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Note the early kick-off time for a fixture down on the south coast. Not content with not leaving our game to TNT Sports and our traditional Saturday lunchtime slot after the international break, Sky Sports have decided to lump this in just prior to a run of games in which we go up against the Spanish government’s footballing arm followed by the UAE government’s footballing arm. Other leagues would have scheduled us for the Saturday 3:00pm or Saturday 5:30pm slots, as there’s more legroom after the international break and Liverpool would gain a rest day followed by 2 days of training prior to the European game in midweek. Our only benefit with the Sunday lunchtime slot is that our South American contingent has some time to get over their jetlag (assuming they aren’t crocked on international duty of course). The two teams meet with vastly contrasting fortunes so far this season. So vast that we are currently 5 points clear at the top of the league, while the Saints prop up the table, 4 points from safety. It’s still early days in both camps obviously, but in Southampton’s case, they and their manager Russell Martin have looked out of their depth. He’s gone down the same route as Vincent Kompany at Burnley, trying to get his team to play out from the back. He’s encountered the same issues as the Bulbhead in that while his players could do it in the Championship, they repeatedly succumb to the pressing and counter-attacking traps set by coaches and players in the Premier League. I actually don’t have a problem with coaches that try to play football, and it’s a far cry from the alehouse shit we always used to see from teams down near the bottom. On the flip side, these coaches also seem to encourage their players to dive a feign injury. The sort of thing we saw Ireland’s Molumby do against England at the weekend. The slapdick officials in this country, VAR or no VAR, always fall for it too, while also allowing Mo to get roughed up by the sort of shithousery that sees rugby players get sin-binned and/or sent off. Southampton were promoted after beating Leeds in the play-offs, and that has more to do with Leeds messing up automatic promotion when handily placed than it does Southampton being ready for a top-flight return. Signings-wise, they’ve added Ramsdale from Arsenal in goal, Brereton Diaz and Archer from Villarreal and Aston Villa respectively in attack, and made defender Harwood-Bellis a permanent acquisition from City after he spent last season down on the south coast on loan. Oh, and they’ve brought back Lallana a decade after he left the club. In terms of players to catch the eye this season, Dibling has been the one to watch. From what I’ve seen of him, he has a bit of pace and skill and likes to get in your face. A nuisance if you allow him to be. We can’t let Southampton be a nuisance to us. It needs the sort of control and composure that was lacking on our last visit to St Mary’s. That was the 4-4 draw on the last day of the 2022/23 season, and the swansongs of both Bobby and Big Game James. The Saints are there to be got at and if we do things right, we could drive another nail in the coffin of their beleaguered manager. As I write, we still need to see how availability is affected for the players still away with their national teams. Virg will miss the Netherlands’ upcoming game and is returning to Merseyside for an assessment. He’s tough as teak so it’s probably nothing more than a player being given a breather by a team that has nothing to play for in their remaining Nations League game having already qualified for the next stage as group runners-up to Germany. No word yet on the previously absent Ali, Harvey, Diogo and Fede but I hope they are once again available. Fede in particular needs to at least be available for 5 or 10 minutes cameos at the end of games, preferably when we’ve already put the result to bed. How have our previous managers got on in their first away fixture against the Saints? It’s a shit record, amongst the worst against any of the sides that have spent a considerable amount of time in the top flight since 1992. By the way, I’m only counting PL era onwards hence why Souness’ first season or so isn’t in the mix, nor are any of the managers before him. Slot has the chance to change the record, and he’s certainly inherited a better squad than his predecessors with which to do so. Souness...13/02/1993...Saints 2-1 Liverpool (Hutchison) Evans...14/02/1994...Saints 4-2 Liverpool (Dicks pen, Rush) Houllier...23/10/1999...Saints 1-1 Liverpool (Camara) Benitez...22/01/2005...Saints 2-0 Liverpool Hodgson...N/A Dalglish...N/A Rodgers...16/03/2013...Saints 3-1 Liverpool (Coutinho) Klopp...20/03/2016...Saints 3-2 Liverpool (Coutinho, Sturridge) I don't ask for much. Maximum motivation, control, application, attitude and concentration from minute one. 3 points please. Get it done!