What they're saying about us: The other side's viewpoint

On a Plymouth website:

Southampton may not able to call upon star striker Rickie Lambert or former Plymouth Argyle winger Jason Puncheon when they take on the Pilgrims in Saturday's opening npower League One fixture at St Mary's Stadium.

Neither player featured in the Saints' 4-2 pre-season friendly defeat at home to Reading last Saturday. Nor did key midfield man Morgan Schneiderlin.

The injured trio are described as "touch and go" by Southampton manager Alan Pardew for the big kick-off this weekend, while midfielder Adam Lallana will be a definite absentee against Argyle.

"We're hoping that maybe Puncheon, Schneiderlin and Lambert will be available for next weekend, but it's touch and go on all three," Pardew admitted. "Lallana definitely won't start, he hasn't done enough work.

"We've had a bit of misfortune on the injury front, and we've had to accept that," the Saints' boss added.

"Schneiderlin has had a kick, Lallana has a troublesome knee which we can't quite clear up, but which we hope will be OK, and Lambert has just done his groin slightly."

Lambert scored a total of 36 goals in all competitions for the Saints in his first season with the Hampshire club, after arriving from Bristol Rovers last summer. His absence on Saturday would be a major blow for Pardew.

Puncheon, who left Plymouth last January to sign for Southampton, has an ankle injury. He is one of four former Pilgrims on the Saints' books. Paul Wotton and Ryan Dickson both lasted 90 minutes in midfield against Reading at the weekend, while fellow midfielder Anthony Pulis had a brief run-out as a substitute.

If Schneiderlin joins Lallana among the spectators on Saturday, Wotton will have a very good chance of starting in central midfield against the club with whom he spent most of his career. Dickson, meanwhile, did well on the left of midfield against the Royals.

The Cornishman joined Southampton from Brentford this summer, and a transfer tribunal held yesterday decided how much the Saints will have to pay. Dickson will cost them a down-payment of £125,000, with a further £100,000 to come after the 23-year-old has played 40 senior games – and another £25,000 if Pardew's side are promoted.

Dickson was praised by the Saints' manager after last Saturday's friendly. Pardew said: "The performance of Ryan Dickson in his first game here was absolutely different class until he got tired towards the end."

Southampton fought back from a one-goal deficit to lead 2-1 against Reading, with striker Lee Barnard and midfielder Dean Hammond on target, before the Royals finished strongly with three late goals.

"I was very happy, not with the scoreline particularly, but with the first team that we had," Pardew added. "I had to protect them, and I had to take six or seven off. Up until then I thought we looked a decent side and a real match for Reading.

"The front two in particular were a real highlight for us. I thought Lee Barnard had as good a game as he has had for us, and he and David Connolly looked sharp. That bodes well for next weekend."

The evening before his side took on Reading, Pardew went to west London to watch Argyle and Queen's Park Rangers draw 1-1 in a friendly at Loftus Road. The Saints' boss was impressed with the Pilgrims.

"It's a tough game, Plymouth," he said. "I watched them at QPR and they were excellent, so I think they will be big contenders.

"It's a really big game for our first game, and I hope we'll have a full house making lots of noise, because we'll need some help."

Another:


Who will play for Plymouth Argyle in Saturday's League One curtain raiser against Southampton?

One of the big topics of debate amongst the Green Army over the last few weeks is just who will new manager Peter Reid name in his first Argyle team?

The match against promotion favourites Southampton is being screened lived by Sky TV and will give Reid an early indication of how his new players will perform in battle conditions but who will he select?

In goal will be Romain Larrieu, so no surprises there.
The right-back position remains a problem and with Karl Duguid short of match fitness due to a recent injury I expect Marcel Seip to get the nod.
Krisztian Timar and Kari Arnason have performed well as a centre-back partnership in the pre-season games so I expect them to line-up against the Saints.
Reid has already indicated that former Saints player and new signing Lee Molyneux has a good chance of filling the left-back berth on Saturday, so that's the defence sorted unless Tony Capaldi puts-pen-to-paper in the next few days.

In midfield Joe Mason could fill the right-midfield role, a position where he performed well during the pre-season programme, in central midfield should be Damien Johnson and Anton Peterlin.
Carl Fletcher would normally partner Johnson but the captain has been injured. On the left of midfield could be left-back Onismor Bhasera who has done well in this new advanced role, however, he is the subject of interest from QPR and Crystal Palace and may leave Home Park before the Southampton game.

Up front I expect Steve MacLean and Rory Fallon to lead the attack.
MacLean is Argyle's record £500,000 transfer but has really struggled since signing from Cardiff City in January 2008 but he has been one of Argyle's better players during the pre-season games.
Reid likes to play with a big target man (oooerrr) so Fallon will partner MacLean.


Plymouth Vital prediction for Saints Game.

Romain Larrieu.

Marcel Seip.
Krisztian Timar.
Kari Arnason.
Lee Molyneux.

Joe Mason.
Damien Johnson.
Anton Peterlin.
Onismor Bhasera.

Steve MacLean.
Rory Fallon.