Southampton On The Rack

In the Merchant of Venice, when within touching distance of untold wealth by picking the right casket, Bassanio pleads, "Let me choose for as I am, I live upon the rack" and Portia replies, "Upon the rack, Bassanio! Then confess what treason there is mingled with your love."

Southampton go in to today's game professing cocky confidence. And why shouldn't they? They've swept just about all before them at St Mary's and Coventry aren't exactly Bayern Munich or Chelsea. Early goal and it's game over. Southampton are up and the party can start.

But my last post on the possibility of things going wrong provoked a furious response from the South Coast, betraying a certain treason to their professed confidence. Instead of scoffs and laughter, I was subjected to bile.

So before Southampton fans vent again, I want to point out that I congratulated the club on promotion after our draw at Bristol City; and my comments were genuine. The Saints have hugely impressed me this season, playing the best football in the division by a mile.

However, in the real crunch games, Southampton have faltered. At home to Reading they were superb, but still lost. At Upton Park they had a man advantage for most of the game but couldn't win, and away to Boro last week, they contrived to lose despite going ahead in the first minute of the game. The pressure is on and the pressure may yet tell.

Of course Southampton remain overwhelming favourites. But as I said on Tuesday night, Barcelona were overwhelming favourites when two goals up with Chelsea down to ten men, and as good as Southampton are by Championship standards, they do not have the same experience of coping with pressure as Barca and nor do they have the same quality of players. For West Ham, hope is burning like a single candle in Saint Paul's Cathedral but for as long as long as that candle flickers, Southampton may yet burn their arses.

Come On You Praying Irons!