It’s nearly back again. The Premier League. The new season brings with it new hope, new challenges and hopefully for the fans of Liverpool, new glory. Also new this season will be a regular feature whereby I interview a fan of our opponents each week, in order to gain a different perspective on the fortunes of Liverpool. This week I got in touch with Southampton fan Connor Armstrong, who had the following to say in relation to the game and season ahead.
Firstly, tell us about the dangers Southampton can pose to Liverpool on Sunday, and who you think the danger-men for your side are?
The strength of Saints seems to lie in good wing-play, with mobile and direct wide options in the form of Tadić, Clyne, Bertrand and quite possibly, for this game, Shane Long. Saints will likely be looking to take advantage of a high defensive line, opening Liverpool up on the counter-attack with some well-orchestrated passes.
Is there a general feeling of optimism around Southampton as a club under Ronald Koeman’s management, despite the sales of several key players from last season?
There is! Most of us were considerably more worried a few weeks ago, but we’ve added seven new faces so far and the manager still wants a couple more. We’re generally happy with the rebuilding phase. The only criticisms have been that the board should’ve stopped the flow of players out of the club earlier, and we may struggle to gel as a cohesive unit in the opening weeks of the season.
We have to ask…who do you feel will be the most missed out of the players Liverpool signed from Southampton?
Adam Lallana. There are several Lovren’s and Lambert’s in this world, but Lallana is a very unique player, certainly by what we may commonly attribute the strengths of a British midfield player to be. As much as he has angered many Saints fans with the nature of his departure, he was capable of creating something out of nothing and is an incredibly cultured and skilful player. He gets people excited about the game.
Can we expect any surprises on Sunday, from new signings who many people may not have seen in action yet?
I’d love to be able to give more definitive answers to that, but even I’m not sure! Florin Gardos is perhaps the player who has come in most ‘under-the-radar’ at Southampton – but he can’t play on Sunday due to injury. From pre-season though, Dušan Tadić looks a capable replacement for Lallana and has the potential to be a real menace.
Having obviously won at Anfield last season, is there a positive vibe from your supporters going into this game?
Not massively. We see this one as like a ‘free-hit’, in that no one is expecting us to win and all of the pressure is on Liverpool. Our record at Anfield over the past few years is still far from glittering despite last year’s result, but we are all looking forward to the game.
Just on to the Liverpool squad, who do you feel poses your side the most threat on Sunday?
Sturridge and Sterling, for sure. We haven’t got our first-choice centre-half partnership together just yet, and I fear that pace in behind could cause a world of issues for Maya Yoshida and to a lesser extent, José Fonte. We can only hope that the experience and pace that both Nathaniel Clyne and Ryan Bertrand have at this level will help us in that regard.
As an opposition fan, can you give our readers a prediction on where our side and yours will end up in the table come the end of the season?
I think Liverpool will finish 5th, or possibly even 6th. I think Tottenham will be a different beast under Pochettino and really improve. Everton could have a similar season, although I think, despite Suárez’s exit, Liverpool will have the upper hand on their rivals. Van Gaal should improve United greatly and Arsenal, Chelsea and City have all invested well, so I can’t see any of those four missing out on Champions League football. In terms of Saints, I think we’ll finish anywhere between 8th and 14th, but I’ll go with 12th.
Finally, can we get a score prediction from you?
2-0 to the Red men.
There we have it. As it happens Connor shares my belief that the favourites for the game are certainly Liverpool, although it is no formality and Ronald Koeman’s men will not be a pushover. As the corresponding fixture last season showed, Southampton are a strong side who can spring surprises away from home, and Brendan Rodgers and his team will have to be on their toes.
My score prediction: 3-1
Big thanks to Connor Armstrong for the contribution, you can follow him on twitter: @ConnorArmstrong.
