CAN SAINTS BEAT WEST HAM AT ST MARY'S?

West Ham seem to have slipped slightly recently but still a very tricky game. Can Saints make this their third double of the season?

The vibes have been pretty accurate for the last 2 games so what are they saying? Well, I can't really see us losing but i'm afraid we may have to settle for a draw.

Drat it, the vibes were right again.

I'll leave you to do the player ratings Matty but here are just a few random thoughts......

1. RK's substitutions were a little curious. I was surprised when Harrison Reed was taken off, he seemed to be having a good game. And then I was amazed when Mane was taken off......he had looked the only one of the team likely to get us a goal!!

2. Pelle seems to have lost it at the moment. Had he played as he did early in the season, he would have scored/created at least a couple of goals tonight.

3. Tonight's performance highlighted that Saints really needed to sign a reliable scorer last month.

4. Overtaken by Man United we slip to 4th, Arsenal just a point behind us and Spurs and Liverpool breathing down our necks, suddenly this talk of Champions League is looking very unrealistic. How different it could have looked had Saints won these last 2 home games. They really could and should have picked up 6 points from the Swansea and West Ham matches, we would then have been comfortably third on 51 points, just 1 point behind Man City, 4 ahead of United, 6 ahead of Arsenal, 8 ahead of Spurs and 9 ahead of Liverpool. As it is, I think unless we can beat Liverpool next time out.....and beat Spurs in a few weeks time, then the European dream is over.

Nothing from Matty yet, so I'll have a go at trying to remember fair ratings for the game based on what I saw on Sky....


FORSTER 7
CLYNE 7
FONTE 7
GARDOS 6
MAYA 6
WANYAMA 6
DAVIS 7
REED 7
ELIA 6
MANE 8
PELLE 4


TADIC 6
WARD-PROWSE 6

sorry Mike couldn't go this week as away with work, went to comment yesterday evening and found my security software had expired and didn't fix until today so your scores work. Shame we couldn't get that goal but no massive surprise we are lacking a goalscorer and with the injury to Long we simply don't have another option. Pelle for me is now to far out of the box compared to when he started.

That said Morgan should be back soon as will Toby and so long as we still keep it tight at the back we may be able to keep in there until long is back and maybe for those last few games JRod or Gallagher, just need to keep the faith but do wish we had signed a striker in the transfer window.

Welcome back Matty

Will be at next home game and also going to WBA away game so will provide a report from there