JEER WE GO
Defoe: Saints fans can boo me all they want
JERMAIN DEFOE is out to prove Bournemouth are top dogs on the South Coast and warned Southampton fans: I don’t care if you boo me.
The England striker faces a hostile reception from travelling Saints supporters tomorrow, after spending a year at bitter rivals Portsmouth (below).
But Defoe, 35, said: “The Southampton fans can do whatever they want to do, I don’t care. I have scored a few goals past Southampton through the years. If they boo me, they boo me – it’s fine.
“If I played for Southampton, they would cheer me, but I don’t. It’s just football.
“Derby games are games you want to win and the games you look for when the fixtures come out.
“It means a lot to the players and a lot to the fans, but we have to approach it like it’s just another game and try to get three points.
“It is a game the fans will be up for and one we want to try and win.
“We understand it’s massive for the fans, because it is a derby, and they want the bragging rights. It would be massive if we can beat them.”
Bournemouth can leapfrog Saints in the table with victory and Defoe added: “I’d like to think we are the top team on the South Coast and we just have to think about ourselves.
“When you get to this stage of the season, where the games come thick and fast, it’s important to get as many points on the board as possible.” NATHAN REDMOND may have a fan in Pep Guardiola but he needs to find his scoring boots.
The England international has racked up an incredible 27 shots this season without hitting the back of the net.
Redmond was involved in a bizarre incident with Manchester City boss Guardiola after Southampton’s midweek defeat at the Etihad, the Spaniard racing on to the pitch to lambast the ex-norwich ace. Guardiola has been asked to explain his actions to the FA, although Redmond has backed up the City boss’s claims that he was merely complimenting his play.
And Saints boss Mauricio Pellegrino has backed Redmond (right) to come good for Saints. “Nathan is an important player for us. He needs just small steps to improve,” he said.
Saints have lost only one of their last nine league games with Bournemouth but Pellegrino expects a tough battle as his side make the 30-mile trip along the South Coast. He said: “In the last few games they have picking up points. It will be really tough against them.”