Looking Ahead: 3 Pressing Questions for Southampton vs. Sunderland

Southampton host North-East side Sunderland at St. Mary’s on Saturday, with many questions about the side still unanswered.

It is perhaps premature to call any game a “must-win” at this early stage of the Premier League season. That said, no team wants to drop points in the early going and find themselves clambering out of a hole come Christmastime. For Southampton, this hasn’t been a serious prospect for a few years now. Since coming back to the top flight, Saints have done admirably to sustain themselves and finish on higher points and position year-on-year. The team slogan, “We March On,” could just as easily refer to the South Coast club’s table position as it does to the quiet efficiency with which the club handles its affairs.

After two weeks of Premiership action though, fans are perhaps beginning to wonder if 2016/17 is the year the march on turns into a hasty retreat. A draw and a loss see the club sitting 16th in the table on a goal difference of -2 as Matchday 3 approaches and the summer transfer window begins to inch shut.

The club return to the familiar confines of St. Mary’s Stadium next Saturday to play host to winless Sunderland, who find themselves sitting familiarly in the relegation zone and looking to jumpstart their season.

The Black Cats suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat against local rival Middlesbrough at their home ground, the Stadium of Light, this past weekend; they lost by the same scoreline against Manchester City at the Etihad to open the season. Manchester United loanee Adnan Januzaj looks to be a bright spot in a dark season for the Wearside club, but even manager David Moyes has subdued expectations in light of recent outings.

With both teams needing 3 points ASAP, it promises to be a competitive, entertaining contest. We’ve picked out 3 questions on the minds of the Southampton faithful ahead of this early, but critical, match day.

3. Will Bertrand be back in action?

Southampton have been without Ryan Bertrand since he took a training knock two weeks ago, and there’s still been no word on a timeline for the left-back’s return to action. Matt Targett has been filling in at the position for his injured comrade in the interim, and doing a fine job of it, but on his healthy days the elder and more experienced Bertrand is by far the better player. Those healthy days, though, have become a bit of a rarity in past years as 27 year old Bertrand has been plagued by recurring knee injuries.

LEICESTER, ENGLAND – APRIL 03: Ryan Bertrand of Southampton evades Riyad Mahrez of Leicester City during the Barclays Premier League match between Leicester City and Southampton at The King Power Stadium on April 3, 2016 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /

Claude Puel, in his last public comment on the matter, continued to state that the injury was not serious. While the team should be able to get through Sunderland without much trouble even in Bertrand’s absence, it would calm many a Southampton nerve to have the starter back, even if he’s just on the bench this week.

2. How will Claude Puel adjust up front?

The front three setup of Redmond and Long up front with Dusan Tadic sitting back and feeding the strikers didn’t quite work out last time out against Manchester United.

Shane Long spent most of his game frustrated by poor service and squandered chances, and was otherwise a nonfactor in the attack.

Tadic and Nathan Redmond, meanwhile, got a bit going individually but never seemed to get their collective timing straight. The end result: a disjointed, anaemic attack that never seriously troubled United. It’s not a good look, and it’s one that Claude Puel will be wanting to improve upon next game and going forward.

Puel’s squad certainly isn’t wanting for depth up front: in addition to Long, Redmond and Tadic, Charlie Austin and Jay Rodriguez will be keen to get into the mix having put in good shifts as substitutes the past two weeks. Either Austin or midfielder Pierre-Emile Højbjerg could displace Tadic from the attacking mid spot, while Tadic could see himself split out wide in the place currently occupied by Shane Long. Rodriguez, whose form has been in question since sustaining a horrific injury in 2014, could also see some significant time as he attempts to show that he hasn’t lost his step.

However the squad sets up, though, they’ll need to do better in the attacking third than they have been of late. Anything less here, and we could be looking at the opening act to a very long season.

1. Will there be any new faces in the lineup?

Much has been said and written about where Southampton sit now in terms of personnel and where the club need to be to face the season ahead. The Sunderland match is the last match the club will face before the summer transfer window closes, so one would expect that any movement the Board will be eyeing will take place in this week’s run-up. Seeing who, if anyone, gets bought and if they start could reveal much about where the Board and managerial staff see the team’s needs at, and how urgently they view them.

Another possibility, though less-discussed, involves Southampton’s vaunted academy. Claude Puel has a strong track record of youth development, and if the manager feels confident in a result against a dismal opposition like Sunderland, it’s not beyond belief that a prospect from the U23 side might get a chance to shine in the first team.

I’m just trying to kick on now and score more goals for the under-23s…and hopefully impress the first team manager

In particular, the club’s tinkering at the striker positions might give U23 prospect Olufela Olomola a chance to impress in the big leagues; the 18 year old was recently profiled by club media after scoring twice in a U23s match vs. Liverpool, which Southampton won 4-1. The prospect has gotten tastes of the first-team before, training in preseason with them before returning to the youth squad, and expressed a desire for more first-team action in his interview with club media.

“I’m just trying to kick on now and score more goals for the under-23s…and hopefully impress the first team manager,” Olomola said Sunday. “I spent quite a bit of pre-season with them and I learned a lot by being in and around the first team environment. It really opened my eyes to the standard and the level they’re at and where I need to improve to get to that level.”