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Saints V Manchester United The Wembley Preview
Saturday, 25th Feb 2017 09:00

It is not often I get to write a preview for a Saints game of this magnitude, so I am going to savour it.

The build up to this game has not seemed like a cup final, initially after winning the game up at Anfield to secure our first trip to Wembley for a major cup final in 38 years it was strange, a big chunk of our supporters seemed bemused that suddenly the manager had gone from being clueless to suddenly on the verge of becoming one of the best managers the club has had in terms of actually winning things.

Since then things have settled down a bit, but there is that feeling that many have not quite grasped the magnitude of just how big this occasion is in the history of Southampton Football Club.

It is a rare chance to play a game of football where at the end of it we can lift a major trophy, in 132 years of our history this has only happened on 5 previous occasions (OK 6 if you include the 1902 FA Cup Final replay).

Saints of course start as underdogs, but this is nothing new, certainly in our previous finals that has been the case, in 1900 & 1902 we were the first non league club to play in a final and then in the modern era our 3 finals were all against just about the team of the moent at that time.

So on Sunday it will not so much be about skill levels but the will and desire to win, if we have that then this game might go down in our history.

But there are decisions to be made by Claude Puel, especially in the back four, the two full backs pick themselves and assuming that Virgil Van Dijk has not made a miraculous recovery then in the centre it will be a tough choice on who partners Yoshida, will it be Jack Stephens or will Martin Caceres make his club debut in a cup final.

Now I of course havent had the advantage of seeing Caceres in training, only Puel and his staff know his fitness level, but I am going to stcik my neck out here and say that if he is fit he should play.

That is hard on Jack Stephens, but the reality is that we need to win this game.

It will not be an easy decision though, on one hand you have the loyal club servant on the other someone who might only be here for a matter of months.

But we need class and experience and I feel that should edge it for Caceres.

In the centre of midfield Romeu and Davis are shoe ins, it is a question of who to play in the third role, does Puel try and take the game to United and play James Ward Prowse or does he go for the more defensive Jojbjerg, again a tough decision.

For me the front three pick themselves Tadic, Gabbiadini and Redmond, harsh on Shane Long but I feel that he has a big part to play in this final, just not from the start.

So my line up would be

Forster

Soares, Yoshida, Caceres, Bertrand

Davis, Romeu, Ward Prowse

Redmond, Gabbiadini, Tadic

Subs. Hassan (gk) Stephens, McQueeen, Long, Hojbjerg, Rodriguez, Boufal or Sims

That in essence is a squad that is going for it and there is good reason for that.

That reason is that we know where our weaknesses are, we also know where United's lay, we have to attack them and rely on the fact that the likes of Yoshida, Romeu, Davis, JWP and Caceres can pull out all the stops and play the game of their lives.

With big performances we can take on United and make this one of the best games of our history, indeed the second best only behind 1976, however we are not favourites and can only do so if these key players can step up to the plate and play at the level we know they are capable of, some on a more consistent level than others.

So the hour of destiny has almost arrived, whatever happens lets enjoy it and f we lose show how to do so with dignity, this has been a troubled season for Saints in many ways, but it has been far from the disastrous one some would have you believe, as I said earlier on we have had few chances for glory in our history, but this is one of them, the time for evaluating this season will be at the end of it.

Photo: Action Images



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perazi added 10:09 - Feb 25
Surely Boufal must play a part if fit. If Ward-Prowse partners Davis in midfield we will be punished by Pogba, Mata and co. Surely the nucleus of the team that beat Liverpool at Anfield would be more effective than the one that beat a woeful Sunderland. Midfield is key to the result - all the best to the Saints.
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helpineedsomebody added 11:15 - Feb 25
In 1976 we went to Wembley with hope we returned as
CHAMPIONS
All the very best
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NewburySaint added 12:34 - Feb 25
Almost agree Nick but I would have Clasie or Hjoberg in instead of Ward-Prowse & Davis playing further forward-Davis is a better attacking midfielder than a defensive 1 plus, more crucially, is a better attacking option than Ward-Prowse.

We will only miss JWP for his set pieces but we are unlikely to score from these against a big Utd team.

Let's do it!!
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luffy22 added 14:35 - Feb 25
Hay I'm no football manager, not even a good player, so what do I know :) but I think we need to get a bit more defensive tomorrow and not try and play too much football, and win in the last mins, rather like the Anfield away

So to that end I'd rather we played one less less lightweight midfielder and had someone running their guts out, breaking down in the midfield kicking hurting them, for me thats Sims. Try to keep the score down and then give the runners the last 15 mins to hopefully get us the win.
We've all been complaining about negative football this season but when its one of the worlds best dreams who are currently on a roll verses us who are very up and down then its time to do what we do best as saints and dig in.

Who would I replace? The choice is between, Tadic, Redmond and WP. Tadic is good at going past people, although can be in and out of games, WP is often found wanting and never impacting the games and Redmond can get the ball and run with it to get us up the field, but rarely goes past defenders. Tadic has played in a few finals and WP, is the England captain and has played lots of big games in that environment, therefore.

Personally I'd put Redmond on the bench and then let his ball running skills hopefully hurt defenders when he's a fresh pair of legs in the last 15.
so more of an old fashioned 4-4-2

Forster
Soares, Yoshida, Caceres, Bertrand
Sims, Davis, Romeu, Ward Prowse
Gabbiadini, Tadic
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SanMarco added 22:31 - Feb 25
I suspect that we know 9 of the team as per Nick's team. The two issues we will all look for are the CB and the third midfielder. I think it will be Stephens and JWP. I would prefer Cacares (if fit) and Claisie. Also I would like Long over Redmond but there is no point in hoping on that one.

All of you who got tickets have a great day out and win or lose I just hope we play well. This will be the first major Saints final I have had to watch on the tele rather than at the ground so in my living room I want to hear the Manure plastic OUTSUNG......
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