Ronald Koeman has a few selection headaches to ponder over before he selects his starting XI to take on Newcastle United at St Mary's.
Koeman for the first time this season has a settled squad to choose from with the only doubts being Lloyd Isgrove and Sam McQueen, both out injured and of course whether Sadio Mane will be here in time to make his debut.
Mane will not be able to meet up with his team mates before Saturday morning at the earliest and after a gruelling journey from Botswana he might be fit only for a place on the bench.
Other than those three there are no issues that we know of so Koeman has to make a few decisions regarding his starting XI and whether he goes with the old adage of not changing a winning side or like the trip to West Ham picks the team he considers best for the way he sees the game going.
His first decision will be at the back, Toby Alderweireld is a top class defender and although it is harsh on Yoshida, I expect Koeman to make that call and put Alderweireld in the team, harsh on Yoshida, but the truth is the Japanese international is not up to the standard of Alderweireld and we need to be pro active and not sit back and wait for mistakes to happen before making deicision, it could be harsher still for Yoshida as with Gardos also in contention, if Koeman opts for only one central defender on the bench, he could find himself not even getting changed.
In the centre of the park Koeman has to decide whether to put Wanyama back into the side, he sat out the West Ham game for tactical reasons, but he was the best player in the opening two league fixtures, if he does come back then who would make way for him ? the choice is probably from one of Davis or Ward Prowse, again it would be harsh on either, but this is a squad game, although Koeman could opt to reshuffle a bit and drop Shane Long to the bench.
Other than those decisions I would expect the team to be pretty much the same as performed so well at West Ham, I think Koeman would prefer to tweak the side rather than make wholesale changes, he is building up team spirit and needs to ensure he is harsh but fair and that the players know that sometimes as in dropping Wanyama last week, even the best players have to sit out a game for tactical reasons.
Fact is it is good to be able to discuss what differing tactics and formations might be used, last season's previews were often short and sweet, Pochettino had a starting XI and stuck to it week in week out with only injury changing it and then only putting in the same like for like replacements, if I could tell what the Argentinian was going to do then so could the opposition.
With Koeman it is different although we know what the core of his team will be, truth is that every position is up for grabs and each and every player could be dropped if they don't play up to standard, Koeman has a squad now and not just a team.
Personally I think the team will line up
Forster
Clyne, Alderweireld, Fonte, Bertrand
Long, Schneiderlin, JWP, Wanyama, Tadic
Pelle
Subs K Davis/Boruc, Cork, S Davis, Gardos, Mane, Yoshida, Targett/Mayuka
Not a bad starting line up and good options off the bench as well, of course it could be a little stronger, but it is now about taking steps forward, Saints aim this season is to consolidate on that 8th place last season, I think although it would be nice to improve on it, it will be very hard and 8th might be the best achievable, to do so we need to beat Newcastle who again themselves will be looking for a top 10 finish.
They of course have problems of their own both on the field where they have injury problems and off it where owner Mike Ashley is rumoured to be interested in taking oover at Rangers in Scotland and this is going to affect their game.
If Saints can get on top of the game and get an early goal this will increase the pressure on the team from the fans who could turn against both manager and Chairman and create an atmosphere that makes it hard for their team to play in.
This will be the game plan but of course we have to be wary of them getting an early goal and turning elements of our own crowd against us, after a great win at West ham its easy to forget that in the last home game sections of the crowd were very non supportive of Pelle to put it mildly, we also have to be patient and realise that unlike last year we have plan B's and C's, if the game doesnt go our way we have a manager capable of turning it around and trying something different.
So if the crowd gets behind the team and we get it right we are more than capable of a win, if we do so then it will b a very satisfactory start to the season and we will have built some solid foundations to truly allow us to move forward as a club.
Key Player
Graziano Pelle, he needs to replicate his performance at West Ham to show certain elements of the crowd tht he has what it takes, if he does so and scores early on then it could be a exciting game