The Opposition View: Southampton

Last updated : 05 April 2012 By Jim Bonner

This season couldn't have gone much better for you, could it? If Southampton don't achieve automatic promotion now then would this season be seen as a failure?

This season has been unbelievable, never expected us to do so well. Not achieving automatic promotion would be very disappointing considering we have been in the top two since the first weekend of the season.

If Saints did get promoted, how confident would you be of Premier League survival next season?

Unsure about that one, I would expect us to add a few players to the squad who have some Premier League experience, but still anything can happen and there are still six games left! 

Do you have any sympathy at all for the Pompey fans and the current plight at Portsmouth. Would you honestly like to see us go bust?

It's hard to have sympathy after all the gloating that went on when "you sent us down" and when you won the cup, but I guess that is just football supporters being football supporters.

On the financial side, it's been a bit annoying seeing Pompey get away with the unpaid Tax bills etc, think there should be more rules included to all clubs who owe millions in tax, paying it back in full would be a good start, also very unfair on the creditors from CVA1 who will barely see anything of the money they were owed by the club, not the fans fault though.

Would I want the club to go bust? No, not really but it wouldn't be the end if it did. Going bust would clear Pompey of the likes of Chanrai and Gaydamak and give the supporters are proper fresh start. 

You must feel extremely confident going into this game despite the battering at Blackpool you received on Saturday?

I was very confident about the game this weekend before the Blackpool game but anything can happen on derby day! 

It seems that your team suffer without Rickie Lambert. How reliant on him are the rest of the team?

Lambert is more than a goalscorer for us, he is a big part of the way we play. His link-up play and footballing brain are up there with the best in this league and he helps create the others in the side a lot of space and chances. 

Who have been the top performers for your team this season?

Obviously Lambert but I'd also say Jos Hooiveld, Frazer Richardson and Morgan Schneiderlin.

Hooiveld came with very poor reviews from Celtic fans which didn't look good but he's a passionate player who just enjoys playing for Saints, he reads the game well and has chipped in with some vital goals.

Frazer Richardson has done well, loads of assists this season and Morgan is a very neat footballer who likes a pass, needs to score more though. 

What are the weaknesses in your side that Pompey could exploit on Saturday?

The full-backs like to get forward a fair bit (Especially Fox), so there are times in games when there isn't much cover in the full back positions. 

What sort of match are you expecting? Are you expecting an easy win or would you take a draw if offered to you now?

I'm expecting an even game, nerves will be running throughout the stadium for both set of supporters. I wouldn't take a draw though as we're the home side but I certainly don't expect the Pompey side to roll over and die like the bottlers of 05 did at Fratton. 

Predict the outcome of the game.

Home win, not sure what the score will be though.