Southampton again enter the PL season in “alleged” turmoil after the Media decided we were in Meltdown all summer - Ha!
The departure of Ronald Koeman was swiftly forgotten with the smooth appointment of former Nice manager Claude Puel.
The departure of Wanyama to Spurs was expected, we will miss his presence but not his Red Cards - Oriol Romeru is a natural replacement and a fans favourite
Sadio Mane was still developing and left a year too soon for his development, Liverpool must have a curse that force them to give us silly money for someone every year!
Saints have improved every season for 7 years, an extended run in the Europa League could stretch the squad. Expect to see Youth Players fill the gaps. Quality with Potential not Squad depth.
Finishing 7th will be a great achievement for Saints, as will qualification for the knock- out phase of the Europa League.
Player to watch: Shane Long
An extended run in the team last season and he was on fire. If he adds clinical finishing he will be one of the top rated strikers in the PL
Signing of the summer:Pierre-Emile Højbjerg Bayern Munich
Box to Box Midfielder finally a replacement for Morgan Schneiderlin.
Nathan Redmond (from Norwich) will get attention but Pierre seems to have real class about him in Midfield
Dubai Saints meet in the Francis Benali Stand at Barasti Beach Bar for all Televised games.
Follow us @dubaisaints on Twitter and Dubai Saints on Facebook
So now Sport 360 (The Only National Sport Newspaper down here) will edit the hell out of that and add it into a double page spread in the Rag and post it on line.
Their Senior Sports Editor is a Saints Fan so he gave us good coverage and reports last year and checked in with us for a write up wheneve we were a main televised Keys & Gray game.
I expect that will end up being 2 lines long
And of course I tried to slip a couple of quips under the radar And no they won’t be able to use the Witches Curse line that is kinda no-no down here but it will make them smirk
Hold The Press … here comes The Daily Mails article.
General preamble … yet another close season of turmoil and meltdownage at SMS, as the club embrace Brexit and ditch 4 foreigners - Pelle and Juanmi, plus African Mercenaries Wanyama and Mane. Plus loaning out Gazzanigga who seems to have to have an unfortunate name. And of course how can we not mention the departure of the Dutch money grabbing ginger pot head and his crew. Good work, 3 or 4 cloggies was it for one deal. To appease the “In” crowd they have employed a Fenchie and a Scotchie. A scotsman translating French to about 10 different nationalitys - what could possibly go wrong.
Where will they finish - 7th seems to be the acceptable Glass Ceiling, which may or may not be good enough for another Europa Qualification. But what is the point? Beer, Chips, Curry, Titty Bars and The Daily Mail are going to cost a mint over there now. A few Lads Euro trips this time around and Butlins for the kids next summer is the plan.
Which player to watch? Would like to say The Mighty Schlong, but he’a a Paddy so it will have to be England U21/23 Captain James Ward Prowse. Dodgy second part of the double barrel name, a bit froggy sounding, so we will from now on call him Jimmy Ward. Job Done.
New Signing … not much to choose from. Redmond doesn’t really live up to his name, TanMan? No it has to be new glovesman (can’t remember his name LOL… McCarthy?). Main thing to watch out for is when he gets any match time, if he can beat Steks record of No Saves all season.
Where to watch - If you can’t find a grubby old boozer back home, fly out to Dubai and watch the game with the lads from @dubaisaints. A sound bunch and if the footie is crap there’s plenty of bare female flesh on display in the bar and on the beach. Virtually everbody speaks English but D-P does meander off into Golfinese … just nod politely and zone out, it’s for the best.
Position 1st. Nailed on according to my sources at St Marys last year, who assured me in unison, several times, that we were by far the greatest team the world has ever seen. As a programmer I am duty bound to follow the logic
Player to watch JWP. This is his year. New boss that trusts youngsters. It’s what he needs.
**Signing of the season ** Redmond. Think Hjolberg will be amazing next year and very good this year too. Redmond has always been a good player, will hit the ground running and will slot straight in with our core of English players. I think he may just shade it.
**Where to watch ** We’ve ditched Murdoch TV this summer. We’re not getting it back. We shall be going to the local, Ye Old Stream.
I think JWP will tear it up this yr too. I think that srs. 2016/17 is the year of the JWP. Fat Sam will have him in England Team by end of season just to take set pieces srs.
He seems to have impressed every other team he played for apart from Ronald Koeman’s Southampton. I know it’s easy, and rather fun, to slag a manager off after he’s done the offs, but is it any coincidence that our rich seam of young players seems to have dried up under his tenure?
Big Sam often gets criticised for playing the percentages on the pitch. There’s an argument to be made that Koeman did the same with players. Established, experienced first teamers seemed to be the new way forward, with JWP not given the creative expression or confidence to play.
If that’s true, then Everton’s new owner is in for a rude awakening. Sure, he was buying a Premier League club, a good one too, and that’s not for nothing. A huge part of Everton’s culture is the development of younger players, Stones and Barkley being two examples. I’m sure he’ll play them, now, because they’re established.
I can imagine Everton feeling short-changed if we’ve got some new stars at the end of the season and they’re no further on. The new owner must have had an expectation he’d be making some moolah from this as well.
So our leader is as devoid of original ideas as his political enemies and steals someone else’s for his marketing without signing for the Image Rights licence.
No way I’m gonna update you lot on the progress of Mrs D_P’s pal in the Archery in Rio - he’d nick that as well then Adidas would sue me .
So no Sunday Sport headline about how much well miss Beavis this season from me
C’mon give me some credit, a dig at RK VW and Scousehampton AND I got Shane Long on fire into it!
^ That’s the view of all the different groups down here and if you are lazy here is what they printed
DUBAI SAINTS – SOUTHAMPTON
Prediction: Southampton again enter the season in alleged turmoil after the media decided we were in meltdown all summer – Ha! The departure of Ronald Koeman was swiftly forgotten with the smooth appointment of former Nice manager Claude Puel.
The departure of Wanyama to Spurs was expected, we will miss his presence but not his red cards – Oriol Romeru is a natural replacement and a fans favourite Sadio Mane was still developing and left a year too soon for his development. Liverpool must have a curse that force them to give us silly money for someone every year!
Saints have improved every season for seven years, but an extended run in the Europa League could stretch the squad. Expect to see youth players fill the gaps. Quality with potential not squad depth.
Finishing 7th will be a great achievement for Saints, as will qualification for the knock-out phase of the Europa League.
**Best Signing: ** Bayern Munich box-to-box midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – finally a replacement for Morgan Schneiderlin. Nathan Redmond (from Norwich) will get attention but Pierre seems to have real class about him in midfield.
Player to Watch: Shane Long – An extended run in the team last season and he was on fire. If he adds clinical finishing he will be one of the top rated strikers in the league.
And the where to go to have a riot guide (ie where all the other fan groups meet up in case you have mates heading our way they won’t pollute the Francis Benali Stand
(FWIW Mark Lomas the Online Manager is actually a huge Saints fan, we had some bantz before this went out between '76 Cup Final & Grey Shirt Day being “biggest moment”)
Southampton waited decades for a win at Old Trafford and then, like London buses, two came along in quick succession. Thank you Louis van Gaal! This year will be different, I’m sure.
Manchester United made a very positive start to their season on the south coast last Saturday, but we’re hoping that Jose Mourinho, Paul Pogba and Co. will underestimate Saints and lose focus.
Saints started very sluggishly against Watford, out midfield seemed unbalanced and ponderous and the front three seemed out of contact with the rest of the team. Many felt we were lucky to only be one down to at half time.
It seemed we were thinking more about what new manager Claude Puel wanted than playing football. The second half was very different, though, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg making a dramatic impact from the bench and Nathan Redmond snatching an equaliser.
With Redmond now playing in the Sadio Mane role, and Dusan Tadic playing more centrally, our full backs provide the width, setting us up well to hurt United on the break. The downside is we are likely to be without Jose Fonte (head still in the Euros) and Ryan Bertrand (injury).
Maya Yoshida & Matt Targett should deputise. Still, if Saints’ defensive midfield unit can keep United’s supply lines quiet then we can definitely steal another 1-0 win.
PREDICTION: Manchester United 0-1 Southampton
LIKELY SOUTHAMPTON XI: Forster ; Pied, Yoshida, Van Dijk, Targett; Davis, Romeu, Hojbjerg; Tadic, Redmond, Long
SOUTHAMPTON PLAYER TO WATCH: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Oozing class when he came on against Watford, it was easy to tell that Hojbjerg had spent the past four years at Bayer Munich. A solid and classy midfielder, he could well prove to be one of the signings of the season.
MANCHESTER UNITED PLAYER TO FEAR: Juan Mata. A surprising first scorer in the Jose Mourinho era given the Portuguese’s embarrassing substitution of him at Wembley. Mata is a dangerous player with a point to prove, whether he’s putting himself in the shop window or trying to win his coach’s trust.
**WHERE TO WATCH: **** **Barasti Beach Bar is Dubai Saints’ home pub – the Francis Benali Stand.
And no they won’t be able to use the Witches Curse line that is kinda no-no down here but it will make them smirk
