FC Midtjylland vs Southampton FC (buildup/match/tears/recriminations)

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I probably work on too much of a rational and pragmatic (often verging on dull) basis when it comes to football. But I’m becoming increasingly concerned about tonight.

Needing to score at least 2 to avoid penalties is the main worry. Midtjylland showed that they can shut down a game (using spurious tactics if necessary) and we’re simply not firing. Playground logic dictates that on the form of our last few games, we’re not good enough to do the necessary.

Still, wouldn’t be Saints if there weren’t a few twists in the tale to come…

What if we win 1-0?

…Though that said, if we score one early, our chances improve dramatically.

As pointed out on SaintsWeb:

0-1, we advance.
0-2, we advance.
1-2, we advance.
2-2, we advance.

It won’t allow them to park up and they’ll have to come at us. Also means we can afford to go balls to the wall and throw everything at them.

Damnit, I couldn’t slip out of ‘logical mode’ for more than 10 minutes. Such a crap football fan!

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Originally posted by @Goatboy

What if we win 1-0?

I reckon they’ll score at some point. Most likely from a jammy set-piece.

Can’t believe the numpties over on stevesweb. “We have to play 6 up front” otherwise we will play hoof ball and they will eat that up type of posts.

Playing Mane Pelle Tadic & JRod up front is a recipe for disaster because they simply will not get the ball, didn’t ANYONE watch Midgetlands tactics?

They will press us, squeeze out the space to build from the back by isolating the defence & DM’s from our forward players, that leaves a gap needing a long ball OR we end up with our attackers dropping deep to pick up the ball and adding to the mess.

It was like watching my old Pub team play football - we had lines across the pitch and 10-20 yard gaps between the lines so everyone goes hoof rather than moving the ball in groups of 3 or 4 players in short 5 yard passes. We let them isolate uys at SMS and being over attacking rather than being possessive in build up will be a recipe for disaster

------------Stickleback-------

-------Caulker–Fonte-- Maya

------------- Romeu-----------

Cedric/Tadic-Read/Davis-JWP–Targett/Davis

----------------Mane/Juanmi-------

------------------Pelle----------------

Cedric is the perfect wing back in our squad BUT lacks height and has been suffering that whack to the head since last week Tadic HAS to step up to the plate and deliver, but as a wing back will he do his defensive duties? If we put JWP there who do we have left in CM to actually hold the ball and make a pass?

Targett as a wing back is the best defensive option we have but is he effective enough when he gets forwards hence my question over where Davis will play.

Mane is first choice to start but has his dead leg/ knock cleared up enough?

Oh and also in ALL this build up why hasn’t anyone asked the clearly obvious - I HOPE WE HAVE BEEN PRACTISING PENALTIES question

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So I’m sat in an airport and can’t get BT Sport on my phone so I’m going to need some updates on this thread.

But I only want to hear good news.

Line up: Stekelenburg, Martina, Fonte, Caulker, Yoshida, Targett, Romeu, S. Davis, Ward-Prowse, Pellè, Rodriguez.

I’m surprised nobody on here has launched into a full meltdown and started wildly criticising RK yet

In the sort of same boat here.

we will win this game trust

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Ten minutes until history. intiniki is completely oblivious,

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I genuinely hesitate to use the word ‘retards’ normally. But that pre-match thread on Saintsweb…Jesus Christ.

what is the furthest SFC have got in Europe ever? Are we already there?

I’ll swap ‘retards’ for ‘bellends’ actually. Utter bellends.

I think that when we beat Vitesse, that was our first European win for something like thirty something years. We are not good in Europe. No practice. I think we’ll need to be on good form tonight. I am wondering if Big Vic being out of the travelling party might not be a bad thing. Great player, but if he really is asking to leave, he is not going to be a positive influence. At the same time, little bit scared of how we cope without him.

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We got to the Quarter Finals of the European Cup Winner’s Cup in 1976-77.

UEFA Cup-wise, we’ve never got past the 2nd round (1981-82). That was obviously pre-Europa format with group stages etc.

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Come on you fucking Saints!

(Now you can’t say that on Stevesweb. Or Scunthorpe)

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Them green shirts are a problem on TV ain’t it. We’re all shorts + heads.

Ooooh! Unlucky chaps. Let’s spank these Krona wielders. These bacon enablers. These bastards.

Good effort from the fans there. OWTS nice and audible. It’s like our version of Thermopylae. The 500!