'Local lad Rickie is in great spirits'
Southampton fan Chris Ring provides us with the view from St Mary's ahead of today's clash against the Saints - and pinpoints Kirkby-born Rickie Lambert as a man Kopites should watch out for.
What have you made of your start to the season?
It has been a bit of a mixed bag. Getting off to a winning start at West Brom was great, but losing to Norwich and a point at home to Sunderland were very disappointing, particularly because Sunderland looked a poor side. A point from West Ham was okay but again disappointing not to take three points. It was a combination of Jussi Jaaskelainen having a stormer and our strikers not quite firing.
Thoughts on your manager?
I think Mauricio Pochettino has got a fantastic attitude to football. At a point where people are talking about England's progression, the vision for the future and giving young English talent a chance, we have Luke Shaw, James Ward-Prowse, Nathaniel Clyne and Calum Chambers all being given a chance by Pochettino on a regular basis. This coupled with the players that he has bought in, I think he is really trying to build a quality side.
What do you make of your new signings?
I think that we have done well with the players we have bought in. Dejan Lovren has come in and made a real difference at the heart of the defence, really making us look more solid. Victor Wanyama has added a bit of bite to midfield and Daniel Osvaldo looks like real quality upfront, despite not having scored yet. Once he does I think he will get a hat-full.
You can get a result at Anfield because...
We look a lot more solid in defence this year and have also strengthened in attack. Us only losing 1-0 last season, I think we have improved a lot and can come in and cause Liverpool some problems. Pochettino likes to play decent football and I think it suits us to play against teams who do the same, such as Liverpool. When you look at our performances against the top teams last season, we did really well.
What's so special about going to Anfield as an away fan?
Anfield is one of those stadiums that every away fan wants to get to during a season. You can see that with the speed at which the tickets sell out. It's got so much history to it and having only been back in the top flight a year, it's still great to be coming back to these places.
Who should we be worried about in the Southampton side?
Osvaldo has come in and looked quality and I think it's a matter of when, rather than if, he will score soon. Rickie Lambert is also in great spirits with his exploits for England and hopefully that uplift and help him kick on for us. He'll enjoy coming to Anfield being a local lad, so hopefully he can perform well.
What's the best way to go about beating the Saints?
If Shaw and Clyne play I think it will make life difficult for Liverpool, but if Danny Fox plays, I think he is a real weak point. Defensively, I don't think we have enough squad depth, so if injuries are an issue, we could be found lacking with Daniel Sturridge in such good form.
Who do you fear in our side?
Sturridge has been on fire so far this season and will obviously be a big threat.
Your all-time favourite Saints song?
It has to be 'Oh When the Saints'.
If you were putting a tenner on it...
I think 1-2 to Saints would be worth a punt as we have improved a lot since last season and we caused Liverpool problems last year.