Saints fan on Büttner, Ramirez and humiliating Liverpool

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – AUGUST 19: Rickie Lambert of Southampton celebrates scoring his team

United face newly-promoted Southampton later on this afternoon for their 3rd league game of the season, and ahead of the match we caught up with Saints fan Ben, from the Go Marching In site for a word on, Büttner (who they were set to sign), staying up, and pipping Liverpool to the promising Gaston Ramirez.

1. For a team coming up from the Championship you’ve done brilliantly in the transfer market – making signings like Gaston Ramirez and the promising youngster Nathaniel Clyne that we were reportedly interested in for a while – you must be delighted with your business?

I am delighted with the business we have done in this transfer window. We have added quality and young, promising players to our squad and at the same time we haven’t overdone it. I think we may have made a few people stand up and take notice too. Long may that continue! The only area we could have done with more quality being added was in defence and I think most Saints fans were hoping for at least another defender.

2. Ramirez made a fair few people in Manchester laugh at Liverpool by choosing you over them. I bet it was pleasing to see a player of that quality choose you over a club that is, supposedly, “one of the best” in Europe?

We’ve certainly turned a few heads with the capture of Ramirez. Understandably, Liverpool fans are probably questioning why he would choose us over them but, we have a very ambitious chairman and strong financial backing. We broke our transfer record twice during this transfer window and that perfectly underlines the ambition that we currently have at the club.

3. I didn’t catch your game last week but you certainly made a good account for yourselves during the week before against City. It was a shame you couldn’t hold on – were you pleased with what you saw?

It’s probably safe to assume that the majority of people thought the opening game of the season was going to be a cake walk for City. I was delighted that we showed what we could do, so in that respect it didn’t really feel like we’d lost the City game. We didn’t have a massive amount of possession in that opening game but we tried to play good football when we did have the ball. We soaked up the pressure well and showed we can counter quickly, too. There was definitely plenty to be pleased about.

4. Do you think you’re capable of staying up this season? Where do you think you’ll realistically finish?

In a word, yes. We don’t like to hoof the ball up the field, so a lot of confidence can be taken from how Norwich and Swansea went about their business last season. The fixture list hasn’t handed us the easiest opening four games to the season (Man City, Wigan, Man Utd and Arsenal) but I don’t think that’s any reason to panic. This season is going to be tough and it’s important that the fans do all they can to get behind the team, rather than get on their backs. I believe that we’ll be able to strengthen in January too, should we need to. Realistically, I’d like to say we’ll finish 15th. But to be honest any survival will do!

5. How do you fancy your chances this afternoon?

If we’re to have any chance of survival this season we need to make St Mary’s our fortress. Last week we failed to make good spells of possession count against Wigan and we were punished for it. I’m confident we’ll have good periods of play tomorrow and we will have to be clinical and we have to take our chances when they come our way. My heart says we can do it, but my head doesn’t know!

6. Are there any players we should watch out for?

is the obvious danger man. He showed against City that he only needs half a chance to hit the back of the net. Adam Lallana has the ability to cause you massive headaches with his twists and turns and lastly, our new striker Emmanuel Mayuka will probably feature on some level and he will no doubt be keen to show what he can do.

7. Where are your weaknesses?

As I mentioned in an earlier question, we are weakest in defence. During the transfer window it looked like we were going to sign Buttner. As I understand it we had agreed a fee and personal terms, but then a ‘third party’ halted the deal. Any ideas who the third party was? Ha!

8. Fancy predicting a scoreline? What about goalscorers?

I can’t see Saints keeping a clean sheet, but your defence isn’t at it’s strongest either. Taking any points from this fixture would be a bonus. I’m going to go with 1-1. Lambert and RVP.

9. Finances aside, if you could take two of our players to have in your team, who would you take?

I highlighted earlier our defensive weaknesses. I don’t think we’ll have difficulty creating and scoring goals this season, considering the signings we have made, but I do think we’ll struggle to stop them going in at the other end. So for that reason, I would pick Vidic and Buttner.

10. Finally, and usually the worst part for United fans, what’s your most memorable United vs Saints moment?

Hmmm, there’s a few that always seem to come up in conversation when United come to town – and I’m sure I don’t have to remind you of them. For me, one of my favourite memories from a United vs Saints moment would be little Latvian striker Marian Pahars nutmegging Japp Stam before slotting the ball in the back of the net in the 99/00 season. Class.