Southampton face their biggest game of the season so far as they face league leaders Ipswich Town on Easter Monday.
Russell Martin will be incredibly frustrated that he is not taking his side to Portman Road off the back of a win, with Southampton conceding in the 90th minute to draw at home to Middlesbrough on Friday.
This, despite the fact the Saints registered 2.31 expected goals compared to Middlesbrough’s 0.51 and missed four big chances; Che Adams particularly wasteful in front of goal. This has threatened to become the story of Southampton’s season and has left fans wondering what might have been if summer signing Ross Stewart had not missed all but 17 minutes of the campaign through injury.
For many, Southampton‘s automatic promotion dreams died with that late sucker-punch on Friday, however they have the chance to breathe life back into their bid for Premier League football should they beat Ipswich.
Martin’s side are currently fourth in the Championship and ten points off Ipswich, albeit with two games in hand, and travel to both Leicester City and Leeds United above them before the end of the campaign. Given the pace the top three are keeping, Southampton may have to win all three games away at their promotion rivals and cannot afford to drop too many points elsewhere either.
Martin has some big selection decisions to make for the late kick-off in Ipswich and one change he must make is to bring an experienced winger back into the fold.
Ryan Fraser must start against Ipswich Town
Ryan Fraser made his return off the bench in the draw with Middlesbrough on Friday afternoon, having been absent since the injury he sustained against Millwall in February.
During his spell on the sidelines, it was primarily Adam Armstrong who occupied Fraser’s preferred left wing position, whilst David Brooks has played from the right and Adams through the middle. However, with Brooks having struggled with illness whilst on international duty with Wales, Kamaldeen Sulemana came into the side.
Sulemana did not perform badly on Friday, but his lack of end product continues to be his downfall. The Ghanaian winger has done little to repay his club-record £22 million transfer fee since joining Southampton last January and has failed to score a single goal this season despite countless opportunities.
The 22-year-old is incredibly exciting to watch with his electric pace and ability to beat his full-back with relative ease, but until there are goals and assists to match he will struggle to justify his place in the side.
Fraser, on the other hand, brings composure in the final third and has chipped in with eight goals and three assists in all competitions this season.
With the 30-year-old returning after the extended break, with the Saints not playing the weekend prior to the international break, Fraser should be ready to start. In such a big game, Martin should turn to the experienced head and reserve Sulemana – as well as Samuel Edozie – for an impact off the bench if the game requires it.
Ipswich have not conceded in their last two games, so when Southampton get into good areas they will have to be efficient. With Fraser, they are more likely to make those opportunities count.
Ryan Fraser statistics in Middlesbrough return
Fraser came on in the 63rd minute against ‘Boro on Friday and impressed despite the game ultimately ending in disappointment.
Southampton were coming under pressure in the last half-an-hour or so of the game and Fraser’s role was as much about defending as it was attacking – another reason he is likely the best option for a game against an Ipswich side with a potent frontline.
On Friday, Fraser won all three of his duels and was fouled twice; relieving pressure for his side. The winger was also successful in the one dribble he attempted and completed all nine of his passes in a cameo which highlighted his experience and understanding of the game state.
Whilst he may not have done anything remarkable in an attacking sense, Fraser was composed and performed the role Martin would have asked of him as he replaced the more erratic Sulemana.
Against Ipswich, Fraser will have to have more of an impact in the final third, but he has shown over the course of this season that he is very capable of being the difference-maker.
The on-loan man has the trust of his manager and that will be key in the battle for promotion, starting with Ipswich. Speaking on Fraser in the wake of his two-goal display in the FA Cup third round win over Walsall in January, Martin said: “He was really good, really brilliant. He has such an amazing attitude and is a good example for the young boys”.
Fraser is not just at the club to help the club’s younger players though, and has plenty to offer. With the Scotland international previously expressing how much he wants to make his time at St Mary’s permanent, a telling impact in such a big game would certainly help his cause.