PREVIEW: Newcastle v Southampton

[dropcap]J[/dropcap]ust the one Premier League game televised on Saturday and that’s at St James’ Park for Newcastle against Southampton (5.30pm SKY).

Many people (including myself!) thought that Southampton had finally run out of steam over the Christmas period when losing five games in a row but they have picked themselves up well, notably with their recent 1-0 win at Old Trafford to lift themselves into third in the Premier League table.

Champions League ambitions remain firmly intact.

Newcastle are not the easiest team to predict and quite often can get results against the bigger sides, however they are not exactly in great form coming into this and to compound problems they are missing Papiss Cisse and Cheick Tiote as both players are on international duty.

Southampton also have their fair share of injury woes. Sadio Mane and Maya Yoshida are also AWOL through international duty and Toby Alderweireld, Vincent Wanyama and Morgan Schneiderlin are on the injury list.

Since memorably ending Chelsea’s unbeaten run in the Premier League at the beginning of December, Newcastle have only won one Premier League game, drawn one and lost four. They have also met with defeat in both the FA Cup and Capital One Cup.

And perhaps most importantly of all…. they remain without a manager!

Southampton have won the last two head-to-heads 4-0 but both those wins came at St Mary’s and Newcastle’s record against Southampton at home is much stronger (unbeaten in 11 home games W9, D2). You have to go back to 1997 for their last win at the Toon !

Newcastle United v Southampton
Premier League
5.30pm SKY

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD
(Maximum 10 matches)
Sep 2014 Premier Southampton 4-0 Newcastle
Mar 2014 Premier Southampton 4-0 Newcastle
Dec 2013 Premier Newcastle 1-1 Southampton
Feb 2013 Premier Newcastle 4-2 Southampton
Nov 2012 Premier Southampton 2-0 Newcastle
Feb 2006 FA Cup Newcastle 1-0 Southampton
Jan 2005 Premiership Newcastle 2-1 Southampton
Sep 2004 Premiership Southampton 1-2 Newcastle
May 2004 Premiership Southampton 3-3 Newcastle
Jan 2004 FA Cup Southampton 0-3 Newcastle

I think Southampton will do it, but rather than back them on the win market at around 11/8 I am more interested in supporting them to be winning at both half-time and full-time at a juicier 3/1.

RECOMMENDED BETS (scale of 1-50 points)

BACK SOUTHAMPTON HT/FT for 8 points at around 3/1 with Star Sports

RETURN SINCE START OF WORLD CUP: PROFIT 45.97 POINTS

What’s your view? CALL STAR SPORTS 08000 521 321