Newcastle United vs. Southampton: Opposing fan’s view

This afternoon Southampton face off against Newcastle United at St. James’ Park, with both sides desperate for a victory in their bid for survival.

Both teams are flirting with relegation and as a result the game could have huge implications come the end of the season. Newcastle are currently in 16th whilst the Saints sit a place and a point beneath them, tantalizingly above the drop zone.

Relegation so soon after getting back into the top flight would be catastrophic for Newcastle, but with Southampton finishing in sixth and eighth in their last two campaigns it would even more surprising to them fall through the trap door.

But how are the Magpies and their supporters feeling about their chances of staying up? I spoke to Newcastle Toons Site Expert Roy Emanuel to find out:

"“Certainly not a simple answer given the overall situation at the bottom-half of the table. Earlier in the campaign, I actually predicted that Newcastle would be taking the drop. “But the win against Manchester United injected a lot of confidence into this side, and I think they will find enough points to stay up. The key may be getting something (or anything) from Islam Slimani before the end of the season.”"

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Considering Newcastle’s investment in order to get back into the Premier League and to attempt to stay there, it seems more likely that will stay up rather than sides like Huddersfield or West Brom.

Southampton themselves are a team with a solid, deep squad of talented players – Roy therefore admits that the Saints’ struggles this campaign have caught him by surprise.

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"“I am still somewhat shocked about the Saints’ campaign thus far. They have obviously done a remarkable job in the past few seasons to lose key players and managers, but still find a way to not only play well but be competitive.“To replace the likes of Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk, Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman is no easy task. Having said all that, I do think Southampton (along with the Magpies) will be able to avoid the Championship.”"

Newcastle’s side possesses a lot of straight-line speed, something which conflicts with the Saints’ squad to some extent. Granted, Southampton have Josh Sims, Sofiane Boufal and Nathan Redmond, but Newcastle have a lot more pace in their squad.

Roy believes therefore that his Magpies team’s quicker players will cause Pellegrino’s side the most damage when the two teams meet at St. James’ Park today.

"“Dwight Gayle had a strong outing against Bournemouth a couple of weeks ago, scoring two goals. Summer-signing Joselu has not had the impact fans would’ve hoped for, but Gayle is providing good performances recently. Kenedy and Christian Atsu both bring electric pace on the wings, so Southampton will certainly want to monitor their positioning on Saturday.”"

Last time the two teams met, Saints came from behind twice to draw 2-2 with Fraser Forster at fault for both of the Magpies’ two goals. Roy is predicting a similar game this time around, albeit with less goals at either end.

"“Ultimately, I am expecting a similar match to the last time these two clubs met. Defensive, organised and disciplined. “The key will be the midfield, and if Newcastle can get Jonjo Shelvey back from injury it would be a massive boost to their chances. I’ll go with a nervy 1-1 draw.”"

Southampton versus Newcastle kicks off today at 3:00 PM.