The games are coming thick and fast for Russell Martin’s Southampton side, with Blackburn Rovers visiting St Mary’s on Saturday for the third game in a week.
Southampton followed up a draw away at Watford last Saturday with the same result at Coventry City on Wednesday night and will be determined to end this three-game week with a win.
With the congested schedule, Martin will undoubtedly have to consider fatigue as a factor when choosing his starting line-up for Blackburn. Rovers are a good side who are currently ninth in the table and two points off the play-offs so Southampton cannot afford to take anything for granted if they do rotate the side.
Southampton have to start turning draws into wins if they are to put any pressure on the three sides above them in the Championship and a home game in front of the St Mary’s faithful represents a perfect opportunity to do just that.
What team will Russell Martin select against Blackburn Rovers?
Southampton were once again without recent star performer Flynn Downes against Coventry, having also missed the Watford game through illness but having been back in training he will surely return.
Southampton lined up in a formation resembling a narrow 4-4-2 diamond against Coventry in midweek but they lacked pace and creativity until Ryan Fraser and Sam Edozie entered proceedings on 60 minutes. From then on, Martin’s side looked much more threatening and Edozie scored the equaliser just seven minutes after coming on.
With that in mind, it would be a surprise if Martin does not opt to switch to a 4-3-3 with natural wingers. This should be good news for both Fraser and Edozie, who are the only fit senior wingers in the squad. However, Adam Armstrong has often been deployed from the right this season with Carlos Alcaraz through the middle and with Fraser struggling to make as much of an impact when starting as he has from the bench Martin may choose to save him for later in the game.
Alcaraz was poor against Watford last Saturday, though, and was subbed off at half-time so perhaps Martin will risk starting both of the natural wingers available to him, especially given Che Adams was poor last time out after his goal against Watford led fans to think he may have put his poor form behind him.
The side lacks goals, especially with Adams misfiring. Martin identified after the Coventry draw that the main difference between his side and Leicester City and Ipswich Town in the automatic promotion spots is their efficiency in front of goal, saying: “The top two score more goals than us and that’s the one thing they have over us. We don’t put games to bed so that is the next step for us. When we do, I am sure we will end up closer than we are.”
This may also be a factor for the change in shape, with Fraser and Edozie likely to help with the creative burden and provide chances for Armstrong who is Southampton’s only consistent goalscorer with 12 goals as well as his six assists this season.
Joe Aribo has started consecutive games for the first time this season in Downes’ absence but with the on-loan midfielder returning coupled with fatigue from two rare starts in four days, the Nigerian may return to the bench. Shea Charles has deputised as the deepest midfielder, but may also be victim of the change in shape and personnel with Will Smallbone joining Downes and Stuart Armstrong in midfield.
It is unlikely Martin will change the central defensive duo despite captain Jack Stephens being back in the squad for the past two games, but there could be a change at left-back after Ryan Manning‘s defensive error led to Coventry’s goal in the week. James Bree has done very well when playing as an unconventional left-back and is now seen as a safe pair of hands defensively so should return.
With all of that in mind, here’s how we predicted Southampton will line-up against Blackburn on Saturday:
(4-3-3) Bazunu; Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Bree; Downes, Smallbone, S. Armstrong; Edozie, A. Armstrong, Fraser