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SOUTHAMPTON v WEST BROMWICH ALBION After battling to a hard earned draw at Ninian Park on Tuesday, Albion travel to the South Coast to take on another of the sides tipped for success. The Saints struggled last year in what was their first season outside the top flight for 27 years but with a new owner in place, George Burley in charge of team affairs, and a squad full of quality and experience, they are sure to be there or thereabouts at the top of the Championship come next May. Southampton started the season with a 2-2 draw against Derby County at Pride Park, only being denied all three points by a late equaliser from former Baggie Paul Peschisolido. They followed that up on Wednesday with a 2-0 win at the St Mary’s Stadium against Coventry City. Grabbing most of the headlines in the victory against City was 17 year-old Gareth Bale who scored a stunning free-kick for the second game in succession. Rated by some observers as an even better prospect than former Saint Theo Walcott, Bale is already attracting the attentions of the Premiership’s big boys. The Saints are far from a one man team though and with former Hearts star Rudi Skacel, John Viafara and Jermaine Wright pulling the strings in midfield and Grzegorz Rasiak, Bradley Wright-Phillips and Ricardo Fuller to select from up front, George Burley has one of the most impressive squads in the division. Compared to the attacking options available to the Saints, Albion’s are severely weakened going into tomorrow’s game. Having been forced off with a hamstring injury against Cardiff on Tuesday night Nathan Ellington is rated doubtful for the clash and with John Hartson the only other experienced striker at the club Bryan Robson could be forced into playing him in the lone striker role, a formation that was criticised strongly by Baggies’ fans last season as being too negative. The rest of the Albion line-up will probably be unchanged with new signings from Manchester United Paul McShane and Luke Steele settling for a place on the bench. Albion have a terrible record at Southampton with the club’s last victory there coming in August 1969 when two goals from Colin Suggett helped Alan Ashman’s men to two points. Since then Albion have failed to win in 17 league and cup games played at The Dell and St Mary’s. The 1969 win for the Baggies is one of only three registered in 32 games played on the South Coast, a truly awful record. So far this season Albion have started both previous games excellently. If they can reproduce and maintain that form for a full 90 minutes then a victory tomorrow is perfectly achievable. Most Baggies’ fans will however be happy to travel back from St Mary’s with a point. Prediction: 1-1 TEAM NEWS Albion In goal Pascal Zuberbuhler will keep his place in the team following the departure to Manchester United of Polish international Tomasz Kuszczak. Luke Steele, who arrived from Old Trafford as part of the Kuszczak deal will be on the bench. With Neil Clement and Thomas Gaardsoe still injured the defence looks set to be the same as the one that started against Cardiff City in midweek. Curtis Davies will partner Chris Perry in the centre of defence, whilst Paul Robinson will be at left-back. Steve Watson looks likely to keep his place at right-back despite competition from Martin Albrechtsen. New signing Paul McShane will most likely be named amongst the subs. In midfield Robson looks set to continue with the quartet of Zoltan Gera, Ronnie Wallwork, Nigel Quashie and Jonathan Greening although Darren Carter and Richard Chaplow are pushing for starts after lively cameos against Cardiff. Chaplow in particular will be keen to figure after spending a spell on loan at St Mary's last season. Up front John Hartson will start but his strike partner Nathan Ellington is rated as only 50/50 after suffering a hamstring injury at Ninian Park. Young strikers Stuart Nicholson and Rob Elvins are again both named in the squad but a place on the substitutes bench is perhaps the best they can hope for. Squad: Zuberbuhler, Steele, Watson, Albrechtsen, Robinson, McShane, Perry, Davies, Greening, Gera, Inamoto, Wallwork, Quashie, Chaplow, Carter, Ellington, Hartson, Elvins, Nicholson. Southampton Keeping goal for the Saints will be recent signing from Sunderland Kelvin Davis. In defence George Burley could be without Gareth Bale and Pele who both face late fitness tests due to thigh injuries. Kyle Critchell and Martin Cranie are on standby should the pair not recover in time. Fellow defenders Claus Lundekvam, Michael Svensson and Darren Powell are all missing due to injury. The midfield looks set to be unchanged from Wednesday night with Rudi Skacel, John Viafara, Jermaine Wright and Djamel Belmadi all starting. Up front, the on-loan Bradley Wright-Phillips looks set to continue his partnership with former Spurs and Derby star Grzegorz Rasiak. Former Albion trialist Ricardo Fuller is missing due to a hamstring injury. Squad: Davis, Ostlund, Baird, Pele, Bale, Belmadi, Wright, Viafara, Skacel, Rasiak, Wright-Phillips, Jones, Cranie, Surman, Dyer, Prutton, Sarmiento, Critchell, Poke LAST LEAGUE MEETING AT ST MARY'S
Southampton: Blayney, Kenton, Lundekvam, Jakobsson (McCann 60), Van Damme, Nilsson (Prutton 84), Telfer, Delap, Svensson, Phillips, Blackstock (Ormerod 63). Subs not used: Poke (gk), Higginbotham Scorers: Svensson 28, Robinson 87 (own goal)
Albion: Hoult, Scimeca, Moore, Purse, Robinson, Gera (Koumas 83), Johnson, Clement, Greening, Kanu (Horsfield 77), Earnshaw. Subs not used: Kuszczak (gk), Albrechtsen, Dyer Scorers: Earnshaw 29, 37
Referee:
Steve Bennett (Kent) Attendance: 31,057 Sky Sports Match Report: Ten games and counting. Steve Wigley remains winless in the Premiership but his Southampton side, denied by a late equaliser last week, were grateful for another this as Anders Svensson earned a 2-2 draw against West Bromwich Albion. Rob Earnshaw had opened his Albion account with a first-half brace to put caretaker manager Frank Burrows on course for his first victory until Svensson's intervention. Wigley will be able to empathise with his Albion counterpart after Robin van Persie's late leveller for Arsenal last week but the boos at the final whistle were for his side after a match that, even in November, met the definition of a six-pointer. The result means that each side has a solitary win apiece in the first three months of the Premiership campaign. Southampton were spared a seventh defeat by Swede Svensson, their most inventive player throughout and scorer of both of their goals, even if the second owed much to Paul Robinson's deflection. West Brom, thrashed 4-1 by Chelsea last week, were understandably cautious and Svensson's 27th-minute opener was reward for a positive start from Southampton. Darren Kenton, attack-minded even at right back, stung Russell Hoult's palms while the fit-again Kevin Phillips and the emerging Dexter Blackstock offered pace up front. The initial impetus for the goal came on the right wing with a surging run from Mikael Nilsson. Robinson's well-timed tackle halted him but fell for Paul Telfer to cross to the unmarked Svensson, who directed his header past Russell Hoult. West Brom, previously subdued, responded in kind. Hungary captain Zoltan Gera swung in a cross and Earnshaw got a touch to Jonathan Greening's header to beat Alan Blayney, though the inexperienced keeper's attempt to parry it was feeble. The Ulsterman had no chance six minutes later as Earnshaw, guilty of several glaring misses since his £3 million move from Cardiff, finished clinically when Southampton failed to clear another Gera cross. Though West Brom's last win against Southampton came courtesy of a goalkeeping error from Paul Jones, Blayney, a late replacement for the injured Antti Niemi, deserved more sympathy after a hat-trick of athletic blocks prevented his side from falling further behind. He tipped the gifted Gera's free kick over, blocked a Neil Clement blockbuster and denied Greening a long-range goal; with impressive shooting power in midfield, Albion looked capable of scoring a third. But Wigley is developing a nice line in substitutions. Replacement Blackstock scored a hat-trick against Colchester, Neil McCann came off the bench to set up two goals at Highbury and though his changes here did not have the same impact, they contributed to Saints' revival. The quick Kenton was moved into the centre of defence to deal with Earnshaw, McCann was introduced on the left wing and Svensson adopted a central role. Though both Phillips and Rory Delap headed wide, the Swede posed the main threat. Hoult had parried one shot, but was helpless when Svensson dribbled into the box, shot and watched the unfortunate Robinson turn it into his own net. Delap almost added a late winner but, for Wigley, the wait goes on. A full fixture history can be found here CURRENT CONNECTIONS Albion midfielder Nigel Quashie moved to The Hawthorns from Southampton in January 2006 in a deal worth £1.2 million. Richard Chaplow spent just over two months on loan at St Mary's last Spring before injury ended his season and the loan spell early. Southampton striker Ricardo Fuller scored three goals in two games for Albion reserves during a trial spell in 2001. PAST CONNECTIONS Amongst the players to have turned out at various levels for both clubs are: Jack Bowden, Tommy Broad, Harry Brown, David Burnside, Mickey Evans, Sammy Farrington, Bruce Grobbelaar, Harry Hadley, Ian Hamilton, Ivan Katalinic, Billy Light, Graham Lovett, Mike McCartney, Roddy McLeod, Carlton Palmer, Graham Potter, John Reynolds, Uwe Rosler, Terry Simpson, David Speedie, Derek Statham, Andy Townsend and Stuart Williams.
Former Albion
assistant manager Frank Burrows was formerly a coach at Southampton; Mike
Kelly was a coach at both clubs; Ex-Albion defender Garry Pendrey was
Saints' assistant manager under Gordon Strachan. |
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Southampton 2-2 Albion