[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Southampton keeper Ian Black keeps Albion at bay, the Dell, 23rd April 1949

We bring 2016 to a close with a visit to the south coast on New Year's Eve, having lost three of our last four games in spite of some valiant efforts from the team, but still fairly well-placed in mid-table for the time being. Southampton are a point and a place above us, having had a good run brought to an end by Spurs on Wednesday night, and it's a match that both sides will no doubt fancy for a win.

This match will for all intents and purposes bring us to the second anniversary of Tony Pulis's tenure as Albion boss, making him the first manager since Tony Mowbray to reach that milestone, and the first since Ron Atkinson to have done so entirely at top-flight level. If the talk of big transfer activity in January comes to fruition, then it's possible we might yet have an even brighter third year to look forward to with Tony at the helm. Let's hope so; and let's also hope he can deliver three points to mark the occasion.

[HRK]

Very much looking forward to this game for plenty of reasons, one of which is that St Mary's is a great away day and I have to take my hat off to the Saints fans and the club in general for making it such a great place to visit. Further to this Saints have even gone one further on the current away ticket price freeze and only charge £20 instead of the £30 that all other clubs agreed on. Great gesture by the club and I hope others follow their lead.

I'd like to think we have the advantage with having had 2 extra days to prepare the players for this one, but Saints are no pushovers and I'd expect they will rotate and still be competitive all over the pitch. The one thing I'm hoping for is that there's not a repeat of the borefest when we played them at home last season.

I also think we need to collectively applaud Tony Pulis for his time here so far as I generally feel what he's achieved in terms of getting us stable and now moving up the league on the budget we've worked on has been quite remarkable, and also not acknowledged as it should be by us fans. We suffered through the "Workin' 'Ard" early days but I can genuinely see progress now - bright future ahead for all Baggies I sincerely hope!

COYB!

[drewks]

Well said HRK.
With the increased stability that we - and I'm sure all at the club - feel, added to the confidence that the players must've gained from our last 2 narrow (heroic?) away defeats, I'd like to see us go all out to win this one. Even if we then lose, I'd rather see this approach than our bus being parked and a grinding out of a point.
GIVE IT A GO, TONY!

[4evaabaggie]

ALBION ROAST SAINTS ALIVE .......... my favourite football headline. Can not remember the year believe it was in the seventies and can not remember but think it was in the pink ........ the now defunct Sports Argus, after Albion beat the Saints 4 - 0. More of the same would be grand. I hoped for ten points from our six fixtures up to Hull, win these two new year games and that would be nine and a very happy baggie. Start the new year on 29 points would be a good half year report.

Come on you Baggies!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

A quick glance suggests that would have been the 20th of October 1979, when we beat them 4-0 at home. That's certainly the only time we've ever had that scoreline against them.

[aries22]

ALBION ROAST  SAINTS ALIVE .......... my favourite football headline. Can not remember the year believe it was in the seventies and can not remember but think it was in the pink ........ the now defunct Sports Argus,  after Albion beat the Saints 4 - 0. More of the same would be grand. I hoped for ten points from our six fixtures up to Hull, win these two new year games and that would be nine and a very happy baggie. Start the new year on 29 points would be a good half year report.

    Come on you Baggies!!!!!!!!!!!

One of the best headlines I can remember is 'Crash, bang, Albion' in the News of the World or Sunday People (I forget which) after we beat Newcastle 6-1 at The Hawthorns on the last day of the 1966-67 season, I think it was.

[WBA-Josh]

Foster
Dawson - McAuley - Evans - Nyom
Brunt - Fletcher - Yacob - Phillips
Morrison
Rondon

Subs
Myhill
Olsson
Galloway
Gardner
McLean
Chadli
Robson-Kanu

[WBA-Josh]

Albion team v @SouthamptonFC: Foster; Dawson, McAuley, Evans, Nyom; Yacob, Fletcher ©; Phillips, Brunt, Chadli; Robson-Kanu

Subs: Myhill; Morrison, Gardner, Rondon, McClean, Galloway, Leko

[Beefy 1965]

Rondon on the Bench

Suppose he is saving him as we have a game on Monday.......

Time to step up HRK come on Buyo !!!!!!

[talkSAFT]

Can't say I'm looking forward to this one, but I'll watch it.
(Can't Saints appreciate how good Saddo is? I'd swop him for Rodriguez straight swop.)