Pope John XXIII
Vital Football Legend
We head to the South coast to play at St Mary's- a ground we have only played at 3 times, and won twice- including our last visit. Southampton away is traditionally positive for us; we have only lost once there since 1990.
The last time we played a Russell Martin side was even happier- a 5-1 mauling in the last home game of our promotion season, a Sam Surridge hat trick and a 9-2 aggregate over a manager that I have been very open in thinking is a complete idiot.
This time last year I assure you that Southampton fans thought exactly the same.
This is a game we really need to win and will wish we had by the end of the season. Just as for the third season in a row we are now going to lament not being able to get 3 points at home to a Bournemouth who probably deserved to lose, if we fail to win against a newly promoted side we will regret it. 7 points from 9 away at the promoted sides last season kept us up.
I won't predict it will be easy; of course not. Optimism is high. They have 15 new players and have spent a reasonable £82m and it's their first home game. They will attack. Brereton will cheat. It's going to be tough and we need to be good and professional
Southampton style of play
Martin says he is an attacking manager, playing out from the back and won't change. He is an idiot and if he does as he says it will catch up with him. It did in the championship, with the second or third best squad in the league finishing a distant fourth.
They will try and play out from the back. They will attack, and particularly they will really attack us from the off and try and get an early goal.
The problem when you play teams like that is, it can be easy to lose your head and get overwhelmed. Suddenly you are 2-0 down, lose your head and it's 3-0 and you no longer believe you can get back in, they are high on confidence and they can just control it. You make it easy.
You have to weather that early storm. Because their players will get tired, start running out of ideas and more than anything, make mistakes. Southampton players will make mistakes and those mistakes will give us golden opportunities. We have to be a proper premier league team and be ruthless. All out attack will be uncomfortable for us, but weather the storm and we'll find ample opportunities to pick them off.
A possession based team in the premier league is a dream for us. We need to be professional and show leadership. If they do score, we need a leader who will get everyone to slow the game down, calm it, kill their momentum and frustrated their desire to go in for the kill- long enough for them to make mistakes.
Southampton like to get as many players in the box as possible when they are in the attacking third go create overloads and a lot of their goals come from crosses to the wingers at the back post. Their attacking midfielders run on, opposition defenders are forced to make quick decisions on who to manage and in the championship that often left wingers free at the back post.
The score a lot- at 87 in the championship they were third top scorers. But their 63 conceded was also extremely high- relegated Birmingham only conceded two more.
A detailed tactical analysis of Southampton can be found here
the-footballanalyst.com
Formation
Martin likes to do a 4-1-3-2 formation allowing for a 5 man attacking unit all getting to the box as soon as possible to create those overloads.
Of course, that leaves them short and more vulnerable to the counter as well.
At Newcastle he went for a 3-5-2 but the principle was the same- essentially a five man attacking unit going forward, with support from fullbacks making it a 7 man attack and creating overloads- but also vulnerabilities.
They also like to have a couple of attacking players placed outside the box for second balls and long shots
Players
Southampton are a team of relegatees. Look at their team- Archer, regulated. Brereton, relegated. Armstrong, relegated. Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Aribo, Bednarak, Alcaraz, Edozie, Stephens, Taylor- all relegated.
In contrast I think we have Omobamidele and Aina who have been relegated in their careers.
Up top will be Adam Armstrong, the epitome of a striker miles too good for the championship but yet to make the step up to the PL. His championship stats are insane in every season. His PL stats this far are meagre. However, previous managers played him more in the attacking midfield; you may see him being more prolific as part of a striker pair. He's good at holding the ball and finishing.
Next to him will be Ben Brereton, fast chasing Ivan Toney as the Premier League's biggest cheat. Brereton is brave, he goes for it and he carries the ball, having been used to playing wide left. He'll get himself in a lot of goalscoring situations, but has the clinical finishing of a championship player currently, as seen at Newcastle. With better finishing he could be a big scorer. But he's also a wind up merchant and a cheat. He provoked a bullshit sending off last week and he constantly looks to con penalties. You can be certain he will throw himself to the floor in the box against us if he even senses a defender's presence.
New signing is Cameron Archer, who played at Blades last season. A third player with big numbers in the championship but no scoring pedigree at this level, he can play up front or in the attacking midfield, where he is best. No decent goal numbers so far- 11 for Boro in the championship, just four all season in the PL last year. Likely to be similar to Brereton.
They still have Carlos Alcaraz, of whom big things (and big money) was expected this time last year. That didn't happen with just 3 goals and 13 championship starts, but he remains a very promising young player with great dribbling ability and a fantastic direct free kick at not yet 22.
Into that attacking midfield is Samuel Edozie, who can play across the attacking unit. He only started 16 last season and scored 6, so I presume was injured for a while. He is only 21 and is great at dribbling and finishing, making him a real threat.
They have also signed Adam Lallana, 11 years on from selling him to Liverpool. At 36 he was still doing a job here and there for Brighton and retains a captain's experience of the top flight.
Centrally they have Joe Aribo, who they signed from Rangers and who we had been interested in. He had a great start in the PL but faded with the rest of the team. He started 19 last season and was a sub in 19, scoring 4 goals, so he wasn't exactly a ringer in the championship either, with just one assist. For Martin his defensive contribution has been his biggest feature.
Flynn Downes is a mainstay in the middle for them, starting 32 games last year. Has has some experience at 25, having been signed from West Ham, where he didn't make the step up to the PL. He is an outstanding passer of the ball
We are also likely to see Will Smallbone, who looks suspiciously like a smaller version of Jonjo Shelvey, being an ambassador for alopecia UK since 2022. He is Irish and a terrific passer and set piece taker; but weak in the tackle.
They will use fullbacks as attackers, so Kyle Walker-Peters at LB/LWB remains a key player for them with many surprised he wasn't poached last year. I wasn't. He's good but not that good by PL standards. He's fantastic at carrying the ball, which makes him an attacking threat. But he is crap in the air and average defensively.
On the right they have new signing Yukinari Sugawara, a Japanese international signed from Eredivisie who did well at Newcastle. He can deliver a terrific pass and final ball, making him dangerous; but so far his defensive metrics are quite poor.
They also have Ryan Manning and James Bree as backups on either side, both with plenty of experience.
In the centre, they paid £20m for Taylor Harwood-Bellis from Man City. He's been out on loan loads of times, including to Burnley in the championship and last year actually at Southampton. Yet Burnley didn't sign him and last weekend was his first ever PL appearance- with a low 6 rating. He is a fantastic passing centre back, but his defensive ability at this level is under question.
Then you have their existing group. Armel Bella-Kotchap did not play at the weekend as he was on the verge of transferring to Hoffenheim. But that collapsed on Monday, so he may be available again. I think he is crap. Jan Bednarak was another relegatee who is at least decent at interceptions but is weak in tackling and in the air. Jack Stephens is older, played as part of a 3 at the weekend and was with them last year. Again, vulnerable in the air
Form
Southampton had a good pre season. They had a training camp in France where they beat Bordeaux and Montpellier. They then lost to Oxford away, won against Millwall and drew at home with Lazio and Getafe. They then lost at ten man Newcastle.
Head to head
We have a fantastic record against Southampton and are a bit of a bogey team for them. In the Premier League era we have lost a their place only once, in the Championship. We haven't had a bad run against them since the mid 80s. We did the double last time we played.
Who's the ****** in the black?
Ref this week is Sam Barrott of Yorkshire. Team allegiances unknown. We have never won in his three games in charge of us. These include the 2-2 at home to Luton, where he missed a clear foul for their first goal, and our defeat at Villa.
Graham Scott, a Swindon fan is on VAR.
Weather
The last time we played a Russell Martin side was even happier- a 5-1 mauling in the last home game of our promotion season, a Sam Surridge hat trick and a 9-2 aggregate over a manager that I have been very open in thinking is a complete idiot.
This time last year I assure you that Southampton fans thought exactly the same.
This is a game we really need to win and will wish we had by the end of the season. Just as for the third season in a row we are now going to lament not being able to get 3 points at home to a Bournemouth who probably deserved to lose, if we fail to win against a newly promoted side we will regret it. 7 points from 9 away at the promoted sides last season kept us up.
I won't predict it will be easy; of course not. Optimism is high. They have 15 new players and have spent a reasonable £82m and it's their first home game. They will attack. Brereton will cheat. It's going to be tough and we need to be good and professional
Southampton style of play
Martin says he is an attacking manager, playing out from the back and won't change. He is an idiot and if he does as he says it will catch up with him. It did in the championship, with the second or third best squad in the league finishing a distant fourth.
They will try and play out from the back. They will attack, and particularly they will really attack us from the off and try and get an early goal.
The problem when you play teams like that is, it can be easy to lose your head and get overwhelmed. Suddenly you are 2-0 down, lose your head and it's 3-0 and you no longer believe you can get back in, they are high on confidence and they can just control it. You make it easy.
You have to weather that early storm. Because their players will get tired, start running out of ideas and more than anything, make mistakes. Southampton players will make mistakes and those mistakes will give us golden opportunities. We have to be a proper premier league team and be ruthless. All out attack will be uncomfortable for us, but weather the storm and we'll find ample opportunities to pick them off.
A possession based team in the premier league is a dream for us. We need to be professional and show leadership. If they do score, we need a leader who will get everyone to slow the game down, calm it, kill their momentum and frustrated their desire to go in for the kill- long enough for them to make mistakes.
Southampton like to get as many players in the box as possible when they are in the attacking third go create overloads and a lot of their goals come from crosses to the wingers at the back post. Their attacking midfielders run on, opposition defenders are forced to make quick decisions on who to manage and in the championship that often left wingers free at the back post.
The score a lot- at 87 in the championship they were third top scorers. But their 63 conceded was also extremely high- relegated Birmingham only conceded two more.
A detailed tactical analysis of Southampton can be found here
Southampton – Russel Martin – Tactical Analysis - The Football Analyst
Russell Martin is currently steering Southampton toward a promising future, with a tactical blueprint that is both innovative and effective.
the-footballanalyst.com
Formation
Martin likes to do a 4-1-3-2 formation allowing for a 5 man attacking unit all getting to the box as soon as possible to create those overloads.
Of course, that leaves them short and more vulnerable to the counter as well.
At Newcastle he went for a 3-5-2 but the principle was the same- essentially a five man attacking unit going forward, with support from fullbacks making it a 7 man attack and creating overloads- but also vulnerabilities.
They also like to have a couple of attacking players placed outside the box for second balls and long shots
Players
Southampton are a team of relegatees. Look at their team- Archer, regulated. Brereton, relegated. Armstrong, relegated. Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Aribo, Bednarak, Alcaraz, Edozie, Stephens, Taylor- all relegated.
In contrast I think we have Omobamidele and Aina who have been relegated in their careers.
Up top will be Adam Armstrong, the epitome of a striker miles too good for the championship but yet to make the step up to the PL. His championship stats are insane in every season. His PL stats this far are meagre. However, previous managers played him more in the attacking midfield; you may see him being more prolific as part of a striker pair. He's good at holding the ball and finishing.
Next to him will be Ben Brereton, fast chasing Ivan Toney as the Premier League's biggest cheat. Brereton is brave, he goes for it and he carries the ball, having been used to playing wide left. He'll get himself in a lot of goalscoring situations, but has the clinical finishing of a championship player currently, as seen at Newcastle. With better finishing he could be a big scorer. But he's also a wind up merchant and a cheat. He provoked a bullshit sending off last week and he constantly looks to con penalties. You can be certain he will throw himself to the floor in the box against us if he even senses a defender's presence.
New signing is Cameron Archer, who played at Blades last season. A third player with big numbers in the championship but no scoring pedigree at this level, he can play up front or in the attacking midfield, where he is best. No decent goal numbers so far- 11 for Boro in the championship, just four all season in the PL last year. Likely to be similar to Brereton.
They still have Carlos Alcaraz, of whom big things (and big money) was expected this time last year. That didn't happen with just 3 goals and 13 championship starts, but he remains a very promising young player with great dribbling ability and a fantastic direct free kick at not yet 22.
Into that attacking midfield is Samuel Edozie, who can play across the attacking unit. He only started 16 last season and scored 6, so I presume was injured for a while. He is only 21 and is great at dribbling and finishing, making him a real threat.
They have also signed Adam Lallana, 11 years on from selling him to Liverpool. At 36 he was still doing a job here and there for Brighton and retains a captain's experience of the top flight.
Centrally they have Joe Aribo, who they signed from Rangers and who we had been interested in. He had a great start in the PL but faded with the rest of the team. He started 19 last season and was a sub in 19, scoring 4 goals, so he wasn't exactly a ringer in the championship either, with just one assist. For Martin his defensive contribution has been his biggest feature.
Flynn Downes is a mainstay in the middle for them, starting 32 games last year. Has has some experience at 25, having been signed from West Ham, where he didn't make the step up to the PL. He is an outstanding passer of the ball
We are also likely to see Will Smallbone, who looks suspiciously like a smaller version of Jonjo Shelvey, being an ambassador for alopecia UK since 2022. He is Irish and a terrific passer and set piece taker; but weak in the tackle.
They will use fullbacks as attackers, so Kyle Walker-Peters at LB/LWB remains a key player for them with many surprised he wasn't poached last year. I wasn't. He's good but not that good by PL standards. He's fantastic at carrying the ball, which makes him an attacking threat. But he is crap in the air and average defensively.
On the right they have new signing Yukinari Sugawara, a Japanese international signed from Eredivisie who did well at Newcastle. He can deliver a terrific pass and final ball, making him dangerous; but so far his defensive metrics are quite poor.
They also have Ryan Manning and James Bree as backups on either side, both with plenty of experience.
In the centre, they paid £20m for Taylor Harwood-Bellis from Man City. He's been out on loan loads of times, including to Burnley in the championship and last year actually at Southampton. Yet Burnley didn't sign him and last weekend was his first ever PL appearance- with a low 6 rating. He is a fantastic passing centre back, but his defensive ability at this level is under question.
Then you have their existing group. Armel Bella-Kotchap did not play at the weekend as he was on the verge of transferring to Hoffenheim. But that collapsed on Monday, so he may be available again. I think he is crap. Jan Bednarak was another relegatee who is at least decent at interceptions but is weak in tackling and in the air. Jack Stephens is older, played as part of a 3 at the weekend and was with them last year. Again, vulnerable in the air
Form
Southampton had a good pre season. They had a training camp in France where they beat Bordeaux and Montpellier. They then lost to Oxford away, won against Millwall and drew at home with Lazio and Getafe. They then lost at ten man Newcastle.
Head to head
We have a fantastic record against Southampton and are a bit of a bogey team for them. In the Premier League era we have lost a their place only once, in the Championship. We haven't had a bad run against them since the mid 80s. We did the double last time we played.
Who's the ****** in the black?
Ref this week is Sam Barrott of Yorkshire. Team allegiances unknown. We have never won in his three games in charge of us. These include the 2-2 at home to Luton, where he missed a clear foul for their first goal, and our defeat at Villa.
Graham Scott, a Swindon fan is on VAR.
Weather
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