Saints take on Watford for the 4th time this season and they will be hoping that they can make it two wins in a row at St Mary's after two draws up at Vicarage Road.

Saints drew with Watford in the first meeting of the season after the Hornets notched a last minute equaliser in the League clash back in December, the following month it was back to Vicarage Road for the 4th round of the FA Cup and it was the visitors turn for the last minute equaliser as Stuart Armstrong got an 89th minute goal to take the tie to a replay.

This was won 3-0 back at St Mary's when after a goalless first half, two goals by Sekou Mara and a third by Che Adams gave Saints a comfortable victory and Russell Martin will be hoping for more of the same on Saturday when the Hornets arrive again.

The manager will have a few decisions to make in his starting line up, the first is whether Jan Bednarek is restored to the side and if so who he will replace, I think we all know the answer here .

In midfield there could be some changes though, Stuart Armstrong started on the bench for Tuesday's hosting of Coventry and with Joe Aribo man of the match and Flynn Downes putting in another fine display it looks like it could be a choice between Stuart & Will Smallbone.

Up front Adam Armstrong & Che Adams should start, but Ryan Fraser could step in for David Brooks who was below par against the Sky Blues.

Watford are in mid table mediocrity, since beating QPR on 14th January, they have won in the League just twice in 15 games, one of them at bottom of the table Rotherham 1-0 and the other by the same score at Birmingham, drawing 7 and losing the other 6.

However in the last 4 games they have drawn them all, given that the two away draws were Promotion chasing West Brom & Ipswich on Wednesday night as well as at Vicarage Road with Leeds & Preston, they are a difficult side to beat and indeed they have lost just once in the last 7 games, although they have only won the once as well.

So this will be no cakewalk for Saints, just the sort of game we hate, a team that park the bus.

They are likely to again be fielding that pantomime villain ex Saint Wesley Hoedt, personally not as bad a player as some would have you believe but hated anyway for perceived slights against his club whilst out on loan.

The midweek results all went our way and now having assured a play off place based on goal difference we need to take the next step when by beating Watford and making it rock solid by taking three points.

Sadly I think when we look back the Easter period might be seen in hindsight as when we blew automatic promotion, although it is still a possibility, indeed if we had just hung on at Ipswich we would now be just 6 points behind Leeds who would be in 2nd place and with two games in hand.

But we cannot worry about that for now, all we can do is win games and assure 4th place and perhaps hope to catch whoever is 3rd, it is one step at a time, but it will be a season of if only's that is for sure.

It is looking another sell out at St Mary's even with block 43 being on sale to home fans there are still only about 500 tickets left so these could go by Saturday morning.

There is still a lot to play for, we need to firing on all cylinders in the final 6 games, everyone kicking in the same direction including the manager, the players and just as importantly the fans.

This season can still be a great one even if it is through the play offs.

Photo: Action Images

Farlow added 12:17 - Apr 12 They must start Sulemana he is a class above the rest of the wingers.I,d love to see Stuey and Jo together that would be a statement of intent.
0

Centurion added 16:02 - Apr 12 Third would be a great achievement considering how we were last season. Come on you Saints, we can do it!
0

claus5 added 16:23 - Apr 12 Is Farlow watching an entirely different Sulemana to the waste of space I've seen this season?
1

Farlow added 21:22 - Apr 12 That column was a waste of space
-1

Blogs 32 bloggers

Arsenal Polls