11:02am Monday 22nd March 2010
By Adam Leitch
ALAN Pardew believes Rickie Lambert can become a Saints legend.
The £1m striker took his tally to 30 goals for the campaign with a brilliant second half hat-trick to inspire Saints to a fourth victory this season over MK Dons.
Pardew thinks that Lambert cannot claim to be in the bracket of legendary names who have played for Saints at this stage.
But if he can lead the team back to the top flight, his name might sit up there with the pantheon of brilliant players to have represented the club such as Matt Le Tissier, Terry Paine, Mick Channon and Ron Davies and Kevin Keegan.
He said: “I can wax lyrical about Rickie but the reason our fans sing his name every week is they know how important he is to the team.
“He’s got to take us through two divisions and he can.
“For me that would make him as big a legend as some of the big big names you’ve had here – the Mick Channon’s and Kevin Keegan’s.
“He’s in the first division at the moment and perhaps he doesn’t deserve to be here.
“But he’s in here and if he can get us out of both divisions then he will warrant that kind of tag.
“At the minute he’s not done enough to be a legend of Southampton, but he’s had a great first three quarters of the season.
“There’s a quarter left and he’s still got to be the best goalscorer in the league and I hope he wins it.”
The question now is just how many goals Lambert could end up with by the end of the campaign.
At his current rate he would break the 35 barrier and could even push on towards an incredible 40.
“He’s just got to keep his standards, as if he does that certainly another five will come his way, maybe more,”
reckoned Pardew.
“He’s a really great lad and sometimes he’s a little bit laid back in his manner but it was really Rickie’s game, especially second half.
“He’s had a great season and that sets him up for the last ten games to finish the season as the best goalscorer in the division, and for me the best player in the division.”
Pardew was quite critical of his star man’s first half display at MK Dons, but he certainly put that right with three goals in 28 second half minutes.
“I wasn’t particularly pleased with him in the first half,”
admitted Pardew.
“Rickie has set himself such high standards and he needed a goal.
“But the third goal, which he has been threatening all year, wasn’t a surprise to me.
“He’s tried that two or three times and the way he strikes the ball it was obvious one was going to come off.”
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