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Southampton At Coventry City The Preview

It was a mixed bag of results on Tuesday night, but Leeds defeat at Sunderland does give Saints the chance to go level on points with the Yorkshire club as well as put distance again between us and 7th.

Southampton make their first visit to Coventry City in 12 years when they travel to The Coventry Building Society Stadium this evening, they meet a Coventry side who are in a run of form that has seen them pull clear of the relegation battle and harbour hopes of challenging for promotion again.

From a Southampton perspective it is about getting back to winning ways, in any other season we would perhaps be in the top 2 with 38 points from 20 games, but this is not any other season.

So the big question is what changes Russell Martin will make, I would not expect any in the goalkeeper or back four, but certainly in the midfield where Flynn Downes should return after illness that forced him to miss the game with Watford, indeed I see only two probably changes with the other one being Charley Alcatraz who was poor at Vicarage Road.

Taking Downes return first, Joe Aribo deputised and had a good game, so it would be harsh on him to be dropped, so this will be an interesting decision.

Replacing Alacaraz is also complicated, Ryan Fraser did well after coming on at Watford and would be the obvious choice, but in his previous games in the starting line up he has not been as impressive as he has been coming off the bench.

So for Saints although the team selection might not be clear, the task ahead is simple, keep the unbeaten run going and not just that win and win well.

The one disappointment is that we are yet to really give someone a real tonking, some are critical of this and say that it is because we play tippy tappy football and don't try to kill the game off, I don't necessarily agree, we create chances, we just don't seem to be able to finish them off. as was the case at Watford when their keeper made a superb save from Ryan Frazer that made a difference come the final whistle.

This is going to be a season of attrition, it's a case of just keeping going, it's not going to be about individual games, just keeping plugging away and hoping that those above us drop points.

If we can get 3 points tonight then we will have gained a point over Leeds this week and that is a small victory if we can achieve it.

This is a game that we can win and we need to settle a few nerves by doing so ahead of a busy Xmas programme.

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