Preview: Saints – Town

By Aston
January 20 2006

STB brings you team news, manager previews, betting odds and the officials ahead of Towns game against Southampton tomorrow (KO 3pm).

Town are still short on numbers up-front with Nicky Forster and Sam Parkin out injured while Adam Proudlock is fit but not fit enough to play and Joe Royle has not included him in the sixteen man squad.

 

Town assistant manager Willie Donachie:  “It is possible that we stick with the same, but Joe may look to change as you can't expect the young players to be consistent for the whole season.

 

“He may change it with the likes of Danny Haynes starting one game, then a sub and Owen Garvan not starting all the time. They are just not physically strong enough to play every week, just yet.”

 

Willie also feels that Burley’s side will be different from the Harry Redknapp side that Town played earlier in the season, he added: “The change is they seem to be going for young players, whereas with the team Harry brought here they were going for experience.

 

“You know George's team will always try to play football and move the ball around, which will suit us.

 

“It will take George time to embed his philosophy on the team, but he will get there.

 

“We are similar teams, although hopefully we are more settled than Southampton. We have been working on what we want for a while now and the players are getting close to it.”

 

Town squad: Scott Barron, Darren Currie, Jason De Vos, Owen Garvan, Danny Haynes, Jimmy Juan, Jim Magilton, Alan Lee, Richard Naylor, Lewis Price, Matt Richards, Luis Sito, Shane Supple, Ian Westlake, Gavin Williams, Fabian Wilnis.

 

Former Town boss George Burley will be with out Theo Walcott who joined Arsenal today as well as goalkeeper Antti Niemi and midfielder Neil McCann who have also left St Mary’s since the transfer window opened, away from transfers and Burley is missing Michael Svensson and goalkeeper Michael Poke.

 

Saints Boss George Burley: No pre-match thoughts available.   

 

Officials:

Referee: S J Tanner (Somerset)

Assistant Referees: D J Phillips (Sussex) and I J Woodward (Sussex)

Fourth Official: J J Linington (Isle of Wight)

 

Match Odds from William Hill:  

Southampton: 19/20

Draw: 2/1

Town: 13/5

 

STB Prediction: Saints 1-4 Town (100/1)

 

Sources: Football League official website and the EADT

 

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