x

Southampton At Liverpool The Preview

Four months of poor results are catching up with Saints now in terms of League position and now we go to Anfield traditionally not a place we often get a result at, but things haven't gone well for Liverpool either, so can we get three points to guarantee safety and move up the table again.

Newcastle's shock win at Leicester City last night was good news for Liverpool but bad news for Saints fans, Newcastle who a few weeks ago looked odds on for a last day relegation nail biter at Fulham are now up to 13th and two points above us, the good news is that we have two games in hand.

But for Liverpool it has given them a slight ray of hope, they are 9 points behind Leicester who sit in 3rd place still, but they too have two games in hand and they know if they can win them both they have a chance albeit slight of coming in on the rails for a Champions League place.

This will be the rallying cry from Jurgen Klopp to his players and no doubt this will stir their emotions in terms of their bank accounts.

The Reds are still not guaranteed even a Europa League spot and they now have no room for yet more points dropped at home.

But they like Saints have injury woes, but although that has made them vulnerable at the back, they can still be a potent force going forward, although at Anfield they seem to be mainly cold of late, although as we know from experience when a team hasn't won for a number of games or a certain player hasn't scored for three years, you just know that will end when they face Saints.

The good news for Saints though is that they will have Jannik Vestergaard available after his red card and suspension was overturned on appeal.

But that poses a dilemma for Ralph Hasenhuttl does he restore Vestergaard to the middle of the defence or does he keep the back four as it ended the game against Leicester or indeed does he revert to a back three and employ wing backs to counter Liverpool's attacking threat down the flanks.

This is going to be the most interesting question that will be answered an hour before kick off.

Sadly it looks like Saints will be without Danny Ings who was the matchwinner back in January, although it looks like he and Oriol Romeu will be available for the final games of the season.

One person who will be playing though is Fraser Forster who will rotate with Alex McCarthy in the run in to the end of the season.

For Saints it is now all about having a strong finish to the season and in truth once we get this game out of the way we have a good chance of doing that.

There are positive whispers coming out of St Mary's about next season with rumours of a new owner and investment and that will surely please Ralph Hasenhuttl who has seen a promising season ruined by injury.

A trip to Anfield is usually not good for Saints, certainly not in the last few years since our last win there when Shane Long scored in the League Cup semi final four years ago, the Reds attack with pace and that is something we are not good at handling, however it may suit us to sit deep and then go on the counter attack.

Sadly a defeat will mean the League table won't look very good come the end of the weekend's fixtures, but as I say let's get this one over with and then concentrate on three straight home games to get us up the table.

What to read next:

Leeds and Burnley settle for disappointing draw. A point gained or two points lost?
Those who were looking forward to this game as a top of the table thriller overlooked Burnley’s remarkable record of having conceded only nine goals all season, and the home side’s approach made sure this game petered out as the dampest of squibs.
Burnley Awaydaze
Once again we visit beautiful Burnley, this time with a 8pm kick off on Monday evening, thanks once again to our very good friends at Sky Sports. You’ll find Turf Moor about a mile to the east of Burnley town centre.
Leeds edge past Norwich: A lacklustre game or a tactical masterclass?
It was something of a routine victory over Norwich City last night, with Leeds doing little more than was absolutely necessary, but the three points took us back to the top of the table.
Late Goals Seal the Deal: Leeds Triumph 3-0 Over Sheffield Wednesday
Leeds Kick Off Transfer Window with Loan Moves for Gelhardt and Crew
The current transfer window has been open for two weeks already, but it’s not till today that we’ve heard first pieces of news affecting Leeds United. Joe Gelhardt and Charlie Crew are going on loan to Hull City and Doncaster Rovers respectively, for the rest of the season.
Leeds United Edge Past Harrogate Town with Ramazani goal
We laboured to break down some stubborn resistance from League Two Harrogate Town, but in the end a 59th minute goal from Largie Ramazani was enough to take Leeds through to the fourth round.
Late Drama at Hull: Leeds Held to a Draw After Meslier's Costly Error
Leeds seemed to be cruising to victory after turning the game around in the second half, but this match will be remembered for the error from Meslier that allowed Hull City back into the game, and ultimately cost us another two points on the road.
Hull Awaydaze
This season’s trip to Hull City is on Saturday, with a rare kick off at 3pm. You’ll find the stadium now known as the MKM a mile or so to the west of Hull city centre.
Fatigue or Fortune? Leeds Held to Draw by Resilient Blackburn
It was a disappointing end to the holiday season as Leeds took most of the game to break down a stubborn Blackburn Rovers side, and then allowed our opponents to grab a late equaliser. It won’t be a game that will live long in the memory.
Top of the Table: Leeds finish 2024 at the summit after Stunning Team Goal!
Once again we dominated the possession in an away game, but struggled to make it count. That was before a superb team goal in the 79th minute finally broke through the Derby County defence, and that proved to be enough to ensure that we finish 2024 on top of the Championship table.