Rival Lines
Match Preview: Southampton v AFCB
Blogger interview: Georgeweah's cousin
Twitter: @crstig
I managed to have a few words with Chris at the fabulous Southampton website - George Weah's Cousin. I wondered if a Cherries fan was the last person he'd want to talk to with the Saints in big trouble, but massive credit to Chris who was more than willing to give an insight into how the Southampton fans are feeling ahead of Bournemouth's visit to St Mary's. The questions were going to be difficult for any Saints fan but sometimes you have to hit reality head on and I want to know what a Saints fan is most annoyed about from the goings on at St Mary's in 2017/18.
CC: At what point of this season did you feel Southampton might be in a bit of trouble - was there a particular game that stood out?
GC: Pretty early on it looked like Pellegrino wasn’t the right man. He cut a confused looking figure pretty much all of the time. The 4-1 defeat to Leicester at home was the one though, as unacceptable and pathetic a performance as I have seen from a Saints team for a long time, with the added insult of being carved apart by a team managed by ‘boring’ Claude Puel.
CC: Do you think the recent game against Leicester was there to be won or could you tell from early on that Southampton were not looking like a team that would win the match?
GC: Absolutely. By now Puel has instilled his turgid, creativity drained style on the poor foxes and we should have come away with 3 points, sadly our team is bereft of confidence and don’t look like they can win in any situation at the moment.
CC: What do you feel is the general view of Mark Hughes among fans? Would you give him the keys to the City if he keeps you up or were you disappointed with his appointment?
GC: Given the situation we were in, I think he was the only realistic choice. Would we have wanted him during the Summer? No, but horses for courses. Our previous two appointments were foreign experiments that failed, with so few games left someone with Premier League experience was essential. I feel sorry for Hughes, he hasn’t been given enough time to turn it around in my opinion.
CC: Who is most to blame for the Saints situation?
GC: When any club goes through such a poor period I think it is too simplistic to blame one factor, it is usually the perfect storm of many factors. Our board’s recruitment policy that used to work so well has gone to pot. Some of our players gave up far too quickly and require attitude readjustments, but the chairman and the director of football have to take the lion’s share of the blame for leaving it so late sacking Pellegrino. Getting this squad relegated is criminal to be honest, the lowest it should finish is 13th/14th, and had they sacked MP at Xmas, we would be out of danger by now.
CC: You could have a massive game against Swansea right at the end. Do you think Swansea City are the only club the Saints can now catch to stay up?
GC: They are the main target but if we don’t beat you (AFCB) on Saturday then I think that will be it. Win on Saturday the beat Swansea and we give ourselves a chance, but 2 wins on the bounce from a team that as won 1 in 21? Seems unlikely.
CC: What did you make of the Saints' performance against Chelsea in the FA Cup?
GC: Gutless. I think we had a certain gameplan that was working up until half time, but when you’ve got the keystone cops at the back, you are only ever one instant away from turning Olivier Giroud into Lionel Messi!
CC: Should Charlie Austin be selected to play up front with Shane Long rather than using him as a sub?
GC: I’m not sure they work as a pair, but Long can’t be relied upon to score. It’s an odd one. Austin is clearly our best striker, but I’d like to see him supported by Gabbiadini in the hole.
CC: What do you think the mood will be like for the match at St Marys with Bournemouth? After all, Southampton have a good record against the Cherries - is it a game you can look forward to?
GC: The mood will be the same as it has been for some time, quiet resignation to the fact we are in a terrible situation. I don’t look forward to any games at the moment, though I learnt many years ago that you should never let the 90 minutes of football ruin your day out.
CC: Have you got any injury worries for this game?
GC: Yep. Boufal – Lack of backbone, Lemina – Unnecessary stepover disease, Bertrand - Face like a slapped arse syndrome, Hoedt – Calumdavenportitus.
CC: How do you expect Southampton to line up against Bournemouth?
GC: McCarthy, Cedric, Hoedt, Yoshida, Bertrand, Romeu, Hoijbjerg, Tadic, Ward-Prowse, Long, Austin
CC: If Southampton are going to have a hero who keeps you up who will it be?
GC: Charlie Austin
CC: What will the score be for the match with Bournemouth?
GC: I’m going to be surprisingly optimistic and go for a 1-1 draw. We will probably miss a host of chances, and you will equalise late. 1 point ultimately won’t be enough.
CC: It seems that the fight might be going out of Saints fans but if they were to win against Bournemouth, I think their mood could yet change. I am so used to seeing Southampton come out on top that I would not be overly surprised if they did miraculously escape the drop even now. But the view of seeing Mark Hughes at St Marys would not inspire me with confidence if I were a Saints fan. I agree with Chris though that everything will be clearer I should think after this weekend if the Saints have a realistic shot at staying up of not. Check out more of Chris' thoughts on the Saints' season at George Weah's Cousin
Match Preview: Southampton v AFCB
Blogger interview: Georgeweah's cousin
Twitter: @crstig
CC: At what point of this season did you feel Southampton might be in a bit of trouble - was there a particular game that stood out?
GC: Pretty early on it looked like Pellegrino wasn’t the right man. He cut a confused looking figure pretty much all of the time. The 4-1 defeat to Leicester at home was the one though, as unacceptable and pathetic a performance as I have seen from a Saints team for a long time, with the added insult of being carved apart by a team managed by ‘boring’ Claude Puel.
CC: Do you think the recent game against Leicester was there to be won or could you tell from early on that Southampton were not looking like a team that would win the match?
GC: Absolutely. By now Puel has instilled his turgid, creativity drained style on the poor foxes and we should have come away with 3 points, sadly our team is bereft of confidence and don’t look like they can win in any situation at the moment.
CC: What do you feel is the general view of Mark Hughes among fans? Would you give him the keys to the City if he keeps you up or were you disappointed with his appointment?
GC: Given the situation we were in, I think he was the only realistic choice. Would we have wanted him during the Summer? No, but horses for courses. Our previous two appointments were foreign experiments that failed, with so few games left someone with Premier League experience was essential. I feel sorry for Hughes, he hasn’t been given enough time to turn it around in my opinion.
CC: Who is most to blame for the Saints situation?
GC: When any club goes through such a poor period I think it is too simplistic to blame one factor, it is usually the perfect storm of many factors. Our board’s recruitment policy that used to work so well has gone to pot. Some of our players gave up far too quickly and require attitude readjustments, but the chairman and the director of football have to take the lion’s share of the blame for leaving it so late sacking Pellegrino. Getting this squad relegated is criminal to be honest, the lowest it should finish is 13th/14th, and had they sacked MP at Xmas, we would be out of danger by now.
CC: You could have a massive game against Swansea right at the end. Do you think Swansea City are the only club the Saints can now catch to stay up?
GC: They are the main target but if we don’t beat you (AFCB) on Saturday then I think that will be it. Win on Saturday the beat Swansea and we give ourselves a chance, but 2 wins on the bounce from a team that as won 1 in 21? Seems unlikely.
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GC: Gutless. I think we had a certain gameplan that was working up until half time, but when you’ve got the keystone cops at the back, you are only ever one instant away from turning Olivier Giroud into Lionel Messi!
CC: Should Charlie Austin be selected to play up front with Shane Long rather than using him as a sub?
GC: I’m not sure they work as a pair, but Long can’t be relied upon to score. It’s an odd one. Austin is clearly our best striker, but I’d like to see him supported by Gabbiadini in the hole.
CC: What do you think the mood will be like for the match at St Marys with Bournemouth? After all, Southampton have a good record against the Cherries - is it a game you can look forward to?
GC: The mood will be the same as it has been for some time, quiet resignation to the fact we are in a terrible situation. I don’t look forward to any games at the moment, though I learnt many years ago that you should never let the 90 minutes of football ruin your day out.
CC: Have you got any injury worries for this game?
GC: Yep. Boufal – Lack of backbone, Lemina – Unnecessary stepover disease, Bertrand - Face like a slapped arse syndrome, Hoedt – Calumdavenportitus.
CC: How do you expect Southampton to line up against Bournemouth?
GC: McCarthy, Cedric, Hoedt, Yoshida, Bertrand, Romeu, Hoijbjerg, Tadic, Ward-Prowse, Long, Austin
CC: If Southampton are going to have a hero who keeps you up who will it be?
GC: Charlie Austin
CC: What will the score be for the match with Bournemouth?
GC: I’m going to be surprisingly optimistic and go for a 1-1 draw. We will probably miss a host of chances, and you will equalise late. 1 point ultimately won’t be enough.
CC: It seems that the fight might be going out of Saints fans but if they were to win against Bournemouth, I think their mood could yet change. I am so used to seeing Southampton come out on top that I would not be overly surprised if they did miraculously escape the drop even now. But the view of seeing Mark Hughes at St Marys would not inspire me with confidence if I were a Saints fan. I agree with Chris though that everything will be clearer I should think after this weekend if the Saints have a realistic shot at staying up of not. Check out more of Chris' thoughts on the Saints' season at George Weah's Cousin
T-Shirt competition
You can win a Cherry Chimes T-shirt by guessing the correct score between Southampton and Bournemouth. Tweet your guess to @CherryChimes If there is more than one person guessing the right score we will pick the winner from a hat.
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