), subject of much transfer speculation, He replaced Paul Onuachu at half time who had picked up an ankle injury and faces a late fitness test

Another absence was CM/DM (and occasionally CB) Joe Aribo, (5th for minutes) but didn’t get off the bench. RB/RM/RW Yukinari Sugawara (10th for minutes for minutes) hasn't started for three but makes regular appearances off the bench

Flynn Downes (8th for minutes) has missed the last two games, suspended for collecting 10 yellow cards
«13

Comments

  • Rusk was asked about Downes at his press conference yesterday

    "Frustrating not to have been able to draw upon him last week but to have him back this week is a real positive for us."

    Sounds as if he'll be in the starting XI

    On Onuachu

    "He's back in and around it the last day or two, so it might be a bit 50-50 at this point"

    Rusk used all five subs against Villa, apart from Tyler Dibling replacing Onuachu at half time...

    CF Ross Stewart replaced Cameron Archer and CM Will Smallbone replaced LW Kamaldeen Sulemana after an hour

    Stewart joined from Sunderland for £10m in August 2023 but has only made 11 appearances with no goals and no starts due to various injuries.

    Smallbone made 50 appearances for Saints 2023/24 but only 16 this season due to injury. He scored in their 3-1 loss at Anfield last month but then missed three weeks with a hip

    RWB Yukinari Sugawara replaced Ryan Manning 82nd minute with Walker-Peters moving to LWB

    18yo CF Jay Robinson made his first team debut, replacing CM Mateus Fernandes 89th minute

    Of the others who stayed gathering splinters GK Alex McCarthy, CB Nathan Wood and RB James Bree have been fringe players with CM Joe Aribo the only one to have played regularly this season
  • Potter on Fullkrug

    "He's just been out for a long time, and it's hard to replicate 90 minutes of Premier League football. You have to build players up safely, but he's getting stronger and building."

    On the bench again

    Summerville still out

    Wan-Bissaka "needed an injection in his toe but should be OK"

    "Everyone else should be OK".

    Did you know Potter and Rusk were at Boston United June 2003 - February 2004?
  • edited April 18
    Areola
    Wan-Bissaka - Todibo - Kilman - Scarles
    Ward-Prowse - Souček - Soler
    Kudus - Paquetá
    Bowen
  • Potter on Fullkrug

    "He's just been out for a long time, and it's hard to replicate 90 minutes of Premier League football. You have to build players up safely, but he's getting stronger and building."

    On the bench again

    Summerville still out

    Wan-Bissaka "needed an injection in his toe but should be OK"

    "Everyone else should be OK".

    Did you know Potter and Rusk were at Boston United June 2003 - February 2004?

    I am hoping that Fulkrug and Summerville will turn up for next season and be the two players we had hoped we had signed this term. There are definitely two decent players in there if they can stay injury free and get a run of matches.
  • I am hoping that Fulkrug and Summerville will turn up for next season and be the two players we had hoped we had signed this term. There are definitely two decent players in there if they can stay injury free and get a run of matches.

    Sadly predictable but neither had a bad injury record before they came to us

    Summerville started 45 games last season, previously his only major injury was two months at the end of 2021/22 season before he was a first team regular at Leeds

    Fullkrug started 42, last time he was out for a prolonged period was two months in 2020 when he was at Werder Bremen
    Lukerz said:

    Areola
    Wan-Bissaka - Todibo - Kilman - Scarles
    Ward-Prowse - Souček - Soler
    Kudus - Paquetá
    Bowen

    I'm expecting exactly the same starting XI as Liverpool although I'm hoping Soucek starts instead of Soler
  • Saints forums are depressing to read

    They expect Rusk will play a low block but they don't rate us, think we'll only win 2-0, 3-0...

    They reckon JWP will finally score from a direct free kick as they have a tendency giving away fouls around the box - Bednarek and Stephens are named as particularly guilty - so he'll get plenty of opportunities
  • I am hoping that Fulkrug and Summerville will turn up for next season and be the two players we had hoped we had signed this term. There are definitely two decent players in there if they can stay injury free and get a run of matches.

    They'll be like new signings 😂🤣😂.

  • edited 12:47PM
    Areola, Coufal, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson, Ward-Prowse, Soler, Paquetá, Bowen ©, Kudus, Füllkrug
    Subs: Fabiański (GK), Cresswell, Scarles, Mavropanos, Rodríguez, Souček, Irving, Luis Guilherme, Ferguson

    AWB out with injury, Scarles benched, and....... Füllkrug starts. 4-2-3-1 by the looks of it (maybe 4-3-3).
  • Dont really see the point in starting Soler and Emerson when both look like they wont be here next season .Scarles should have started. Good game for him to get his confidence back after Liverpool .If we get a pen let Coufal take it really want him to score a goal for us
  • In the ground with coffee and hot cross bun. Happy Easter one and all. COYI
  • edited 1:18PM
    Downes in for Archer only change for Saints

    Ramsdale,
    Harwood-Bellis Bednarek Stephens,
    Walker-Peters Ugochukwu Downes Fernandes Manning
    Onuachu Sulemana
  • I am glad we are starting Fulkrug as I think it will make the difference. I am also happy enough with Emerson coming in as an experienced player to oppose Ward-Peters who I really rate, after Salah he could have knocked Scarles confidence even more.
  • PL newbie ref 😱😱😱.
  • Started slow again
  • Close, Füllkrug denied by Ramsdale.
  • This is a bit dull.
  • Not very good is it against the bottom club
  • Coufal in the book.
  • Good chance for Soton, but Walker-Peters fires across the goal just wide of the far post.
  • Southampton looking more likely to score at the moment.
  • Now they hit the bar
  • Soton close, off the woodwork.
  • edited 2:34PM
    And now they hit the bar, no question in that they have created the better chances and can feel themselves unfortunate not to be in front.

    We are struggling to get going
  • JWP with a poor effort. Should have at least hit the target there.
  • JWP gave the ball away too cheaply there, Soton win a corner.
  • Wow, 11 years since we lost Dylan Tombides.
  • Really poor cross from Kudus there.
  • Another cracking performance from these players. Kudus & Paquetá now back to usual now it’s not a top 3 side & no continuation of the second half against Liverpool as I said at the time. Get the season over.
  • Pretty uninspiring display so far.
  • That was simply bad.
    Nothing positive to say for that 1st half performance. Oh dear.
Sign In or Register to comment.