Southampton v Aston Villa pre-match thread - Saturday, January 30th, 8pm

[SoccerHQ]

With 2 runners in McGinn and Sansom, we might me more capable of playing Traore.

Easy solution really is to keep Traore in but play him at number 10 so he has less requirement to help a full back out. Bring in Trez for Barkley and that still looks reasonably balanced in final third and give issues to opposition.

Going to be the most interesting 11 for a while I think as given this is our fourth game in 10 days it's the point where fatigue sets in and 2-3 changes wouldn't be a terrible decision.

[Risso]

Bit of an old fashioned 6 pointer this. If we win, the top and bottom halves of the table start to look quite distinct, with us well established in the top half.

[Toronto Villa]

I know they were missing a couple of players but Arsenal tore them apart at times. And Arsenal are very, very average and proving it again vs Man U who should be in front. We need to go at their back four and defend well. We gave away stupid free kicks last time and they scored another great goal by Ings. Those things are don’t always happen. We can certainly beat this lot and will be a threat every time on the break.

[Brend'Watkins]

I just hope that at corners we have our bigger players marking their bigger players not like in the first encounter.

[The Edge]

I just hope that at corners we have our bigger players marking their bigger players not like in the first encounter.

Their giant who scored at Villa Park is out so they won't be such a threat from set pieces. But the players who do pose a threat need to be picked up by Mings/ Konsa and not left to the smaller players. That tactic proved suicidal against Burnley.

[steamer]

And do not give free kicks within shooting range !

[The Edge]

And do not give free kicks within shooting range !

For sure but they wiil be looking for them after what happened in the first game. Something our players will acutely aware of. Hopefully.

[cdbearsfan]

Ugh, I had forgotten about sodding Walcott. Add him to the list of Bastards That Always Raise Their Game Against Villa.

Villa starting eleven unchanged. Carnival of the Animals is on the bench.