Saints face the reigning Premier League champions at St Mary's amidst what looks like an injury crisis.

There are two ways of looking at Saints game against Manchester City at St Mary's tomorrow, glass half full ! or glass quarter full ! it was going to be a hard enough task as it was, but with a list of names doubtful of making the game including most of our better players the task ahead is made even harder.

Even the most ardent Saints supporter who believes that anything our current management does is part of a greater plan will have been disapointed with our dealings in the transfer window with our only signing being a player who not only is untried at Premier league level but is unlikely to start a game until eight weeks after the window opened and this is now coming back to haunt us, the past couple of months feels like it has been better than it has been due to long periods being unbeaten, but only one win in nine games has left us too close for comfort to the bottom three and we could rue the sloppy equaliser for Wigan last week.

So at time of writing its virtually impossible to predict what sort of line up Saints will put out against City, other than to say it looks like being far weaker than we would have hoped.

To empty that glass even further we have to look at City's record so far this season, true they have been eclipsed by their near neighbours from Old Trafford and lay nin points behind them going into this weekend, but they are still second and seven points ahead of Chelsea in third, again its about perspective, on one hand our run feels like its good but the league position says otherwise, on the other City's feels like they are in chaos but again the League table tells us different.

City's away form is also just as worrying for us, out of 12 games so far they have won six, drawn five and lost only one, although this does give us a slight chink of light as they like us have been drawing too many games of late for comfort and perhaps we could catch them on the hop.

Its not all doom and gloom though, Saints have proved they are capable of living with the top sides and only narrowly lost to City on the opening day, its not a foregone conclusion just yet, however key to the game might well be the crowd, not just in getting behind the team as a whole, but not getting on the backs of certain players, Artur Boruc has shown what a player can do if the crowd just give him a chance and if the likes of Danny Fox are played then the crowd should give him the chance to show his worth and not criticise his every move, he is after all a Saints player, but contrast the difference of views between him and Luke Shaw when considering their failings in the goal at Man United in Fox's case and the one at Wigan, Im not claiming anything here apart from the fact that they are Sants players its ironic the number of people who will extol the "family club and all as one together" philosophy of our Chairman but cannot see the hypochrisy of then slagging off one of that family in the next game and I dont just mean with Fox either.

So if we are to get something out of this game it will be a team effort including the crowd if thats the case then come the end of the game it might just be a glass full moment and then we can have great pleasure draining it in the pub after.       

Photo: Action Images

slynch added 15:22 - Feb 8 The consolation is: If you're gonna have a lot of players injured it's best to have them injured when playing a good team.
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Whatsforpud added 17:17 - Feb 8 According to the Echo, MP might be reluctant to start with Lallana. So with Guly out, and Ramirez in doubt, who to put wide left? Could put Puncheon there, which would enable him to get to the line and cross with his left, and then have the choice between Lee, Mayuka or Chaplow to start on the right.
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BlackRod added 19:37 - Feb 8 Chung should get his chance, certainly better than Mayuka or Chappers. He might surprise a few people.
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REEDYREEDOREEDZ added 20:00 - Feb 8 I expect Ramirez and Clyne will play, they were withdrawn from int duty as a precaution. Shaw's a bit more of a doubt and I feel he might have a niggling problem so Fox might start. I reckon Forren will make his debut in place of Hooiveld as there's no need for the big man v Tevez and Aguero. I also expect Lallana to start. Prediction for the game: Saints to once again be the plucky losers.

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TheFoo added 21:23 - Feb 8 Hi Nick, long time reader first time poster. Always enjoy reading this site, so thanks BTW. When you say our better players are doubtful, who are you referring to .... Not sure I'd count Ramirez among the 'better' ones on current form, and frankly there's not that much to pick between our centre halves... Fox adds a different dimension to Shaw, and one could hope his hunger/freshness could make up some of the gap between them. Isn't Lala fit by now? Or have I missed some injuries... ? Anyhow ... Fingers crossed for all three points.

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StChristophe added 23:10 - Feb 8 For an interesting (and rather more considered than most pundits) take on our prospects for tomorrow: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2013/feb/08/mauricio-pochettino-southamp Think our injury will be a factor, but another close game to look forward to.
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