So...we go again....a quick turnaround from the Burnley game for a long trip down to St Mary’s to play 14th place Southampton. Don’t forget to get home from work quickly as it is a 6pm kick off and it’s on Sky.
I think the quick turnaround is no bad thing after a great display against Burnley. When you look at the stats it should have been a pretty even game...possession, shots etc were pretty equal...but we appeared to be a class above on the day. We were clinical, and that was great to see...let’s push on and see the ManxWhite bandwagon roll on to the end of the season and 59 points. We have every chance of finishing ahead of Arsenal and Everton, even if we don’t make 7th.
Now, it turns out I don’t know much about Southampton, or their players it seems. So, as ever, I had a look on google....at least that cleaned up my browsing history a bit...
My random fact of the day is Southampton were such a popular club in the early 1900’s a batch of their shirts were taken to Spain and that is why Athletico Bilbao and Athletico Madrid both play in red and white.
Southampton were, like Leeds, a founder member of the Premier League, and like Leeds spent a number of years since then outside it, spending a year in League 1, but bouncing back with consecutive promotions. They have been pretty much a mid table side since then, flirting a couple of times with relegation and as high as 6th in 2016. They also hold the record (jointly with Ipswich) for the worst Premier League defeat at 9-0. So, in comparison we are doing pretty well in our first year back...not that we should necessarily judge ourselves against Southampton.
Their recent form is a bit mixed, with 3-1 wins in the last two games against Fulham and Palace, losses to Liverpool and Spurs and a draw with Leicester, so not too shabby, but they have nothing to play for and I think we can handle them. We haven’t actually played at St Mary’s since 2012 when we lost 3-1 in the Championship.
Famous Saints fans include:
Pop star Craig David
Chancellor Rishi Sunak
Coldplay’s Will Chamberlain
Naturalist Chris Packham
Sprinter Iwan Thomas
Glamour model Lucy Pinder (whoever she is....)
Southampton appear to be without Smallbone, Bertrand and Bednarek. Leeds team news is that Koch and Klich will not play for us again this season and they are allowed to go early to International duty. A grand gesture from Bielsa, and I hope one we will not regret. I did wonder if there will be any reaction to the Alioski ‘incident’ but I think he will play. There seems to be a rumour about Hernandez playing, but not sure I can see that and I suspect Rodrigo will make the team instead of Tyler. I am predicting no youngsters making the starting XI again and we will go with :
Meslier
Ayling Llorente Struijk Alioski
Phillips
Rafa Dallas Harrison
Rodrigo
Bamford
The bench looks a little thin with Cooper, Roberts and Hernandez. I really think at this stage of the season he will give some of the young ones a run out if things are going well...or badly come to think of it, given how El Loco changes things if he doesn’t like them!
The weather will be cloudy with a small chance of rain, and little wind, and only a light jacket needed at 14 degrees... or more probably a beer and shirtsleeves watching it on telly. The big news where you are seems to be you can go to the pub so enjoy yourselves. The weather will suit our free flowing passing game and with the confidence from Saturday I am predicting a 1 - 3 result, with our goals from Bamford, Rafa and Rodrigo.
And I know you will be all dying for the latest instalment of ManxWhites favourite charts...so I proudly give you....Government Spending....a simple way to show where our (your!) tax money comes from and goes...(not sure where the other £200bn of expense is, but at least 50bn would be debt interest)
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Kiko is already confirmed in goal for Sunday against the Baggies and I'm guessing that the team also throughout the game, will be filled with players who will be leaving in the summer.
Even the docile Saints fans made a bit of a noise last night and it was good to hear, however it will be nothing compared to the ER roar that greets the team on Sunday!. As yet, not sure which broadcaster, if any, are planning to show the game but I guess we will know nearer the time.
Can't make an omelette without cracking some eggs.
Alioski is sadly one of those eggs, been good for us, but reached the limit. Cooper may be another.
Casilla was smelly and rotten a while ago.
In my view we really cant keep Kiko, not reliable enough, not great on crosses, think our CB's no matter which combination Marcelo uses none would take kiko over meslier.
However last night maybe good for kiko to have been show cased for the summer window.
Berra back delighted personally a real white die hard but lets call a spade a spade PL is a different level and if we are hoping to compete at European level in the not too distant future he will be exposed (leeds will be exposed) and it wont end well, fans will be on his back and for a guy that has given absolutely everything for us in the getting us up from the Championship i would hate to think his LUFC career would be tarnished.
Roberts has definitely improved and impacted games alot more since Christmas than he had prior to December 2020, but i agree with Andyl here the ceiling has been reached, time to part ways and bring in better established / quality
Would love for the wizard to get more than 15 mins at ER on Sunday i'll be cheering from home if he comes on or if he is brought off for the final time, just love the guy and i wish him every good fortune what ever he decides to do.
Duracell bunny well where do we stand? some love him, some think he is out of his depth, some would get rid in a shot, others would have him around as he has a positive effect at TA, im torn tbh, yes i think he is a good club man and will give 110% everytime but if Leeds want to back in Europe (top 6 most years) Aloski in the team will be a weakness that other teams/ managers will target. I was hoping a move to Napoli would happen for him but maybe that was all sh1T....
Sorry Bri, don’t agree with your view on some players.
Keep Casilla? No thanks. he still flaps like a flag in a hurricane and scares me silly on every cross.
Four year contract for Roberts? IMO he has reached his glass ceiling. We need better if we are to progress .
Berardi is surely not the future too.
Congrats Manx you have brought us to the finish line, next Sunday will determine if you are on the starting line for season 2 in the PL under the Bucket God.
10 away wins is some achievement for a newly promoted side and i for one did not think Bamford would have 16 goals and still one game to play. (this hat is hard to chew)
Looking forward to Sunday already i cant wait to hear the noise from ER and i certainly hope anyone lucky enough to have a ticket will actually watch the game and keep the phones in their pockets. (couldnt believe the TV pictures last night at one stage 4 Saints supporters (women) all on the bloody mobiles instead of watching the action). Imagine if you were a die hard saints fan you didnt get a ticket and you are sat in your house seeing that image, id say a cylinder head gasket would be blown.
well done Manx.
I missed the game as I was working but good away victory.
we are top of the PL form table for the last 10 games, 21 points from 30 available and also with the best defence in the league,with 5 fixtures against the big 6 in that run.
useless fact-prior to today's game we had the same amount of points as the other 2 promoted teams combined.
it bodes well for next season,hopefully a few u23's can become decent squad players,along with 2 or 3 quality signings and we should be aiming for a top 5 finish.
WOW! Well done Manx
We were dire first half but majestic in the 2nd
Kiko deserves his praise, Berra got his emotional outing and even Tyler got a goal.
Hattrick was immense, Philips and Diego got their rest for the Euros.
Hopefully Pablo gets some minutes at ER on Sunday.
If it was up to me, I would keep Kiko, give Berra a new 1 or 2 year contract and give Tyler a new 4 year deal.
End of the season stuff tonight with all the changes. Full marks to Kiko for a very professional performance.
As has been said, Cooper looked a bit rusty, but everyone else played about 7 out of 10 with a bit more for Llorente, Philips, Bamford and the mad man from Macedonia. Alioski is certainly an enigma with Jeckyl and Hyde performances. We'll miss him!
We started very slowly, it took us 20 mins to get going.
Saints more up for it and a lot of our passing went astray.
Cooper looking fairly rusty.
In truth MB took off his 2 best players at half-time.
Pascal did well in midfield and happy enough to see Bera given a run-out (he did ok). We started to dominate and became more dangerous on the break. Our front 3 started to cause them problems.
Fantastic pass from Rodrigo for Patrick's goal, who also should have had a pen. First premiership goal for Roberts secured the win.
Fairly comfy in the end, this despite both Saints valiant efforts.
Mr. Banks also tried his best to stop us but in the end he gave up aswell.
I thought we always had another gear to move into and the fitness and pressing was IMMENSE!!
I just can't see why other managers don't get their team as fit as us!?
Hattrick Bamford was unbelievable with his workrate and was constantly sprinting across the front line closing down defenders and making them pass backwards or sideways....
When you think our 2nd half defensive back 4 was:
Beradi Ayling Coops Alioski.... this defence wasn't good enough in the Championship! Bielsa is one of the only manager's who doesn't buy success.... he makes players BETTER!!
Well done Manx and now a big win needed in front of our own fans on Sunday 👍⚽
We were very poor in the first half. Slow in tackling and pressing, rubbish passing.
Far better second half. Sharper all round.
Their crowd was pants. That dirge of a slow “when the Saints” is just that.
2-0 to Leeds Paddy and Roberts
Manx rides again!!! 😎
Well done Manx
Playing like the season is over
Cooper should have come back in on Saturday for the last home game. Playing Casilla just annoys me - not a happy bunny. No reason for it at all.
Kiko in for meslier, cooper in for struijk, rodrigo in for klich,pablo on
Another great MDT ManxWhite, hope you keep it going til the end of season and see us into an 8th place finish. 3-1 to The Mighty Whites, with Raphinha, Rodrigo and Patrick on the scoresheet💙💛⚽️
Brilliant MDT manxman.
I am now collecting your graphics - they make quite a collection. I actually got lost in reading the info and forgot to post a comment first time round!!
I think we'll huff and puff tonight but end up with a point.