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Newcastle @ Home is always the easiest game of the season. 5-0.
My stripey bowl will this Saturday contain Spoon Sized Shreaded Wheat in place of the offending porridge that led to our defeat at Leicester.
Spoon Sized Shreaded Wheat 4 - Newcastle 0.
I feel bad now for only saying 3-1.
I’m changing my prediction to 6-0
I just looked at the table and if Newcastle lose this game they have all but had it.
BIG pressure!!
Bring it on…
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Word. This will be a tough battle IMO. Ppl who are saying we’re gonna win 6 (six!) - 0 are living in Clown Cuckoo Land IMO
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I am bringing my Geordie mate again, and as the pre-match beers party all know, we have lost every game he has been to before. Therefore I can confidently predict a defeat, though I will be quids in at Betfair.
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Changed your tune in 33 minutes. You shit beginner; Baz is laughing at you.
Coming up for this one with the middlest offspring. Hoping to show him a win for once at St Marys.
Very few tickets left even a few weeks back but we managed to get two together in the Kingsland / Northam corner, so he can shout and sing and swear 
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Did I just hear it right on the radio that Redknapp has got the Chelsea job?
It sounded like they were describing him.
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Yeah my wife misheard it on the lunchtime news…she said Conte was going to Stoke…not sure which would be more bizarre.
Our Ron will be with us shortly, Press Conferencing…
Press conference round up.
Team news
RK is asked about the team news, and whether Long will be fit for this fixture. RK first responds with some bad news about Steven Davis, who won’t be playing after picking up an injury at the Leicester game. Shane Long will be available for selection this weekend. Davis will be out for 2-3 weeks, might be available next weekend.
Steven Davis is described by journo as a key player. RK agrees on the basis that Davis is always getting regular starts. We have very good replacements for his position.
Jay Rod and Austin are also available for selection. Both trying to get into the first team.
Europe, and whether we can reach it
RK says “Of course, but it starts with winning games”, even more important this close to the end of the season. Wasn’t a great result for us last week, but the teams around us didn’t have the best time either. Saturday’s game is a “big step” to making that happen.
Can we realistically beat our record haul of 60 points from last season?
Will be difficult, but that’s the Premier League this season. Last year, there were more predictable results than this season. RK reckons less points than 60 is enough for European football.
Handballs at Leicester : would RK like some clarification?
RK says yes, because he doesn’t know what handball is anymore. Maybe he’ll get an update at next season’s managers’ meeting concerning the application of the rule. There is no consistency in handballs. Says the ENG vs NED penalty was the same as ours. He is 100% sure that Simpson handballed.
Journo suggests that a video ref may help. RK agrees, but reckons “linesmans” (top!) have a role to play too. Said the 2nd decision at Leicester was difficult for the referee, but perfect position for the linesman. They need to help the referee.
Is Fraser Forster the best GK in the Premier League at the moment?
RK says he’s “one of the best”. Journo says that some big clubs are interested in him at the moment. Will Fraser still be a Southampton player next season? RK says we get interest in other players too. Happens when they do well and improve. Big teams are always going to be interested.
How is Tadic feeling about life on the bench and life down here generally?
RK says it’s difficult for every player that doesn’t start regularly. Referred to the press article that spawned this question and said he spoke to Dusan, who was surprised. RK says that if one of the players has a prob, they speak to the manager. Said they kept speaking during his winter absence from the first team and that there is no problem at the moment. We’ll see what happens next season.
Asked about our decent record against Newcastle. We’ve scored more goals against Newcastle than any other team? How do we account for this?
RK says he doesn’t know, these things can be overturned quickly, and that Newcastle are in the midst of a relegation scrap. “These teams need points and that makes every team dangerous”.
Journo asks about Benitez, says he’s been in CL before and that his position must be difficult with only a few games to sort it all out. RK says he came in knowing the situation, and it’s always difficult for a manager to turn things around in a couple of weeks. You need time to develop, and Newcastle don’t have it to spare.
What kind of game is RK expecting?
RK replies that when we play at home, we like to dominate the game, play offensive football and normally the other teams tries to stop us and counter. Specifically about Newcastle, says they have good individual qualities in the team. That makes them dangerous.
Can Newcastle stay up?
RK doesn’t know. Every team is fighting for its life. Six points not an easy gap to make up because others will win their games. They need wins, but that’s the situation for them. RK isn’t worried about situation at Newcastle; he worries about our situation instead (pap’s note: don’t think he was worried worried).
About competition at Saints?
We’ve got more players not starting, better quality of bench, but it isn’t a problem. Dusan is one of the people that speak to him. The answer is always on the pitch, and not outside.
Do players have a natural dip later on if they come storming out of the first season blocks?
RK says PL is a tough season, you get ups and downs in your footballing career generally, but also, we’ve now just got more competition. Jay is back, Charlie is fit, Shane has developed fantastically this season, and that makes it difficult for everybody. Mané, Austin and Pelle have all been benched this year. Part of football. Says most PL teams have got good players on the bench.
Is the Newcastle job a risk to Benitez’ reputation?
RK says he doesn’t know. Difficult to have an opinion. Says Benitez had the talks and got the feeling with Newcastle. Says if Benitez feels he can keep the team in the league, great opportunity. Newcastle are a big and important club. Doesn’t know why they are where they are. Third year in a row that they’ve been struggling. Says it’s difficult to conclude anything from the outside of the football club.
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Cheers Pap. Haven’t had a chance to watch it yet.
Excellent news that Shlong returns! 
Shite news that Steven Davis is out.
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It’s nowhere near Batman quality on TSW, but what do you expect?
Sotonians. Free, innit? 
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That must be the first time I’ve seen TSW’s “Batman” and the word “quality” linked together in a sentence. 
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So are ye taking responsibility, Fatso?
Does this become the official match thread? What do you feel in your bones?
These matches worry me. It has banana skin written all over it. Should win but with Saints, who knows?
3-0.
The concern is that Benitez will have them better organised. We’ve benefited from them being in very poor form when we’ve played them.