Source: FOOTYMAD
Barnard before Southampton
Blues former striker Lee Barnard has made it clear that he has no problem with his former club or their players and he hopes he passes a fitness test to play against them Saturday afternoon. Barnard: He scored 17 times for the Shrimpers until leaving in the January transfer window, and the loss of his brilliant finishing was a major factor in the Essex boys finding themselves in the basement division next season. However, Lee Barnard is now very much a Saint who found the minus ten points they started with back in August for going into administartion just too much to climb into the play-off zone.So a dead rubber match but the good Lord has been speaking to the local press about how desperate he is to play against his former team mates.Barney told www.dailyecho.co.uk: "It's going to be strange, but I'm really looking forward to it. I've got a lot of friends there, so I speak to quite a few of the boys. Of course I look out for the results. I want them to do well and it's unfortunate they've gone down. It's disappointing because they are a good club. I had a good two years there and everyone was very nice to me at the club. So I've got nothing but good words to say about Southend." And certainly if he plays, and scores, he won't be charging up to the away end waving his shirt around, as nice as that might be for the ladies.Lee continued: "I'm just hoping to be fit and if I score then that's fantastic. Out of respect, I don't think I would celebrate. I had good times there. I love scoring for Southampton and I want to score as many as I can, but if I do score Saturday then it will be a calm kind of celebration." Of course we did end up with 20-year-old Matt Paterson in exchange, plus a few bob, and though the Scottish born striker has been in and out of the side and just scored a couple of times, he showed last Saturday when he turned a Stockport defender inside out before planting a cross on Maccas' head for the last minute winner, we might have seen the future along with young Harry Crawford. Lee has certainly heard of him: "What I've heard from the boys is they've been impressed. He's got good potential. It's difficult for a striker going into a team where they're struggling. I can imagine he didn't get many chances, but he's still scored a few goals. So it's promising for him. I've heard he's a good player and a good lad, so I'm sure he'll do well." For the whole Daily Echo article with Barney, go here:www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/8152928.Saints_need_a_break_says_Barnard/
