I love it when we win (well, on aggregate this time anyway) and the next game is just a few days away. Southampton were on a roll in January with 6 clean sheets in a row but stuttered a bit from late February, going three games without a win (2 defeats and a draw) before ending that spell by beating Stoke last week. Sadio Mane was sent off in that game but the red card has since been rescinded. Such a shame, as he's a good player and can trouble us.
I don't think we'll be winning 6-1 again, but we need to win to keep our chances of a CL place via the league route alive, no matter how slim those are, as having two chances is better than one. Hopefully we can carry our buoyant mood into this game and bag a 4th straight league win, which would be our first since this time last year.
The international break comes right after this game. Skrtel was sent off in the recent U21 game against West Ham in extra time, so I think he's ready to return to the squad now having had 2 U21 games under his belt after his injury. Henderson was vomiting at half time against the Mancs, hence his early withdrawal from that game, so he might be a doubt. Assuming he's out and Moreno's still unavailable with the hamstring problem, then we should probably see this:
------------------- Mignolet ----------------
Flanagan -- Lovren -- Sakho -- Clyne
------------- Milner ------ Can ------------
Lallana ---------- Firmino ----- Coutinho
------------------- Sturridge ----------------
subs: Ward, Skrtel, Smith / Stewart, Allen, Ibe, Benteke, Origi
Hopefully some guys will pick up a niggle or two, just enough to miss the international friendlies but not the Spurs game after that. 😉
I don't think we'll be winning 6-1 again, but we need to win to keep our chances of a CL place via the league route alive, no matter how slim those are, as having two chances is better than one. Hopefully we can carry our buoyant mood into this game and bag a 4th straight league win, which would be our first since this time last year.
The international break comes right after this game. Skrtel was sent off in the recent U21 game against West Ham in extra time, so I think he's ready to return to the squad now having had 2 U21 games under his belt after his injury. Henderson was vomiting at half time against the Mancs, hence his early withdrawal from that game, so he might be a doubt. Assuming he's out and Moreno's still unavailable with the hamstring problem, then we should probably see this:
------------------- Mignolet ----------------
Flanagan -- Lovren -- Sakho -- Clyne
------------- Milner ------ Can ------------
Lallana ---------- Firmino ----- Coutinho
------------------- Sturridge ----------------
subs: Ward, Skrtel, Smith / Stewart, Allen, Ibe, Benteke, Origi
Hopefully some guys will pick up a niggle or two, just enough to miss the international friendlies but not the Spurs game after that. 😉