Saints now have 10 games left in the final 5 weeks of the season and the Easter weekend will be crucial in deciding whether it will be automatic promotion or the lottery of the play offs.
A quick look at the table doesn’t look good for Southampton supporters, but if we win our two games in hand then it will show that it is still tight at the top.
But the two games in hand will mean nothing if we don’t keep winning the other games and any result other than a win is unthinkable.
But it won’t be easy, Boro have been in form of late, although they drew their last game, three straight wins before that have taken them clear of the relegation pack and they now harbour hopes of a late push into the play off spots.
Their trip to St Mary’s will be a little bit of last chance saloon for them in that respect though, if they fail to win then they could find themselves 10 points adrift of the final play off spot with only 8 games left and all hopes dashed.
Russell Martin has claimed that long term injuries aside he has a full squad to pick from, including Ryan Fraser who is back after 5 weeks out, but due to FA Cup fixtures and the fire next to St Mary’s Stadium, he has only missed 2 League games in that period.
David Brooks is also said to be fit after suffering from injury, but the dilemma for Martin is whether he risks either of them from the start, my thoughts are that he might well put Fraser back in the side as he has been in full training for the week and fit and ready, whereas Brooks may not have his full strength back after his illness, so will be on the bench.
All eyes though will be on the back four, Kyle Walker Peters has been back in training for over two weeks and is fit and he will surely be straight back in given that he has been one of the key players this season, but will Russell Martin continue with his bizarre tactic of trying to play Jack Stephens at all costs.
This means that we could well see Stephens shoe horned into any of the back four positions, he could play right back with KWP shifted to the left, but then again he could play left back with Ryan Manning dropped, or he could start in the centre of defence with Taylor Harwood Bellis at right back and KWP on the left.
The options for the manager along the back line are many, but the simple choice is keep it simple, KWP, Harwood-Bellis & Jan Bednarek have been outstanding this season, they have to be played in their usual positions, and then at left back I would stick with the attacking option of Ryan Manning, although the defensive options of James Bree or Jack Stephens are also an option.
