A very tough week which features three games against sides who were in the top six this time last week ends tomorrow with a trip to Southampton to take on one of the teams which are rated as virtual certainties for the Play Offs I’d say with a top two finish for them not out of the question.
Southampton had a very poor September, but, since then, have settled down to proceed in an unspectacular way up the table, but the defensive generosity which was costing them in their first seven or eight matches seems to be a thing of the past now.
Looking at the flaws exposed in our last two home games and the lack of creativity which appears to be becoming more of an issue lately, it seems to me that our set piece game will need to be spot on for us to get anything out of the game tomorrow, although the fact that we’ve won on our last two two visits to St. Mary’s offers us some hope.
Here’s the usual seven questions on forthcoming opponents dating back to the 60s and I’ll post the answers on here on Sunday.
60s. This forward had reason to be both happy and very disappointed after one of his encounters against City while playing for Southampton. There’s no doubt that the Saints saw the best of him because, away from the Dell, his record was pretty modest, whereas when he was with Southampton, you look at his record and wonder why he never won an international cap. Starting off with a stripy team which I suppose you could call even handed or on the level, he earned a move to beautiful birds that soon became a lot plainer – this move did not go well and Southampton signed him as a new decade began. For seven years, our man gave the club great service, but, he was not to enjoy the celebrations which were to come because his starting place had come under threat as he approached thirty and he eventually moved to London wanderers who had now settled down. Once again, he wasn’t as prolific away from Southampton and his stay was a short one before a brief stop off at barracks and then retirement at thirty three. Who am I describing?
70s. Although his name may have suggested otherwise, this defender was from the south east. He started off with his home town club as an old style wing half, but never played a game for them and ended up following the man who was his manager with the Canaries to a steel town to the north where he made his league bow, but could not prevent his new side being relegated. Nevertheless, his form was good enough to impress a team with a unique name from a couple of levels higher – this move saw him switch into central defence and he was soon winning Player of the Year awards in a team that would end up playing in the First Division. When relegation came, it was time for him to sign for Southampton and, although he was a part of another relegation team, he also had his share of success there over the next four years. Following a short loan spell back at his second club, he became something of a globe trotter, although there were three years of wearing blue in the capital and a stint playing non league football in Hampshire before retirement at the age of thirty eight, can you name the player?
80s. Nut starter and then an assortment of fried ones gets you a veteran full back! (6,4)
90s. Locally produced red meat possibly.
00s. Decline of a doubter maybe.
10s. Which member of the last Southampton side to face City is now playing for the black and whites in a stadium which bears the name of a very early European Cup hero?
20s. Who or what is the link between former City players John Toshack, Bobby Brown and Steve McPhail and someone who is pretty certain to be in the Southampton team tomorrow?
Answers
60s. Scotsman George O’Brien scored a hat trick for Southampton at the Dell in October 1962, yet ended up on the losing side as City emerged 5-3 winners. He started his career with the Pars of Dunfermline before securing a move to Leeds. Wikipedia lists O’Brien as an inside forward and his scoring rate at his first two clubs confirmed that was his right position, but one hundred and fifty four league goals in two hundred and forty four games in his seven years with the Saints strongly suggests otherwise. Short spells with Leyton Orient and Aldershot followed O’Brien’s departure from Southampton in 1966.
70s. Norwich born Mel Blyth played his first league football under his former Norwich manager Alan Ashman at Scunthorpe United and was transferred to Crystal Palace in 1968. Blyth was at Palace for six years before joining Southampton where he was a member of their 1976 FA Cup winning team. Following a loan spell back at Palace, Blyth played in South Africa, America and Hong Kong as well as at Millwall and Andover.
80s. Dennis Rofe.
90s. Barry Venison
00s. Wayne Thomas.
10s. Yan Valery was in the Southampton side beaten 2-1 by City in the Premier League in February 2019, he now plays for French team Angers who are nicknamed the black and whites and play their home games in the Stade de Raymond Kopa – Kopa was a member of the Real Madrid team which dominated the European Cup in its early years.
20s. Shamrock Rovers. They were Southampton goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu’s first club, Steve McPhail is the club’s Sporting Director and John Toshack and Bobby Brown scored the goals which enabled City to beat them 2-0 on aggregate in our run to the Semi Finals of the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1967/68.
