Whilst i don't think there was a Saints fan at Selhurst Park who would have warmly applauded Virgil Van Dijk on his return to the Saints side, those that gave him such a hostile reception could have cost the team dearly.

It was a brave move from Maurcio Pellegrino to bring on Virgil Van Dijk for his return from the naughty stair with 13 minutes remaining of a game that could at that moment go either way.

There is no doubt that to a man(or woman) the travelling Saints support were not feeling the love for Van Dijk so his entrance into the fray was going to be interesting.

Up until this moment the 3,000 Saints fans had been magnificent in their support for the team, but the reception they gave Van Dijk was not appropriate, one man should not be bigger than the team, but suddenly abusing Van Dijk was more important than the task that lay ahead, ie hanging on to a 1-0 lead and leaving with all three points.

Did the anti Van Dijk chants inspire him to put in a shift ? I would say no, did it inspire the rest of the team who needed the fans backing in the final segment of the game ? Again a resounding no !

Suddenly Van Dijk was the centre of attention and he really should not have been.

In fairness it was not all of the Saints support, perhaps only about half, but the noise they made made it seem like it was a unanimous abuse of the Dutchman.

This is not defending his actions over the past months, all I am saying is that there is a time and a place to vent the anger at him, and 13 minutes to go when you are defending a 1-0 lead was not that time.

Im sure that the manager was keen to get him back into the team at an away game in the hope that it would take some of the sting out of the situation rsther than his return being at St Mary's, this has perhaps made it a worry for what his reception will be next weekend for the visit of Manchester United.

This is a big test for Saints, certainly the first time this season we have played one of the big six, we certainly need Van Dijk in our team, but we do not need a toxic atmosphere in the stadium that will drag the team down.

Yes there will be those that are determined to vent their anger, they will not be happy till they do, but they have to consider what is best for Southampton Football Club not what is best for their own personl satisfaction.

We have to turn the situation to our own advantage, get the abuse out of the way during the pre match warm up and then turn that energy into supporting the team for 90 minutes, if that is still not enough satisfy your blood lust then after the final whistle boo him again.

What we need as a team is Virgil Van Dijk in it, even if it is just to January we need him to help him get us the points that will push us up the table, nothing more nothing else, its business only now in our relationship with him and as they say in all the good Mafia films "Its only business it's nothing personal"

So lets not make the return of Van Dijk to St Mary's counter productive, indeed the opposite lets turn it in our favour and use the energy to get behind the rest of his team mates who deserve our support and backing.

Photo: Action Images

BoondockSaint added 01:32 - Sep 18 I think Pellegrino has choreographed VVD's return as best he can. Everyone knew he was going to get booed at his first game back after talking all that cr@p about the club. Starting him in a game at St. Mary's would have shifted the focus from the game to him, and the team didn't need that. So Pellegrino brings him on late in an away game-less Saints supporters and not all of them boo. So now that high drama moment is over and done. I think fans should just react in silence from now on even if he scores-that would speak volumes and and let him know that we have not forgotten his disdain for our club. Booing him will only give him the chance to play the victim card again and say it effected his play and he has no choice but to leave....sob sob sob.

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garethhartwell added 10:29 - Sep 18 Surely the best way of ensuring that van Dijk doesn't leave is to be ahead of Liverpool in the table in January. Since he wanted to move for European football it would then make no sense for him to go there rather than staying with us. I've been going to games for over 30 years and there have been very few occasions when I haven't got behind every single player in the teams over the years I'm going on Saturday and will be fully supporting van Dijk because this is clearly in the best interests of the club.

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EarlsCourtSaint added 10:43 - Sep 18 From where I was sat, on the opposite side of the ground and at the Palace end, it appeared he got a pretty good reception, and whatever the words were to the amended version of the VvD song, all we, and therefore all he, could hear was the tune itself, so like me he probably thought it was a decent reception, the only boos I could hear was from a handful of Palace fans. Not sure he actually touched the ball but he marshalled well and helped to shut up shop. He is a world class player (better than Liverpool!) so we need him playing, I'd like to see the club stating now that he is here for the season and will not be sold in Jan, to stop the speculation now. I accept he will then go in the summer, but we are a better team with him in it, so we need to get the best out of him while we can.

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Markl2057 added 14:50 - Sep 18 How do we let a player know how much he has hurt the fans and club?? Too right he should get boos people are only to quick to jump on Stephens and yoshi back, least there committed to the club and the team ethic!!! Vvd is quick enough to use social media to force himself a move but at no point has he come forward and say how committed he is to this club!!! This club needs stability and you can guarantee from December onwards he will turn the club into a media circus and at the first opportunity refuse to play and force a move thru. Hoedt, yoshi and Stephens deserve the right to play before this disloyal money grabber!! I can't believe people are so short sighted and believe we should get behind him for the good of the team absolutely makes my blood boil!!!

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SanDiegoSaint added 15:28 - Sep 18 Bygones.
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LoisDeem added 11:43 - Sep 19 Saints FANS! We are unlikely to agree with everyone else's opinion. However, please use this forum as an opportunity to consider your support for your football club. Hopefully you have always felt a part of what happens with this finest of football clubs. Hopefully, you will have felt like you can be part of an overall influence of outcomes on your club's fortunes, too. So, please consider how best you can support your club to achieve positive outcomes, and to move forward. This weekend, Saints have an opportunity to progress further, and your deeds and actions can and will effect the outcome. Please consider this: particularly those fortunates inside SAINT Mary's, collectively, all the players will hear you, other fans will hear you, and the eyes and ears of all the (footballing at least) world will be upon you. So please, please, try and make it happen, as you have the privilege to convey belief and positivity to and through your team. Think it's high time to continue to abstain from the boo's, too! (But that's only my opinion, borne of over fifty years of support.)

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