Saints (A) 3pm Boxing Day live on Amazon Prime
Ivan Juric was appointed Saints manager on Saturday and watched from the stands at Craven Cottage on Sunday. He has to wait for a work permit so whether he or caretaker Simon Rusk will be in the technical area on Boxing Day remains to be seen but I doubt if he'll be able to make much difference in just three days
This is Juric's first managerial job outside Italy, his last job was at Roma although he only lasted 53 days, before that he spent three seasons at Torino and before than he had two seasons at Verona but its his time at Genoa that is notable.
He was appointed June 2016, sacked in February then reinstated two months later. He was sacked again in November 2017 then reinstated for a second time in October 2018 but only lasted three months and 8 matches before he was sacked for a third time.
His preferred formation is 3-4-2-1 and Southampton have played a back three (or back five depending on your view point) in all their recent games except against Spurs at home when they started with a back four then replaced a striker with a centre back after they were 3-0 down (damage limitation?)
Under Russell Martin Saints were this season's Burnley, trying to play out of the back with nice short passing, possession football without having players with the quality to play that way at Premier League level.
Against Fulham they managed to keep their second clean sheet of the season, the other being against Everton at home. Notably Aaron Ramsdale was MotM in both games and this was his first game back since he fractured a finger against Wolves in November.
Overall they've only scored 11 goals, the fewest in the Premier League, and have conceded 36 (18th). They have the worst home record with just one win against Everton, a draw against Ipswich and six losses, scoring just 7 goals (19th) and conceded 21 (20tth)
Cameron Archer, £15m from Villa, is top scorer with 5 although just two of those were in the Premier League and two were against Cardiff, has been left out of the starting XI for the last two games.
Adam Armstrong, top scorer last season with 24, also has two goals in the league and has started up front for the last four Premier League games with various strike partners
A name that is noticeably absent in the last two games is Ben Brereton Diaz, signed from Villarreal for £7m in the summer, started the first four matches but has failed to impress. A move to Sheffield United is rumoured
Flynn Downes collected his seventh yellow card of the season against Fulham, Glad to see he hasn't changed.
Adam Lallana hasn't started since Wolves ( Movember
Starting XI against Fulham 3-4-1-2
Aaron Ramsdale (£18m Arsenal)
Nathan Wood (£3m Swansea)
Jan Bednarack
Taylor Harwood-Bellis (£20m Man City )
Japanese RB Yukinari Sugawara (£6m AZ)
Nigerian CM Joe Aribo
Flynn Downes
Kyle Walker-Peters
Portuguese U21 Mateus Fernandes (£15m Sporting)
Adam Armstrong
Saints youth and England U21 18yo Tyler Dibling (can also play RW/LW/AM)
This is Juric's first managerial job outside Italy, his last job was at Roma although he only lasted 53 days, before that he spent three seasons at Torino and before than he had two seasons at Verona but its his time at Genoa that is notable.
He was appointed June 2016, sacked in February then reinstated two months later. He was sacked again in November 2017 then reinstated for a second time in October 2018 but only lasted three months and 8 matches before he was sacked for a third time.
His preferred formation is 3-4-2-1 and Southampton have played a back three (or back five depending on your view point) in all their recent games except against Spurs at home when they started with a back four then replaced a striker with a centre back after they were 3-0 down (damage limitation?)
Under Russell Martin Saints were this season's Burnley, trying to play out of the back with nice short passing, possession football without having players with the quality to play that way at Premier League level.
Against Fulham they managed to keep their second clean sheet of the season, the other being against Everton at home. Notably Aaron Ramsdale was MotM in both games and this was his first game back since he fractured a finger against Wolves in November.
Overall they've only scored 11 goals, the fewest in the Premier League, and have conceded 36 (18th). They have the worst home record with just one win against Everton, a draw against Ipswich and six losses, scoring just 7 goals (19th) and conceded 21 (20tth)
Cameron Archer, £15m from Villa, is top scorer with 5 although just two of those were in the Premier League and two were against Cardiff, has been left out of the starting XI for the last two games.
Adam Armstrong, top scorer last season with 24, also has two goals in the league and has started up front for the last four Premier League games with various strike partners
A name that is noticeably absent in the last two games is Ben Brereton Diaz, signed from Villarreal for £7m in the summer, started the first four matches but has failed to impress. A move to Sheffield United is rumoured
Flynn Downes collected his seventh yellow card of the season against Fulham, Glad to see he hasn't changed.
Adam Lallana hasn't started since Wolves ( Movember
Starting XI against Fulham 3-4-1-2
Aaron Ramsdale (£18m Arsenal)
Nathan Wood (£3m Swansea)
Jan Bednarack
Taylor Harwood-Bellis (£20m Man City )
Japanese RB Yukinari Sugawara (£6m AZ)
Nigerian CM Joe Aribo
Flynn Downes
Kyle Walker-Peters
Portuguese U21 Mateus Fernandes (£15m Sporting)
Adam Armstrong
Saints youth and England U21 18yo Tyler Dibling (can also play RW/LW/AM)
Comments
I think this will be a tight affair and we need to get a controlling influence early doors or this will not end well
COYI
That said, it will be a tough game with a new manager & I can see a 1-1.
Lopetegui's presser: “We have a little problem with two players, one has an issue in the knee, so let's see in the next day if they are going to be ready or not
No new injuries
Captain CB Jack Stephens is available after his second 4 match ted card ban of the season, this time for pulling Cucurella’s hair
https://www.whufc.com/news/training-gallery-full-focus-festive-fixtures
COYI ⚒⚒⚒
Subs: Areola (GK), Coufal, Cresswell, Todibo, Irving, Álvarez, Luis Guilherme, Summerville, Ings
Soler and Rodriguez in for Alvarez and the suspended Paqueta.
Todibo coming on for Kilman.