x

Southampton At Blackburn The Preview

The focus has shifted in the last few days from automatic promotion, to making sure that we don't drop out of the play off spots, a win at Blackburn Rovers could put us within one win of guaranteeing a top six finish.

A week ago Saints supporters would not have been too bothered about the result at Blackburn, but what a difference the Easter weekend has made, the 5 points droped whilst not completely ending our automatic promotion hopes, has made it very very difficult to see how we could actually make it into the top 2 come the end of the season.

Last Saturday Blackburn lost 1-0 to Ipswich, a result that made it 9 games without a victory in the Championship, yet on Monday they destroyed Sunderland 5-0 up at The Stadium of Light, meaning that all of a sudden they have momentum and we have lost ours.

No we have to pick ourselves up and make sure that a drama doesn't become a crisis.

But before the doom & gloom merchants come out, we should take stock, 8 months ago many were predicting a mid table finish for Saints, some even suggested that it was going to be a relegation battle, yet now we see 4th place in the division as failure.

Yes from an automatic promotion perspective it is likely to be so, but we are still in a strong position, beat Blackburn and beat Coventry and we could find ourselves confirmed for a top 6 finish with still 6 games to play.

So that is now the first task get ourselves back to winning ways, what will be will be, but if we can do that then we can go into the play offs full of confidence.

There is no reason why that should not happen, that is of course if Russell Martin takes a long hard look at what pushed us up to such a strong position just a few games ago and what has suddenly pulled the rug under our feet.

Of course we are all football experts, but I have yet to speak to many people who don't feel what has cost us dearly has been the manager's determination to tinker with what was a rock solid defence for 22 League games.

That culminated with a fine attacking performance at Ipswich being undermined by a woeful display at the back, how could Kyle Walker Peters be left out for such an important game, how could we expect to be organised when only 1 player in the back four remained in the same position that he had played on Good Friday, what possessed the manager to make so many positional changes.

But that is now done, we have to get back to business and that means getting back to basics.

Stick with Gavin Bazunu, he was solid during our 22 game unbeaten run, he more than anyone has suffered from losing perhaps the best centre back partnership in the division to tinkering and a back four changed for changes sake week in week out.

Re instate the back four that got us through that period, Kyle Walker Peters, Harwood Taylor- Bellis, Jan Bednarek & dare I say it Ryan Manning.

Stick with the defensive trio that anchored the centre, Flynn Downes, Stuart Armstrong & Will Smallbone and play our best attacking line up.

Che Adams has been the whipping boy of late, but with 11 Championship goals there are still only 15 players who have got more.

Russell Martin has to recognise what got us to the top echelons of the league and stick to that formula.

Blackburn may have hit Sunderland for 5, but they are not a great team, if they had lost up in the North East then this would have been a must win game for them on Saturday, they would have been just 2 points off the bottom 3.

This has given them a bit of a jolt and they pulled a result out of the bag, now we have to make sure that we don't let them make a habit of it.

They are the second worst defence in the division, only Rotherham have let in more, we have to make sure the second best scorer in the division, catches up the 3 goal gap on the top striker, Blackburn's Sammie Szmodics.

We have to let them have the backlash of the last two games, indeed if I am honest the last couple of months.

Their home performances have not been great, won 6, drawn 5 & lost 9, the goals for of 26 is average, but 31 conceded is the worst on home turf aside from Plymouth.

This is a game that we can win, should win, but it is all in the hands of Russell Martin, can he see where it has all gone wrong and put it right, we will know at 5pm on Saturday.

What to read next:

Southampton V Swansea City The Verdict
There was a big surprise in store for Saints supporters when the team was announced for this 3rd round FA Cup tie, Ivan Juric had decided against rotation and was playing most of the players who started the last Premier League game.
Southampton 3 - 0 Swansea City - Player Ratings and Reports
If you saw the match, please give us your player ratings and a mini match report.
Southampton V Swansea City The FA Cup Preview
The magic of the FA Cup is diminishing by the year, football fans are waking up to the fact that if you are not one of the elite big club's then you have no chance of winning it anymore, hence it will be a sparse St Mary's this afternoon.
Saints In Talks To Move On Sulemana In The January Transfer Window
With this season now nothing more than trying to avoid the dubious distinction of having the Premier League lowest points total record, this January will be about clearing the decks ready for a summer rebuild and one man most would not be sorry so see leave is Kamaldeen Sulemana.
Southampton Selected To Take Part In Pilot For Drinking In The Stands At Football
Up to the mid 1980's you could drink whilst watching the game in football grounds in England however with increased violence at matches, the then Government brought in draconian measures to combat it, including a drinking ban.
Charlie Taylor Admits He Would Have Left If Russell Martin Had Stayed
Charlie Taylor arrived at St Mary's in the summer with just the pedigree that the Southampton squad lacked, Premier League experience ! But he soon found himself an outcast with Saints manager Russell Martin.
Saints Get Pricing Badly Wrong As Set For Lowest FA Cup Attendance in 15 Years
Southampton are set to register their lowest attendance in the FA Cup for 15 years when they take on Swansea City in the FA Cup and this has to be mainly down to the price structure set by the club for this tie.
Dom Ballard Recalled To Southampton From Loan Spell But Not Striking Answer
A couple of years ago Dom Ballard looked to be on the verge of breaking into Saints first team, but since then his career has been hit by injuries and now he has been recalled to St Mary's from Blackpool, but not for good reasons.
Southampton V Brentford The Verdict
I said in the preview that Ivan Juric and his coaching staff do not have enough Premier League experience between them or for that matter any real knowledge of the Saints squad, that was exposed for all to see on Saturday's debacle.
Southampton 0 - 5 Brentford - Player Ratings and Reports
If you saw the match, please give us your player ratings and a mini match report.