Southampton V Preston North End The Preview Wednesday, 6th Mar 2024 09:07 Saints had no favours given to them in last night's games, so tonight means that they have to do it the hard way and take all three points just to keep up with the 3 clubs above them in the Championship table. Leeds United & Leicester City both scraped 1-0 wins and Ipswich Town came from behind twice and scored a last minute winner to mean that Southampton start tonight 8 points behind second place when they kick off against Preston at St Mary's this evening. That means there is no leeway tonight, nothing less than 3 points will do, otherwise with just 10 games left making up 8 points will be a tough ask. Preston arrive with promotion hopes of their own and are 4 points off the 6th place club, they know a win will keep them up there with a hope, but defeat will leave them swimming at the back of a big pool of promotion hopefuls.
As we found in the trip to Lancashire earlier in the season, Preston know how to score against us, letting us push on and catching us on the break, after that game we learned a lesson, but in recent games we have gone back to our old ways, as happened at Birmingham on Saturday, when we conceded two the first two goals from two quick counter attacks. Preston arrive in reasonable form, unbeaten in their last 7 games, winning 4 and drawing 5 of them, however that came on the back of a terrible run that had seen them win just 3, draw 2 and lose 8 of their previous 13 Championship games. They seem to have learned a few lessons and dragged themselves back into the promotion frame.
So Russell martin needs to get things right tonight at the back, some have blamed his obsession at playing Jack Stephens at the back, but as an individual Stephens has not done too badly when brought into the side, what has been the problem is changing the back four changes the solid foundations we had built. In Harwood-Bellis & Bednarek we had arguably the strongest defensive partnership in the division, in Kyle Walker Peters the best right back and even though some would not agree, Ryan Manning had found his form. But then we kept on upsetting the apple cart, Birmingham scored so early on Saturday because they had noted that we had a back four that would be finding it's feet in the early stages, that if they ran at us early they would find us all at sixes & sevens and that proved to be the case. So this evening we have to build our foundations on that which served us so well, that means THB & Bednarek in the central positions, if KWP isn't fit then either James Bree or Jack Stephens at right back and Ryan Manning at left back.
A tight back four, marshalled by players in the centre who can hold the shape and know the positions they need to be in, this was not the case on Saturday when Taylor Harwood Bellis was essentially the right back & Jack Stephens was in the centre, as I said it was not about players having bad games, just the shape and lack of organisation. So the first thing is to keep it tight and not give teams the chance to catch us early on, then build from the back, Will Smallbone & Flynn Downes alongside Stuart Armstrong and up front Adam Armstrong should be a nailed on starter and I would say that Che Adams & David Brookes should make up the front 3. That line up is not far different from the one that started against Birmingham, in fact it could be exactly the same if KWP isn't fit, it is not about the personnel, it is about the shape of the back four and everyone knowing what they are doing from the first second of the game to the last.
As I mentioned anything but 3 points will be very damaging, Preston will come with a game plan and that will be hard to break down, away from home they are tight, conceding just 23 goals in 17 games on the road, winning 6 and drawing 4 of them. But conversely they have scored just 20, the pattern of the game looks to be already set and it is not one that in recent weeks Saints have been able to deal with well. This season still has a few twists & turns to go, we have to make sure that we make sure that this isn't the first of them and the three clubs above aren't breathing a sigh of relief come 10 pm this season. Russell Martin has to show Southampton fans that he is the man to take us to promotion, that he can learn lessons and get the best out of what is probably the best squad in the division in terms of Quantity & Quality.
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