Southampton vs Fulham - 5 Reasons Why Saints Will Continue Wonder Run

1. Rickie Lambert: Southampton Goal Machine

Signing Rickie Lambert for £1 million from Bristol Rovers in 2009 may just be the best bit of business we've ever done. With 105 goals in 203 appearances for the club, he has been the biggest on the field factor as to why we are where we are. He's a worthy heir to Matt Le Tissier's sacred Number 7 shirt, and with that shirt comes an equally impressive penalty record. He's taken 32 penalties for the club and not missed one. His 100% penalty record, his presence in the air, his free kick taking as well as his ability to create chances for his team mates and his superb build-up play, is why he is a Saints legend, and deservedly got his long overdue call up for the national side in a friendly against Scotland. Came on in the 67th minute and within three minutes of being on the pitch, had scored the eventual winner with a bullet header with his first touch of the ball. He nearly added a further two goals to his tally before full time, leaving many to believe that despite only being on 20 minutes, he maybe deserved to be man of the match. Others continued to doubt and said it was a case of a one-cap wonder. They were mistaken, as he scored one and set up two in the 4-0 over Moldova. Ten years previously, he'd been an unnamed substitute for Stockport against Port Vale, and now he was scoring a goal at Wembley Stadium in a World Cup Qualifier. Seeing as he was working in a beetroot factory not too long ago, this Roy of the Rovers tale has given renewed faith that hard work and talent will ultimately shine through. Despite his slow start to the campaign, he has still made vital contributions. If he and Dani Osvaldo were to start scoring, there is no doubt in my mind that this run will continue past Saturday's encounter with Fulham. Can he become Southampton's driving force, as he has been so many times before, and inspire us to a Europa League, or even Champions League spot? No? Just like he couldn't hack in the Championship? Or the Premier League? Or England? This man will continue to prove doubters wrong and I think we would have a better chance at the World Cup with Lambert spearheading the attack with Rooney, instead of Welbeck. I just hope that it will be on the back of a successful Premier League campaign where he proves the doubters wrong yet again, and with Osvaldo alongside him, I can't see why he can't fire us into the European elite. The proof of the pudding will, ultimately, be in the eating, but if we get through a very tough December still riding high, we may well be hosting top European sides at St Marys next year. Can Lambert and the boys prove everyone wrong and continue this fine run of form past Saturday and beyond, or will the Saints not go marching in come Saturday?