I said this last week in the run up to the defeat at Sparta Prague, our failure to do that means that our problems are now compounded.

I said a week ago that although I agreed with Claude Puel's policy of rotating the squad in midweek as few players could play week in week out, that sometimes you have to have a period where you can't rotate and you have to put out your best side.

Now Saints travel to Arsenal in the league Cup and 5,000 Saints supporters want to go up there knowing that if we lose, we do so having given it our best shot.

That means playing the best side available to us, of course their may be the odd change or two, but the reality is that we should not be afraid of Arsenal, they struggled to beat us in the League a couple of months ago and they struggled to beat Bournemouth on Sunday.

The likelihood is that they themselves will field a weakened team, but that does not mean that we should do the same, this is a game we should win, we are long overdue a semi final appearance and we have blown two good chances in the last couple of seasons.

If we put out our best side then we have a great opportunity, the League Cup might not be high on Arsenal's priorities but it should be high on ours.

For Claude Puel it is a pivotal moment in his relationship with the Saints support, many were outraged at the way we capitulated to what was after all a poor Sparta side last week, if we had put out a good side and won, then that would have eased the pressure in that we could then have rested key players against Happoel.

Now that is out the window and the pressure is on us in a eight day period that will define our season.

Beat Arsenal and we are in the semi finals of the League Cup and with a great shout of Wembley and another Europa League campaign, beat Be'er Sheva and we are in the last 32 of the Europa League and have a lot to look forward to in the New Year.

Lose to them both and suddenly the season will go flat and not only that but those players already being mentioned as a target for big clubs, will feel more inclined to want to go.

Players of course want to earn big money, but they also want to win trophies, the squad itself will want to win this game and after last week it will know it cannot afford to be complacent.

Claude Puel found out a few things about his squad in Prague and one of those things was that defensively it cant be changed too much, it is not just about not conceding goals but the way in which we rely on the full backs to get forward, I would say that Soares and Bertrand are two of the best attacking full backs in the Premier League, without them we are a lesser side and that was the key in Prague.

McQueen is a talent but he is still inexperienced and we should have played Bertrand, on the right Martina is not good enough, in defence he is positionally poor and going forward he cannot cross a ball with enough accuracy.

In Prague if we had had Cedric Soares in we would have got at least a point, add Bertrand and we would have won. Both have spent time injured this season so there is no need to rest them, they are not as jaded as those that have played week in week out.

So enough of rotating the squad, it needs the best men for the task out on the pitch and not sat at home or in the stands.

As I say a key moment for Claude Puel, after a hard start he has won the fans over slowly but surely, he took a step back in Prague, now he needs to take several forward by puttting out his best side at Arsenal.

No Saints supporter will berate him if we go out there and give it our best shot, but if we field a side wth 7 changes again then many will be very disappointed should we lose.

Photo: Action Images

SanMarco added 11:11 - Nov 29 It would mad to even think of not playing our very strongest side for this game. When you think about it if we beat the Israeli team we are still only in the last 32 whereas here we are 1 game from the semi. Simply put: play a Prague style 11 and we lose, play an Everton style line-up and we can win. You know it makes sense Claude.
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helpineedsomebody added 11:59 - Nov 29 Does the manager win a cup this season or does the owner of the club want to stay in the Epl I don't why you keep going on about playing the same team when you all know it's not possible for me I want 40points Asp
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SaintNick added 12:03 - Nov 29 I dont think there is any doubt we will stay in the Premier League, it is about winning trophies and not making up the numbers when you are a top ten side
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bstokesaint added 12:38 - Nov 29 I'm not convinced that we're one of the teams that should be worrying about making 40 points! I'm of the strong belief if you set your targets high and just miss out it's better than setting them low and worrying about making them. I'm confident we'll get 50 points minimum this season. We're misfiring a bit at the moment, but the cream always rises to the top and our squad is better than most in the PL. I'd be very tempted to keep a very similar side from Sunday to play against Ar$enal. We could beat them if we do. We need to winning some silverware soon or these recent years of continuous improvement will give us little in the trophy cabinet, except League 1 and Championship runners-up.

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BUCK added 13:10 - Nov 29 Helpineedsomebody, you need to learn some grammar, your sentences make no sense,southamptons ambitions are far more than the 40 points you so want.I don't think this cup is our priority whatsoever, yes it would be a bonus to win it just so we get Into Europe.but I don't see the likes of Virgil,Bertrand,soares playing.what's the point in putting out our top players against an arsenal youth or reserves only to get a bad injury and stuff us up for the league and Europa league. Stick with the rotation and a team that will give arsenal a good game.

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helpineedsomebody added 14:27 - Nov 29 living 8,000 miles away sorry I missed know and the a thank you for pointing out my mistake
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SonicBoom added 15:44 - Nov 29 Put out a strong side simple as that. We have got through most of the Europa games by now so we don't need to save legs. Puel needs to deliver. He didn't just disappoint in Prague but also in Milan and Israel where we didn't put out our strongest side and so have heaped pressure on the last home game.
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PatfromPoole added 16:45 - Nov 29 I would be very surprised if VVD plays tomorrow. Puel has been resting him from League Cup games, and he seems to be consistent in who he rests from various competitions, e.g.Fonte, Bertrand and Cedric for Europa games.
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PatfromPoole added 16:47 - Nov 29 Reckon Forster could be rested as well.
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Cjay80 added 19:03 - Nov 29 Forster won't be rested. McCarthy is injured
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halftimeorange added 19:55 - Nov 29 You think Claude knows what his best team is! In that case why does Redmond play every game? The defence ids obvious but, up front...............
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Ali_Diarea added 20:23 - Nov 29 If Puel had put out his best 11 against Prague we might have beaten them but surely we would have lost to Everton last weekend with either a weakened team or a very tired first team. It was a calculated risk that has been worth it as we got 3 Points in EPL and our fate is still in our own hands in Europe. It also highlights to the board how inadequate our fringe players are. But I agree we should put everything into beating Arsenal.

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vanmans added 21:22 - Nov 29 For once I agree with you Nick a 100%. I am fed up with saints putting out weak teams in the cup games its not fair on the travelling fans. Squad rotation means buying more players in January because at present we don't have a good enough squad to rotate.
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Ali_Diarea added 21:27 - Nov 29 If Puel had put out his best 11 against Prague we might have beaten them but surely we would have lost to Everton last weekend with either a weakened team or a very tired first team. It was a calculated risk that has been worth it as we got 3 Points in EPL and our fate is still in our own hands in Europe. It also highlights to the board how inadequate our fringe players are. But I agree we should put everything into beating Arsenal.

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dirk_doone added 19:41 - Nov 30 So close to a Wembley final, the 5,800 Saints fans travelling to London deserve to see a full strength team tonight, not a another reserve lineup like in Prague. Show the fans some respect, Puel.
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IanRC added 23:08 - Nov 30 Interesting to look back at the comments after the game.
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